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Has anyone traveled Scenic Hwy 12 in Utah?
Posted on 11/23/23 at 5:33 pm
Posted on 11/23/23 at 5:33 pm
Are there places to eat along that stretch? Not looking for 5 star restaurants, just decent places where you won't get food poisoning. What about lodging? Any suggestions? Anything we absolutely shouldn't miss? Thanks.
6
Posted on 11/23/23 at 6:23 pm to ChenierauTigre
We drove this between Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon, and it’s beautiful. You can get a lot of great visuals from the road, and it’s not too curvy if you have people in your party that get carsick.
We didn’t make many stops because we were focused on doing the Mighty Five. We ate at Rustlers in Tropic, and it was fine. Escalante and Boulder also have places to eat.
I recommend getting the Just Ahead app and downloading the Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef guides. It will provide an audio tour and recommend stops all the way down 12 between the 2 parks.
We didn’t make many stops because we were focused on doing the Mighty Five. We ate at Rustlers in Tropic, and it was fine. Escalante and Boulder also have places to eat.
I recommend getting the Just Ahead app and downloading the Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef guides. It will provide an audio tour and recommend stops all the way down 12 between the 2 parks.
Posted on 11/23/23 at 7:56 pm to ChenierauTigre
We drove from Torry (Just west of Capitol Reef NP) to Cedar City. We stayed in Torry as a base for visiting Capitol Reef. Then we drove 12 through Escalante to Bryce. From there we took 89 south to Zion. On our way back north we left I15 in Cedar City and drove 12 from there to Panquitch where we took 89 north, so we missed a few miles on 12 between the two intersections with 89.
You can find lodging and restaurants around Torry (most), Boulder and Escalante. Rooms will be your basic motel and restaurants were okay, Mexican and Pizza were usually good. Most times on vacation we eat a good breakfast and dinner, but lunch is usually just snacks on the trail or in the car if driving.
What to see? Bryce - hike the lower trails, try to be on the rim for either sunrise or sunset. Capitol Reef or Escalante are great for longer hikes, but both are best if you have a 4-wheel drive. There are limited paved roads (other than Hwy 12), and some of the gravel can be pretty rough. We had a rental sedan so we were limited to what we could drive. However, the drive on 12 through this stretch is scenic. Cedar Creek has an amphitheater similar to Bryce, but smaller. Overnight we had 6" of snow in Bryce (Late October) and they had 20" up on the mountain in Cedar Breaks, so five days after the storm when we drove through we didn't do much more than pull off at the overlooks and trudge through the snow and ice to view the amphitheater. By then the road was clear, but since the park was mostly shut down, they hadn't plowed the overlooks or trail parking lots. The park facilities had shut down the end of September.
Two other interesting areas/places to visit in southwest Utah are the area around Kanab and Snow Canyon State Park north of St. George
You can find lodging and restaurants around Torry (most), Boulder and Escalante. Rooms will be your basic motel and restaurants were okay, Mexican and Pizza were usually good. Most times on vacation we eat a good breakfast and dinner, but lunch is usually just snacks on the trail or in the car if driving.
What to see? Bryce - hike the lower trails, try to be on the rim for either sunrise or sunset. Capitol Reef or Escalante are great for longer hikes, but both are best if you have a 4-wheel drive. There are limited paved roads (other than Hwy 12), and some of the gravel can be pretty rough. We had a rental sedan so we were limited to what we could drive. However, the drive on 12 through this stretch is scenic. Cedar Creek has an amphitheater similar to Bryce, but smaller. Overnight we had 6" of snow in Bryce (Late October) and they had 20" up on the mountain in Cedar Breaks, so five days after the storm when we drove through we didn't do much more than pull off at the overlooks and trudge through the snow and ice to view the amphitheater. By then the road was clear, but since the park was mostly shut down, they hadn't plowed the overlooks or trail parking lots. The park facilities had shut down the end of September.
Two other interesting areas/places to visit in southwest Utah are the area around Kanab and Snow Canyon State Park north of St. George
Posted on 11/23/23 at 8:40 pm to TomRollTideRitter
Have driven Hwy 12 many times. Not sure I would say it's not too curvy- maybe not Road to Hana in Hawaii but you'd best pay attention. That plus the Hogback can make a lot of people nervous. Good burger places in Torrey and Escalante (sorry, names escape me) but are likely closed this time of year. Hell's Backbone Grill in Boulder is pretty good. Of course, Lower Calf Creek Falls is a"dont miss". Anasazi State Park in Escalante and Petrified Forest in Escalante are worthy stops.
Posted on 11/24/23 at 1:27 pm to ChenierauTigre
Thanks for the responses. Looking at end of September/early October. We were in Durango area during that time a couple of years ago, and the weather was glorious. Even got a dusting of snow.
I am in the planning stages. Not even sure if we will do Hwy. 12. I need a month's worth of time to see what I want to see.
I am in the planning stages. Not even sure if we will do Hwy. 12. I need a month's worth of time to see what I want to see.
