Scenic Byway 12

Utah's Scenic Byway 12 is among the most beautiful drives in the country. Winding through 124 miles of southern Utah, the road passes by four national parks and monuments, a handful of state parks, and dozens of points of interest and scenic vistas. The varied terrain includes majestic towers of red desert sandstone, petrified forest, high desert, snow-dusted mountains, and slickrock buttes, all under expansive western skies. You'd be hard pressed to find a better drive on which to experience the beauty and rugged grandeur of the American southwest.

Highway 12 begins a few miles south of Panguitch, Utah, in the southwest of the state. Panguitch is a mid-sized community surrounded by spectacular scenery. Before beginning your drive, you might take a side trip from here to the sandstone spires of Cedar Breaks National Monument, or the massive grandeur found in Zion National Park, both only a short drive from Panguitch. In town, you can stay at the Silverado Wild West Movie Town, with authentic Dutch oven cooking at the Wild Bunch Restaurant, or one of the several other lodges like the Marianna Inn Motel.

After heading south for a few miles on US 89, Highway 12 begins and heads east through Red Canyon. Drive this stretch of the road at sunrise or sunset, and it will become obvious how the canyon got its name: the colors here are brilliant. A few miles farther down the road you'll drive through the north edge of Bryce Canyon National Park. Wind and weather have spent millenia shaping the sandstone at Bryce into strange and beautiful shapes called hoodoos, inspiring names like Fairyland Castle and Thor's Hammer. Bryce is a good place to get out and stretch, since most of the fantastic overlooks here cannot be seen from the road.

The byway continues east past the rustic towns of Cannonville and Henrieville, with an option take a brief side trip to Kodachrome Basin State Park and marvel at the tall stone pillars called "sandpipes." A campground here in a grove of pines under a sandstone cliff is a great place to spend the night, and hikers can make use of several good trails through the inspiring countryside. Scenic Byway 12 continues northeast, crossing over the Escalante Mountains and following the northern edge of the expansive new Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument, which stretches from here to Lake Powell. Access to the monument from this direction is limited, but the views over these hundreds of square miles of pristine backcountry are immensely satisfying.

The town of Escalante marks the half-way point of the drive, and makes a great stopping place on a trip along the byway. This small ranching town is steeped in Mormon pioneer history. Comfortable lodging is available at several local inns like the Grand Staircase Bed and Breakfast. Escalante is also home to a number of guides and outfitters who can give you a more up-close look at the beautiful country seen from the road. Among the options are an offroad adventure with Dreamland Safari Tours, or a trip into the backcountry on horseback with Hondoo River Trails. Finally, Escalante State Park, with short hikes to colorful petrified forests, is only a stone's throw from town.

The drive continues to the east and north, winding its way up and over forested mountains, down to river valleys, and along ridge tops. The scenery never lets up, with dozens of horizon-stretching viewpoints into the forested Aquarius Plateau. Numerous campgrounds are available in this area, along with options for side-trips, such as the rugged alternate route between Escalante and Boulder through "Hell's Backbone." Remnants of an ancient village can be seen at Anasazi Indian Village State Park. Shortly thereafter the road climbs to its highest point, a mountain pass at 9200 feet.

Scenic Byway 12's northern terminus is at the small town of Torrey, just west of Capitol Reef National Park. This park protects a 100-mile long ridge of stark, rugged rock thrust out of the surrounding plain. Most of this park is inaccessible to vehicles, but a long 4WD drive route called "Notom Road" follows the ridge into beautiful isolated backcountry. There are several places to stay nearby, such as Austin's Chuckwagon Motel in Torrey. From Torrey, there is more spectacular scenery along US 24 and US 72, the return route to I-70.