Driving Scenic Highway 12 through Utah

Red rock tunnel on Utah Highway 12

Utah Highway 12 is one of the state’s scenic byways. The byway stretches 124 miles through central Utah, running through two national and three state parks.

The byway is filled with stunning views of red rock formations, forests and just plain rugged landscapes is it connects U.S. Highway 89, a north-south route, a few miles south of historic Panguitch, with Utah  Highway 24 at Torrey.

It is not a route to be rushed as there are many opportunities for side trips off the route or stopping in small towns along the way.

We only drove the route from Highway 89 to Bryce Canyon City, which is the only entrance to Bryce Canyon National Park. This is a distance of only 13 miles and, unfortunately, only provided sampler of the beautiful scenery to come.

 

A section of Scenic Byway 12