UT-128 Colorado River Scenic Byway
UT-128, Moab, UT
Moab, UT
A ribbon of highway tracing the green Colorado River through a canyon of towering red walls and spires just upstream of Moab.
Utah Highway 128 is one of the most beautiful drives in canyon country, following the Colorado River upstream from near Moab through a deep, winding red-rock canyon. For much of its length the byway runs right beside the green river, hemmed in by towering cliffs, buttes, and spires that glow in the desert light.
The route passes iconic landmarks, including the soaring rock pillars of Fisher Towers, historic ranches, and a graceful modern bridge that replaced a beloved old one. With access to rafting, hiking, and riverside camping, and far less traffic than the highways to the national parks, Highway 128 offers a relaxed, scenic way to experience the Moab country.
What Guests Love
- Driving right alongside the green Colorado River beneath red canyon walls
- Views of the dramatic spires of Fisher Towers
- Access to river rafting, trails, and riverside campgrounds
- A scenic, relaxed alternative to the busier routes around Moab
Worth Knowing
- It is a two-lane road shared with cyclists and rafting traffic, so drive attentively
- Riverside campgrounds fill up in peak season, so plan ahead
- Summer is hot in the canyon, so carry water for any hikes
- The road connects Moab toward Interstate 70, making a scenic through-route
Details
Moab, UT
Learn about UT-128 Colorado River Scenic Byway
The river and the canyon
Highway 128 traces the Colorado River as it flows through a canyon of Wingate and other red sandstone, the walls rising steeply from the water's edge. The contrast of the green river and its fringe of cottonwoods against the red cliffs is striking, and the scenery shifts constantly as the road winds along.
The Colorado here is a working river of recreation, carrying rafters and kayakers through gentle stretches and rapids alike. Boat ramps and access points line the byway, and outfitters run trips from Moab, so the road and the river travel together through the canyon.
Fisher Towers and the landmarks
Partway along the byway, a side road leads toward Fisher Towers, a cluster of dramatic red rock spires that rise hundreds of feet from the desert, famous among climbers and photographers. Their fluted, dark-red forms are among the most striking rock formations in the region.
The route also passes the historic Dewey Bridge area, ranches like the one at the mouth of Onion Creek, and countless unnamed buttes and walls. A modern span now carries the highway across the Colorado where a historic suspension bridge once stood, a reminder of the road's long history.
Rafting, hiking, and camping
The byway is a gateway to river adventure, with rafting trips ranging from calm floats to lively whitewater launching from points along the road. Trails such as the Fisher Towers trail and routes up side canyons offer hiking amid the red rock.
A string of campgrounds lines the river along the highway, prized for their setting between the water and the cliffs. Waking beside the Colorado with the canyon walls catching the first light is a quintessential Moab-country experience, and these sites fill quickly in the busy seasons.
The land and the seasons
This canyon country is part of the ancestral homeland of the Ute and other Native peoples, whose deep ties to the Colorado River corridor long predate the ranches and roads. The river has drawn people here for millennia, and the byway follows a route people have traveled in many forms over time.
Spring and fall bring ideal temperatures for driving, hiking, and rafting, while summer is hot in the canyon and best enjoyed on the water or early in the day. Winter is quiet and mild by day, when the low sun sets the red walls aglow above the cold green river.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Moab
Fisher Towers
Along the byway
Dramatic red rock spires rising from the desert, with a scenic trail winding among them.
Moab
About 15 miles south
The adventure hub of canyon country, gateway to Arches and Canyonlands.
Arches National Park
About 20 miles southwest
A park of over two thousand natural stone arches in a red-rock wonderland near Moab.