Quilting Nature Covers Utah’s Patchwork Parkway
Just as a patchwork quilt pieces together fabric, Scenic Byway 143- Utah’s Patchwork Parkway blends together the arid Great Basin of Western Utah with the 10,000 ft. Cedar Breaks National Monument. With its sweeping view and high plateau it travels through the Dixie National Forest, past lava flows a few thousand years old and on to Panguitch Lake before ending at Highway 89.
This 51-mile drive in southwestern Utah, just east of Interstate 15, is book-ended by the communities of Parowan and Panguitch (20 minutes from Bryce Canyon) and connects with Highway 89 and Scenic 12 Byway. A piece of this “patchwork” quilt is the historic route itself, traveled once by ancient inhabitants who used it to hunt, fish, and gather tools and food, and where you will see petroglyphs, pictographs, and more.
Mormon pioneer settlement and culture is evident along the byway as well. Another literal quilt connection is folklore stating early settlers, desperate for food, once crossed the plateau in winter using handmade quilts laid atop deep snow to prevent their feet from freezing and aiding them to reach settlements to the west.
The communities of Parowan and Panguitch contain 19th Century architecture and historic sites. The original Panguitch townsite is on the National Register of Historic Places.
See for miles – both horizontally and vertically
Bring your camera to Cedar Breaks National Park. You will enjoy the 10,000 foot view and look down into the 2,000-foot-deep Cedar Breaks Amphitheater with its vibrant hues of pink, orange, red and other coral colors carved from the Claron Formation. You will have views from the plateau for hundreds of miles. Enjoy the dark night sky and stargaze in one of the nation’s best certified dark night skies! (Be sure and bring warm clothes as it can get chilly during the night in the mountains.)
Don’t forget your fishing poles, hiking shoes, or camping equipment to enjoy the lake, trails, and campgrounds, offered along the drive of the Scenic Byway 143-Utah’s Patchwork Parkway. Stop in Brian Head, the rustic mountain village with a base elevation of 9,800 feet and a peak elevation of 11.300 feet, known as the “Highest Resort Town” in the nation. It offers you great snow skiing and other opportunities for you outdoor enthusiasts.
Come drive Utah’s Patchwork Parkway and experience its quilting nature for yourself!
2025 Events:
Quilt Walk: June 11-14 Panguitch, Utah
Panguitch Balloon Rally: June27-29 Panguitch, Utah, Mass hot air balloon ascension, food, crafts, inflatables, music
Summer Concerts in the Park: 7/4,11/18/25 from 8:00pm-9pm. Parowan, Utah (Bring blanket, chair, warm clothes)
For more information:
National Scenic Byway Foundation: https://nsbfoundation.com/nb/scenic-byway-143-utahs-patchwork-parkway/
Visit Cedar City-Brian Head Tourism: https://visitcedarcity.com/