Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — More of Utah's popular recreational roads are becoming available as the state's remaining snow continues to melt.
Vehicle and foot access into Butterfield Canyon in Salt Lake County became available again Thursday, according to county officials. State Route 148, otherwise known as the Cedar Breaks Scenic Byway, also reopened Thursday, providing access to Cedar Breaks National Monument in Iron County.
Jonathan Pyne, a spokesman for the park, said the roads that go through the national monument are also open, though the park's temporary information center and Zion Forever Project park store won't reopen until June 16. He adds that visitors should be "very cautious" when coming to the park because it might be slick in some areas.
"Snow and ice patches still cover many paths and overlooks," he said in a statement. "Trails remain buried beneath snow and fallen trees; park crews will clear these trails as soon as possible."
Construction crews are still working to complete a new visitor contact station, a project that began in 2021. Because of that, the Point Supreme Overlook is closed to the public this year. A portion of the parking lot will also be closed this year.
Meanwhile, the Utah Department of Transportation, which helped clear out SR-148, posted on social media Wednesday that it plans to begin work to clear out state Route 224, otherwise known as Guardsman Pass, beginning as early as Monday. That said, there's no real timeline for the road to reopen, connecting Big Cottonwood Canyon in Salt Lake County with the Wasatch Backcountry.
"There is no opening date determined yet, as our crews have a lot of work to do to get the roads back into shape after the winter," agency officials wrote. "We will keep you all posted on the clearing progress and an opening date as soon as we have that information."
Per UDOT, a handful of other seasonal roads remain closed at the moment. Those are state Routes 39 (Monte Cristo), 65 (East Canyon), 92 (American Fork Canyon/Alpine Loop), 150 (Mirror Lake Highway) and 153 (Mt. Holly Junction).
Utah received record-breaking snow over the fall, winter and spring months, with some mountain areas receiving as much as 900 inches of snowfall between October and the end of April. The state's snowpack, a measurement of water in the snow, also reached a record 30 inches by April 8.
This led to all sorts of challenges in clearing out mountain passes. For example, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox tweeted this week there were 550 avalanches in Big and Little Cottonwood canyons alone this season, 98 of which reached roadways. It came as his office recognized the work of UDOT's plow workers.
"Somehow no injuries or deaths," he wrote, "because these incredible public employees worked around the clock to protect people and keep traffic moving."
