Replenished. I've been on a lot of roads that astound me, and I find myself exclaiming again and again "this is one of my favorite roads!" And I'm not exaggerating; I've driven on over a hundred thousand miles of road and several of them make my Favorites List (Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park, Highway 313 up to Canyonlands National Park, Utah 128 near Moab, Schafer Road in Utah, plus numerous jeep trails, just for examples) but nothing I've seen or driven on so far even comes close to Highway 12 in southern Utah. This road has it all: mountains, deserts, stunning views and dizzying heights set upon hairpin curves, not to mention it connects two of Utah's Big Five National Parks, Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon. There is no comparison; it takes my breath away every time I drive it.
Starting in the town of Torrey, 12 takes you straight into Dixie National Forest and a gently sloping land of pinion pines and juniper trees. Gradually, almost without you noticing, the desert trees start to mix with ponderosas as you gain altitude, and it's only once you're surrounded by a grove of aspens do you realize you've left the desert below and are truly in the Boulder Mountain Range. Scenic viewpoints make you realize how high you are when the canyons and domes of Capitol Reef National Park shrink into almost nothing. High above the desert, the mountain road twists and curves through stands of evergreens and aspens. If you visit during the summer you're likely to find shade, water and a cool retreat from the baked desert below. In the winter the road turns icy and treacherous, and the plow crews have their work cut out for them to keep the roads free of drifting snow.
As you descend, the high-altitude trees give way to desert pinions and junipers again, until the trees abruptly end and 12 spits you back out into the desert. Now you enter Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and suddenly realize that you're driving on a tiny spit of land only just wider than the road, with canyons yawning open eight hundred feet or more straight down on either side of you. Narrow pullouts provide photographers and thrill seekers with opportunities to stand on the lips of those canyons and gaze with wonder at what a little water and wind can do. Let me just say that this road is not for those with a fear of heights.
And then 12 dives over the edge of the canyon, descending to trace Calf Creek and crossing the Escalante River, those ribbons of water responsible for carving the canyons you admired from above. The winding road along the canyon bottom branches off, giving access to hiking and camping areas managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Continuing on, you ascend again and leave the monument, though you technically drive through it for several more miles here and there while on the road. Only after steadily gaining elevation do you arrive at the historic pioneer town of Tropic, and just beyond that, Bryce Canyon National Park. A stop at Bryce is well worth several days and I was unintentionally stuck there myself this past winter, but that is a story for another post. 12 continues on.
The final stretch of Highway 12 travels through yet another stunning geological marvel: the Red Canyon. For those of you who skipped Bryce Canyon (shame on you) Red Canyon give you a taste of what you missed. As you descend into the canyon gigantic monoliths rise out of ponderosa forests, contrasting bright red rocks with dark green pines. Drive it in the winter and you get to add in a dusting (or four plus inches) of snow. There are scenic turnouts every quarter-mile, and at each one the view is different. Trails crisscross the canyon, and a campground provides a home for those who don't want to leave right away.
Just beyond the end of Red Canyon, 12 comes to an end. Turning north or south on Highway 89 will take you to yet more amazing destinations in Utah, but no road can compare to the scenic byway marvel that is Highway 12. I could spend an entire trip to Utah solely on that road and never run out of things to do. Hey, maybe I'll do exactly that. Anybody want to go with me?
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