Chicken Creek Canyon to Pine Valley — Tushar Mountains High Road

Utah overlanders spend all their time in canyon country, but the Tushar Mountains west of Richfield top out above 12,000 feet on volcanic terrain that looks nothing like the rest of the state. The route up Chicken Creek Canyon off US-89 near Mayfield climbs through aspen-choked drainage before breaking onto the high plateau around Puffer Lake at 9,800 feet. From there the road tracks the ridgeline south toward Pine Valley, with a side push to Mount Belknap’s base at 12,139 feet if your rig is up to the rocky two-track. The views west into the Great Basin from up here are the kind that make you pull over and just stand there.

This is a genuine high-altitude route — the upper sections sit above 11,000 feet and the air is thin enough that turbocharged rigs do noticeably better than naturally aspirated. Stock 4WD gets you to Puffer Lake comfortably; the Belknap spur and the rough two-track connectors toward Pine Valley want a lifted rig with good tires and skid plates. Snow lingers well into June and returns by October — July through September is your window. No permit required. Water from Chicken Creek drainage is available but filter it. Dispersed camping is solid throughout the Fishlake National Forest sections.