Utah’s Scenic Byway 12
The road to Bryce Canyon (from Zion) is a beautiful two lane road leading from Highway 89 to the junction of Highway 24. I’ve been on parts of the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) (Highway 1) in California, but Byway 12 is a different magnitude providing vast, scenic landscapes. Anything nature appeals to me, so I was more than excited to be driving on this road. My mouth was agape the entire time (both when I was the driver and the passenger), reveling in the beauty of the formations. It’s such a treat to be able to witness expansive landscapes, with different landforms all around.
This pull-over spot was the first expansive view where I took in the magnitude of the landscape in southern Utah. From this overlook, we learned that several people lost their lives building this highway across slick rock when they used explosives to pave their way through the rock. Thank you for your dedication.
Outside Bryce Canyon National Park heading North
Homestead Overlook
We found out (from sign placards) that for the inhabitants of the town of Grover, they have to travel northwestward on highway 24, then south back towards Bryce and Zion (if they wanted to reach that area) before this highway was built in the early to mid 1900s, when many of the roads in America were built far before then. I’ve read somewhere that this is one of the last places to develop in America and much of this area still is. There are virtually no tourist destinations (thank goodness!), which also means very few opportunities to stay at a hotel, fill up for gas, and fill up on food at diners. I would think that most of the cars through on the road are on their way to Capitol Reef National Park from Bryce Canyon (or vice versa) or live in the small towns scattered throughout Byway 12.
Towards the end of Scenic Byway 12
If you’re not short on time, I definitely recommend taking this breathtaking route.
Happy travels!
Cat