December · Good
Quiet and cold but clear, with short days and the occasional high elevation closure.
Verdict
Good
Where to base
Moab, Sedona or St George
Roads in the Atlas
5
Checked by the Drivers Atlas desk
Scored and written by the Drivers Atlas editorial desk, drawing on driven routes across the UK and Europe, mapping data and member road reports. Seasonal notes are reviewed against published closure dates and reopened each spring. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 6 April 2026
Context
Red rock, canyon climbs and hundred mile views, on roads that are open all year but only comfortable for part of it.
Roads
Utah
Slickrock, the Hogback ridge with drops both sides, and red canyon after red canyon.
123 mi · Rating 9.6 / 10
Snow on Boulder Mountain from November to April
Utah
Switchbacks out of Zion Canyon into a mile long tunnel with windows cut in the rock.
24.2 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10
Escort required for large vehicles in the tunnel
Arizona
Red rock Sedona at one end, pine forest at the other, with a hairpin climb between.
28 mi · Rating 9.2 / 10
Ice on the switchbacks in winter
Utah and Arizona
The straight every film crew shoots, buttes rising straight out of the desert floor.
44.7 mi · Rating 8.9 / 10
Summer heat and sudden dust storms
Nevada
Bright red sandstone waves either side of a smooth, almost empty two lane.
18 mi · Rating 8.9 / 10
Very hot from June to September