Panguitch is a city of 1,700 people (2017) in the Canyon Country of Utah in the Western United States. Panguitch is a good jumping-off point for travelers who want to hike in the Grand Circle of U.S. national parks.

Understand

Panguitch is about 23 miles (37 km) from Bryce Canyon National Park and is within the Grand Circle.

The name Panguitch comes from a Southern Paiute word meaning “Big Fish,” likely named after the plentiful nearby lakes hosting rainbow trout year-round.

Climate

Panguitch has a cool semi-arid climate with summers featuring hot afternoons and cold mornings, and cold, dry winters. The high altitude and relatively high latitude means that mornings are cold throughout the year and freezing for most of it. Maxima, however, can be expected to top freezing on all but 14 afternoons during an average year, and the winters are so dry that snowfall is light.

In a manner more akin to Arizona than northern Utah, most of the limited precipitation occurs during the July to October monsoon season, but Garfield County is usually too far north to receive the monsoon's full benefit.

Get in

By car

The main road into the town is the north-south U.S. Route 89, which also provides connections in the direction of Zion National Park and Lake Powell to the south.

When driving from Salt Lake City to Panguitch, take Interstate 15 south through Beaver, then take Route 20 east across a mountain range, and then drive down Route 89 south to Panguitch.

Get around

By car

Panguitch Historic District

The roads in Panguitch are a grid, so getting around in a vehicle is simple. Main Street and Center Street are the primary streets in the town. Main Street goes north and south, and Center Street goes east and west. U.S. Route 89 enters the town from the north and follows Main Street to Center Street. It then goes east along Center Street and leaves the town.

See

• 1 Downtown Panguitch, Main Street (the section of Main Street just north of the Center Street/Main Street intersection). (updated Aug 2018)

Do

• 1 Dixie National Forest (take Main Street south of Panguitch; as Route 143, it will lead into Dixie National Forest), ☏ +1 435 865-3700. There is lodging inside the national forest along with a lake. (updated Aug 2018)

Buy

• 1 Joe's Main Street Market, 10 South Main Street, ☏ +1 435 676 2361. M-Sa 8AM-9PM; closed Su. Grocery store. (updated Sep 2018)

Eat

• 1 Kenny Rays, 80 North Main Street (northern end of downtown area), ☏ +1 435 676-8851. M-Sa 6:30AM-10PM. American cuisine. (updated Aug 2018)
• 2 Backroads Bistro, 5 North Main Street (corner of Main Street and Center Street), ☏ +1 435-676-2290. 
• 3 Cowboy's Smokehouse Cafe, 95 North Main Street (corner of North Main Street and West 100 North), ☏ +1 435-676-8030. M-Sa 7AM - 10PM, closed Su. Barbecue food. Occasionally has live music. Very crowded when there is live music. Menu offers a lot of meat. A vegetarian or vegan would have trouble ordering a full meal here. (updated Sep 2018)

Sleep

• 1 Bryce Canyon Motel, 308 North Main Street (Intersection of Main Street and East 300 North Street), ☏ +1 435 676-8441. (updated Aug 2018)
• 2 Canyon Lodge Motel, 210 North Main Street (the same junction as the Phillips 66 gas station), ☏ +1 435 676-8292. (updated Aug 2018)
• 3 Wyndham (Days Inn), 180 East Center Street (intersection of Center Street and North 200 Street, east of Main Street), ☏ +1 435 676-8876. (updated Aug 2018)

Connect

• 1 Panguitch City Library, 25 South 200 East, ☏ +1 435 676 2431. M W F 1-6PM, Tu 1-7PM, closed Sa Su Holidays. Public library with five computers available for public use. Visitors can use the computers for one hour per day. Computers have internet access and are connected to a printer. Printed pages are $0.10 each. The library also has free wi-fi. Free. (updated Sep 2018)

Go next

• Bryce Canyon — Panguitch serves as a good jumping-off point for Bryce Canyon National Park.