Why Go: Utah’s State Route 12 traverses 122 miles of otherworldly landscape — chockablock with slickrock canyons, cosmic pinnacles and monolithic buttes — between Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef National Parks. We’ve carved out a more manageable (relatively, mind you) chunk between Bryce and Boulder that winds past petrified forests, stratified cliffs and ancient Puebloan granaries where you can peer into history.
Road Notes: From lofty Bryce (7,500 feet), the road drops down into the tiny farming towns of Tropic, Cannonville and Henrieville before climbing through Dixie National Forest and passing the granaries. After Escalante, the road is in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument to Boulder. Stop to explore slot canyons, scope out the Escalante River or photograph the world-famous Hogback formation.
Â
Distance: 74.2 miles
Elevation Gain: 5,096 feet
Starts From: Bryce, UT