Provo, UT

Scenic Byway 12 traverses some of the most beautifully diverse terrain I’ve seen in my travels. Along the route you’ll drive through slick-rock and red rock canyons, high desert, alpine forests, mountains, Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, and quaint little towns so remote you wonder where they shop for groceries. There are informative posts at many of the scenic overlooks. Portions of the road are above 9,000 feet, so make sure you check the weather forecast and start the drive with a full tank.

We decided to drive Scenic Byway 12 on our way home from Bryce Canyon. Our goal was to hit Capitol Reef National Park but we realized along the way that driving the byway would take longer than we expected and it was worth the time to stop at the many scenic overlooks.

According to www.scenicbyway12.com, the Federal Highway Administration has designated Utah’s Scenic Byway 12 as an All-American Road, with such extraordinary features that it’s considered one of the most unique drives in America. Only a few byways achieve this status, making it, in my humble opinion, a must-see if you live in Utah.

I’m hoping if you’re reading this series of posts you’ll be on your way to visit Zion or Bryce Canyon National Parks and traveling from there, but if you’re heading straight from Provo you can either hit the northeastern gateway town of Torrey or the southwestern town of Panguitch in about three hours. The byway itself took us about half a day to drive (stopping several times along the way), so you’ll probably want to make a weekend of it (unless you want to literally spend all day in the car). My suggestion is to get an early start from Provo and visit either Zion or Capitol Reef (if you go Capitol Reef, write a post and let us know about it!), spend the night, then drive the byway the next day. If you have two nights to spend, stop at Bryce Canyon National Park on Day 2, and spend the night at Ruby’s Inn. However you choose to experience the southern half of Utah, it’s worth the trip. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves!