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Scenic Byway 12 Utah Map: Your Stop-by-Stop Route Guide

Writer: Mischa Francis Velasco
Mischa Francis Velasco
3 minutes ago
2 min read

Looking for a Scenic Byway 12 Utah map before your road trip? This 120-plus-mile drive in southern Utah links Bryce Canyon National Park to Torrey, the gateway to Capitol Reef National Park. It's Utah's first All-American Road, and it's packed with overlooks, waterfalls, slot canyons, and small pioneer towns.


Because towns and gas stations are far apart, and cell service comes and goes, it helps to know the route before you start. Here's how Scenic Byway 12 breaks down, section by section, from west to east.


Scenic Byway 12, UT Highway

TAKE A SELF-GUIDED TOUR OF SCENIC BYWAY 12:


Scenic Byway 12's Epic Driving Tour is a self-guided GPS audio tour that follows the byway from Bryce Canyon Resort to Torrey.


Along the way you'll learn:

  • Why Ebenezer Bryce called his canyon "a hell of a place to lose a cow"

  • How 250 pioneers lowered wagons down a cliff at Hole-in-the-Rock

  • Which town got its mail by mule until 1942

  • Who built the 900-year-old village at Boulder


The drive takes about three hours without stopping.



Scenic Byway 12, UT Larb Hollow Overlook

THE SCENIC BYWAY 12 ROUTE:


  • Section 1: Bryce Canyon to Tropic—Start near the entrance to Bryce Canyon National Park. Stop at Mossy Cave for an easy walk to a waterfall, then drive into the small town of Tropic.


  • Section 2: Tropic to Escalante—Pass Cannonville and Henrieville, then climb past Powell Point Vista and the Upper Valley Granaries, ancient storage rooms built into the cliffs. Escalante Petrified Forest State Park sits just outside the town of Escalante.


  • Section 3: Escalante to Calf Creek—Pass the Hole-in-the-Rock Road turnoff and stop at Head of the Rocks and Boynton Overlooks. Then drop down into the Escalante River canyon and Calf Creek, where a trail leads to a 126-foot waterfall.


  • Section 4: The Hogback to Boulder—Climb onto the Hogback, a narrow ridge with steep drops on both sides and no guardrails. Then roll into Boulder, home to Anasazi State Park Museum.


  • Section 5: Boulder Mountain to Torrey—Climb over Boulder Mountain through aspen forests to overlooks with views that stretch for dozens of miles. Then head down to Torrey, the end of the byway and the gateway to Capitol Reef.


SCENIC BYWAY 12 UTAH MAP TIPS:


  • Download offline maps. Cell service is spotty along much of the route.

  • Fill up on gas. Stations are in Tropic, Escalante, Boulder, and Torrey, with long gaps in between.

  • Plan your stops. The drive is about three hours without stopping, but most people take a full day.

  • Check road conditions. The road over Boulder Mountain can be snowy in winter.

  • Drive slowly on the Hogback. Don't stop on the ridge, and stay in your lane.


PLAN YOUR TRIP:


Want the full breakdown—where to eat, where to stay, and the best things to do along Utah Scenic Byway 12? Our Scenic Byway 12 travel guide covers all of it.


Check out our Scenic Byway 12 travel guide to plan your trip.

 
 
 

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