Touring - Utah Cliffs Loop

I'm looking at the Utah Cliffs Loop tour with some friends this Spring and looking at the Adv Cycling maps it looks like much of the tour is dirt or gravel roads. Has anyone ridden this route? Do you need a mountain bike to do the tour? I'd appreciate any beta you might have to offer. Thanks.

Are you a cycletouringrockclimber? I am...

Here's a link (http://www.adv-cycling.org/routes/utahcliffsloop.cfm?pg=detail) to the map. Does Adventure Cycling even do mountain bike tours? In any event, I would ask them if it's all paved. However, I can tell you that I did a similar loop with a friend about 10 years ago starting and ending in St. George. It was entirely on paved roads. We went clockwise and passed thru Snow Canyon, Cedar City, Cedar Breaks (a significant climb), Panguitch, Bryce Canyon, and Zion. We did it in the 2nd half of May, and had very hot temperatures in St. George, and very cold temps (including snow flurries) at the top of Cedar Breaks. It was a very pretty route.

I've got the maps and they mention some gravel and dirt roads, but one's guys dirt road is another guys mountain bike route so I was hoping someone out there has actually ridden the route Adv Cycling mapped out.

And yes, by the way, Adventure Cycling does have a mountain bike route. The great divide route from Canada to Mexico is just such a route.

Thanks for the info. I'm thinking it will be a very pretty trip. I plan on taking lots of photos.

most of it...
here's our report: http://somdaysomwhere.blogspot.com/2007/06/utah-cliffs-loop.html
cheers!
jan