Scenic Byway 143 - Utah's Patchwork Parkway

A recognizable US Forest Service sign introduces the traveler to the Dixie National Forest’s high alpine terrain along Utah’s Patchwork Parkway.

This lizard, sunning in the desert west of Parowan, matches the reddish-brown rocks so well he is hard to see.

The road reveals rugged white cliffs and thick forest stands on the way from Parowan.

Wetlands line Panguitch Lake's western shoreline and Copper Knoll lies in the distance.

The peak of Copper Knoll rises over the eastern end of Panguitch Lake.

Sandy beaches stretch along the east end of Panguitch Lake.

Looking northwest, the clear blue waters of Panguitch Lake are visible under a pleasantly cloudy sky.

Scenic Byway 12 curves on its way to Panguitch.

SR-148 winds ahead past ancient lava flows peeking above the evergreen-edged alpine meadows in Dixie National Forest.

This observation shelter and sign reside on top of Brian Head Peak.

White hoodoos rise above the thick forests on the road from Parowan.

Sagebrush and pine dot the mountaintop near Panguitch Lake.

Built in Parowan in 1851, this log cabin is the oldest in southern Utah. It was moved to the grounds of Iron Mission State Park in 1983 to preserve and protect it.

Several striking abstract petroglyphs remain on the rocks at Parowan Gap, including this one, nicknamed the "funnel drop".

The road cuts through cottonwood and oak in the lower canyon from Parowan.

Parowan Gap stands out on the desert west of Parowan.

An old wire and log fence borders a wide field filled with clumps of purple penstemon.

Panguitch Canyon Creek softly cuts through red walls, passing sporadic spurts of greenery.

A dramatic switchback along Brian Head-Panguitch Lake Scenic Byway curves through thick forests.

Serious switchbacks pave the way as the road leads up to Brian Head Ski Resort.

Hoodoos can be seen on the north side of the road in Vermillion Cliffs area of the Brian Head-Panguitch Scenic Byway.

Two fisherman cast their lines at a wide spot on the canyon river, near Vermillion Cliffs on a sunny autumn day.

On the way up to Brian Head, red slopes line the roads on one side and slender trees line the other.

Vibrant colors seldom seen outside southwestern Utah are clearly evident from the north overlook at Cedar Breaks National Monument: crisp blue skies, brilliant white fluffy clouds, deep red formations of Cedar Breaks, shades of green spruce and pine melded with rich autumn yellow aspen and framed by the ancient limbs of a bristlecone pine.

The reflection of a fly line on the calm waters of Panguitch Lake parallels a reed-covered shoreline.

Two streams flow out of solid rock on the Hidden Haven Trail.

A shepherd (or sheep-herder) and his black and white dog look over a flock of sheep in the high country of Dixie National Forest by Mammoth Creek.

Brian Head Peak stands majestically against an overcast sky.