Help Us Establish Utah State Route 18 as a Scenic Byway
The United States federal government and the State of Utah both provide for the designation of roadways as Scenic Byways. Scenic Byway designation assures the unique features of an area are recognized and preserved for the enjoyment and education of the public. Characteristics of these areas may include visual, environmental, historical, cultural, and/or geological importance that make it worth preserving.
While not as well-known as nearby Zion National Park, the land through which SR-18 passes is a wonderland of unique geological features and habitat. Examples include a portion of the largest presentation of fossilized sand dunes in the world (Navajo Sandstone), the intersection of the Colorado Plateau and Great Basin formations, numerous young cinder cones and lava tubes, and the impressive plutonic rock laccolith formation Pine Valley Mountain, the largest laccolith in the United States.
Accessible from SR-18 are 1000’s of acres of public lands (state parks, designated wilderness, and federal land). As a step towards preserving these lands, the SR-18 Scenic Resource Coalition is working to secure the designation of SR-18, from the Chuckwalla Trailhead just North of the city of St. George, to the community of Enterprise, as a Utah State Scenic Byway. The natural beauty and unique characteristics of these public lands make them worth protecting for future generations to enjoy. Will you please help us by signing our petition?