18. Cassidy was considered one of the most well-liked outlaws of the Old West, so much so that“ Butch Cassidy Days” is part of the annual Piute County Fair, which takes place about 10 miles north in Junction.
Also just north of the homestead is Circleville, a town that was actually settled twice. Latter-day Saints pioneers first arrived in 1864 but abandoned the settlement during the Black Hawk War, returning 10 years later. For ADV riders, Circleville is also the first access coming north on U. S. 89 to the Paiute Trail system, with a main loop of 245 miles and more than 2,000 miles of additional side roads and trails. If any of those miles are anything like what I saw on the highway, it’ s probably an amazing adventure.( Note: As of January 2023, Utah changed some of the requirements for off-highway vehicles on public land, roads, and trails. Check the resources at the end of this article for more information.)
About 15 miles north of Junction, I passed through the small town of Marysville, which is the gateway to Marysville Canyon, a beautiful 8-mile winding stretch of highway that follows immediately adjacent to the Sevier River. The colors of the canyon seem to change from one mile to the next, with pale green fields of sage stretching to the base of rocky slopes that shift from gray to hints of purple and pink. But the real treat was rounding the corner and seeing the Big Rock Candy Mountain Resort – and yes, it is the mountain that Harry McClintock was referring to in his 1928 song. The mountainside
Left: It’ s worth stopping for a few minutes at the Butch Cassidy Childhood Home on U. S. 89. Born approximately 25 miles west in Beaver, Utah, Robert Parker spent his first 18 years at the homestead and had a reputation for being charismatic and helpful to his neighbors. Below: I didn’ t see any buzzing bees in cigarette trees, but Big Rock Candy Mountain is definitely eye-catching.
34 / OCTOBER 2026 / RIDERMAGAZINE. COM