Full-Day Private Scenic Byway 12 Audio Driving Tour

Red Canyon

15 min

This area has been called the "most photographed place in Utah." It is easy to see why, with the brilliant red soil contrasted with the green pines.

Bryce Canyon City

30 min

Restaurants, general store, ice cream shop, rodeo grounds, and more! Everything you need to have an unforgettable day at Bryce Canyon can be found here in Bryce Canyon City.

Bryce Canyon National Park

30 min

Park signs are the perfect photo op, and Bryce Canyon National Parks welcome sign is a fantastic backdrop for your Instagram-worthy selfie!

Mossy Cave Trail

1 hour 30 min

Mossy Cave Trail is about 10 minutes outside the park gates on Route 12, but it's definitely worth the trip. This trail will lead you across two footbridges and towards the base of the Mossy Cave; a naturally formed “grotto” with a waterfall! It's only about 1 mile long and is rated easy-to-moderate.

Tropic

30 min

Tropic is a small town with a big heart. Located just a few miles from Bryce Canyon National Park, Scenic ByWay 12 cuts right through Tropic's main drag. Here you'll find a few lodging options, restaurants, and an old fashioned candy/general store!

Kodachrome Basin State Park

30 min

Named by the National Geographic Society in 1948, this awe-inspiring state park features 67 monolithic stone spires, numerous hiking trails, and nearly 800 years of geological history.

Powell Point Vista

15 min

Viewpoint from the Table Cliff Plateau that features sweeping views of the pink limestone formations. Right across from Powell Point, "the blues" (gray/green shale deposit formations) are also visible.

Upper Valley Granaries

15 min

If you peer through the viewing tubes at this wayside, you'll see the stone-and-mud constructed storage units built by the ancient Puebloan people almost 900 years ago!

Escalante Petrified Forest State Park

15 min

Enjoy boating, swimming, fishing, hiking, and exploring among the forest of petrified wood.

Escalante

30 min

Welcome to the town named for the river named for the Spanish priest that started it all! Escalante is the perfect pit stop on your Scenic ByWay 12 road trip. Visit the Escalante Interagency Visitor Center and learn more about the unique geology and ecology of the region, get up-to-date information about road conditions and special events.

Hells Backbone

30 min

38 mile loop starting in Escalante and ending in Boulder, UT. Built in 1932 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, this semi-paved backway served as an alternate trade route.

Hole-in-the-Rock

30 min

62 mile scenic backway that follows the exact route the Hole-in-the-Rock Pioneers followed in 1879.

Head of the Rocks Overlook

15 min

Viewpoint that overlooks the sweeping Escalante Canyons and beyond. You're even able to see parts of Scenic ByWay 12 below!

Boynton Overlook

15 min

Viewpoint that overlooks the Escalante River.

Kiva Koffeehouse

30 min

Kiva Koffeehouse is an excellent stop for coffee, homemade pastries, soups, and light fare made from locally sourced, organic ingredients. Sit and relax in the spacious patio area that's an exact replica of an Ancient Puebloan Kiva.

Escalante River Trailhead

1 hour

Explore the beautiful Escalante River trail, the Escalante Natural Bridge and the Escalante Natural Arch. The truly spectacular thing about the Escalante River Trail is the 1-mile long, 100 Pictograph Trail that will take you to the site of actual pictographs carved into the rock by the Ancestral Puebloans!

Lower Calf Creek Falls

1 hour

6.0 round trip hike adjacent to Calf Creek. This trail is moderately difficult due to some loose and sandy areas.

Calf Creek Viewpoint

15 min

Viewpoint located 2.4 miles south of the Upper Calf Creek Falls

The Hogback

30 min

At one point along Scenic Byway 12, between the communities of Boulder and Escalante, is a unique stretch of road called The Hogback. The road here runs along the top of a steep ridge, with the ground dropping drastically on each side of the road. Gaze out over the scenery to the left or the right while you slink atop the winding road above.

Burr Trail Road

2 hours

67-mile road that connects Boulder to Bullfrog. The road is accessible in dry weather but is not recommended during rain or snow, as it is prone to washouts.

Anasazi State Park Museum

2 hours

A replica of an actual Ancient Puebloan ruin turned museum that was occupied from A.D. 1050 to 1200. It was also very likely that this was the largest communities west of the Colorado River.

Dixie National Forest

2 hours

This National Forest covers about 170 miles and is divided into four non-contiguous sections.
Feel free to explore the hiking and biking trails, and breathe in the fresh pine air! Dixie National Forest is home to over 200,000 acres full of Engelmann Spruce and Pinyon Pine, living to be over 400 years old!

Chriss Lake Trailhead

2 hours

Chriss Lake Trail is a scenic hike that offers excellent views of the Escalante/Grand Staircase National Monument to the south, while ascending through aspen stands and meadows to Chriss Lake.

Heritage Overlook

15 min

Take a break and breathe in the Utah scenery at Heritage Overlook. Keep your eyes peeled for the Frisky Flats Creek, past short neck plateau, and on a clear day, out past Boulder to Phipps Death Hollow and beyond.