Travel is all about the details. On a big road trip, it’s often challenging to pick out the best parts – unless your trip includes a 122.863-mile stretch of perfect Utah road known as Scenic Byway 12. Beginning in Panguitch and ending in Torrey, Byway 12 is also called “A Journey Through Time Scenic Byway.” Under any name, Scenic Byway 12 connects two national parks (Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef) and passes through beautiful landscapes along the way. The road has its origins in the early 20th century and evolved to become the road we know today.
As a driving or motorcycling road, it’s about a three-hour trip from end to end, delivering delights at every point. The road surfaces are legendarily smooth and perfectly cambered, curving upward in the middle. This pavement geometry creates ideal conditions for cornering in a car or on a bike, adding to motoring pleasure. The road follows the land’s natural contours, slinking around foothills and sliding through valleys. Where natural pathways aren’t possible, archways have been carved through sections of rock, lending a timeless elegance to your passage. Elevation changes take you as high as 9,000 feet above sea level at some points and back down below 2,000 feet at others. It’s an invigorating, challenging road – not a racecourse, by any means, but a beautiful way to move through the landscape.
For fans of national parks, Byway 12 can serve as a gateway to fantastic scenery, hiking and exploration. At the southern end of the road, you’re near the entrance to Bryce Canyon National Park. US 89 leads directly to nearby Zion National Park, another treasure. The Dixie National Forest nearby is another opportunity to explore the diverse landscape of central Utah. Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel is a great home base for exploring Scenic Byway 12 and the nearby parks and other attractions.
About halfway up the Scenic Byway 12, you’ll pass the small city of Escalante. The city’s 800 residents inhabit the Potato Valley, surrounded by mountains, cliffs and sandstone canyons. The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument borders the town.
At the 83-mile mark, one of the great gravel roads in the west calls to off-roaders and adventurers alike. Hell’s Backbone Road, a 38-mile path, is a winding, narrow gravel road connecting Escalante and Boulder, Utah. A highlight is Hell’s Backbone Bridge, a 109-foot long, 14-foot wide bridge with 1,500-foot drop-offs. The road climbs through passes up to 9,000 feet in elevation so weather can be a factor in the winter months, but it is passable by most passenger vehicles – SUV or lifted pickup truck recommended.
In the final stretches after Escalante, the thrill ride of the Hogsback section of Scenic Byway 12 kicks in with multiple hairpin turns during the descent into Boulder and Torrey. Discretion is essential here, as motorcycles and sports cars must share the road with recreational vehicles and minivans, not to mention the fantastic scenery and geological features on display. Take your time, enjoy the ride and strive for smoothness over speed. Best Western Richfield Inn in Richfield is about 30 miles from the northern end of Scenic Byway 12, located close to Interstate 70, a central east/west passageway through Utah. This makes it a good landing point or departure spot for your Scenic Byway 12 adventure.
Scenic Byway 12 is one of America’s great roads, and with so many displays of geological, natural and scenic beauty all around, it’s well worth the trip. Whether you only spend three hours on its 122.863 miles of pavement or use it as a base for days or weeks of exploration, you’ll find inspiration, beauty and serenity wherever you go.