Posted on 11/24/23 at 3:26 pm to ChenierauTigre
don’t miss 12
also don’t miss the hells backbone detour
also don’t miss the hells backbone detour
Posted on 11/24/23 at 4:56 pm to ChenierauTigre
take the short hike to Tropic Ditch falls
Posted on 11/24/23 at 6:55 pm to ChenierauTigre
quote:
Anything we absolutely shouldn't miss?
quote:
Not even sure if we will do Hwy. 12
Don’t miss 12!
Posted on 11/25/23 at 6:45 am to LSUintheNW
How does Hwy 12 compare to the Million Dollar Highway?
Posted on 11/25/23 at 7:33 am to ChenierauTigre
quote:
don’t miss 12
also don’t miss the hells backbone detour
Forgot about this but it may not be open in the winter, especially all the way thru, but when it is open should not be missed.
quote:
How does Hwy 12 compare to the Million Dollar Highway?
apples and oranges. one is desert, the other alpine, depends on your tastes, but neither one should be missed.
Posted on 11/26/23 at 11:08 pm to ChenierauTigre
We did the Utah 5 including Hwy 12 in 2021 on a two week trip from Las Vegas to Denver.
What about lodging?
We mostly stayed in Hampton Inn type hotels but at Torrey we stayed at The Lodge at Red River Ranch. A family owned place with about a dozen rooms I guess. They serve breakfast. It is about 4 miles west of Torrey. It was a nice change of pace from the typical hotel rooms.
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In Bryce Canyon we stayed at the Best Western which was fine and they had a better than average breakfast for that type of hotel.
Any suggestions?
We stopped in Boulder, UT at the Anasazi State Park Museum; it's not very big but worth a look.
About 11 miles east of Boulder, UT down Burr Trail Road is a slot canyon the Ranger at the Escalante Interagency Visitor Center, in Escalante, told us about. There is no sign so you have to be looking for it.
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We passed on the Petrified Forest State Park because it had a fee and we were told it was over a mile hike to see the trees.
We drove to Kodachrome Basin State Park. We got off Hwy 12 at Cannonville and it's about 8 miles to the visitor center. A friend had camped there and recommended we drive through it. Just some unusual rock formations.
Between Bryce Canyon NP and the intersection of Hwy 12 and Hwy 89 is Red Canyon Visitor Center for Dixie National Forest. It's right next to Hwy 12 but you can get good information and there is a fairly short hiking trail, IIRC.
Between Boulder and Torrey the elevation increases to about 9,600 feet and there are pine forest. That has a different look than the other part of the highway. They also have open range.
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What about lodging?
We mostly stayed in Hampton Inn type hotels but at Torrey we stayed at The Lodge at Red River Ranch. A family owned place with about a dozen rooms I guess. They serve breakfast. It is about 4 miles west of Torrey. It was a nice change of pace from the typical hotel rooms.
[/url][/img]; [/url][/img] In Bryce Canyon we stayed at the Best Western which was fine and they had a better than average breakfast for that type of hotel.
Any suggestions?
We stopped in Boulder, UT at the Anasazi State Park Museum; it's not very big but worth a look.
About 11 miles east of Boulder, UT down Burr Trail Road is a slot canyon the Ranger at the Escalante Interagency Visitor Center, in Escalante, told us about. There is no sign so you have to be looking for it.
[/url][/img]; [/url][/img] We passed on the Petrified Forest State Park because it had a fee and we were told it was over a mile hike to see the trees.
We drove to Kodachrome Basin State Park. We got off Hwy 12 at Cannonville and it's about 8 miles to the visitor center. A friend had camped there and recommended we drive through it. Just some unusual rock formations.
Between Bryce Canyon NP and the intersection of Hwy 12 and Hwy 89 is Red Canyon Visitor Center for Dixie National Forest. It's right next to Hwy 12 but you can get good information and there is a fairly short hiking trail, IIRC.
Between Boulder and Torrey the elevation increases to about 9,600 feet and there are pine forest. That has a different look than the other part of the highway. They also have open range.
[/url][/img]; [/url][/img] Posted on 11/27/23 at 5:20 am to gungho
What I meant was, is 12 as scary as Million Dollar Highway?
Those crumbly road edges over a 9000 ft dropoff and no guardrail freaked me out.
Those crumbly road edges over a 9000 ft dropoff and no guardrail freaked me out.
Posted on 11/27/23 at 5:21 am to nctiger71
Thanks for the pics and suggestions. 
Posted on 11/27/23 at 12:11 pm to ChenierauTigre
Been awhile since I've been on MDH but if you're on the Hogback and want to see the scenery, don't be the driver. :)
Posted on 11/27/23 at 1:45 pm to ChenierauTigre
Drove it in July 2020, during a day of travel between Bryce Canyon and Moab/Arches/Canyonlands. I remember it was scenic as all hell, very beautiful but very windy. I can't remember exactly where (I think it was around Calf Creek Falls), but at one point you are driving along a high ridge atop a mountain and everything slopes below you on BOTH sides, which was wild. We only stopped a few times at overlooks and such, like this one:
.
We ate lunch at a place further east on Hwy 24, Duke's Slickrock Grill in Hanksville; it was pretty good for a side-of-the-road-type place
. We ate lunch at a place further east on Hwy 24, Duke's Slickrock Grill in Hanksville; it was pretty good for a side-of-the-road-type place
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