Southern Utah Travel Guide: Grand Staircase Escalante & Scenic Highway Utah-12 (Part 4)

The Grand-Staircase Utah-12 Travel Guide is a resource for those planning a road trip in the region. It covers Highway-12, a scenic byway, from US-89 to Boulder, Utah and the fabulous Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. Details include descriptions, links to many references, and suggested visit times. Also, review our recommended travel itineraries. Driving note: All dirt/gravel roads (dashed lines) indicated on map are usually negotiable by two wheel drive high clearance vehicles. All are extremely slippery during wet weather, and difficult to negotiate then even with four wheel drives.

Using the Interactive Map

For easiest use, scroll map to top. Place your mouse pointer on any item number (in purple) on the map. A brief description will appear. Click on the number for a link to detailed information below.

Lake Powell Travel Guide | Paria Canyon Guide | Northern Arizona Travel Guide | Anasazi Guide

Suggested Itineraries for Southern Utah Road Trips

Itineraries Below      <Map Items 1-5>   |   <Map Items 6-10>   |   <Map Items 11-16>

(I) Las Vegas/I-15 - Utah National Parks, west - 3 to 5 days -

Head north on I-15 to St. George, Utah (120 miles). Just past town, take Utah-9 east to Zion National Park (camping, lodging in park or in Springdale). Continue on Utah-9 to US-89, then go north about 45 miles. Turn east on Utah-12. Red Canyon Recreation Area has nice scenic trails and a great campground. Bryce Canyon National Park is 14 miles east (camping, lodging in park or just outside park at Ruby's Inn).

Return west on Utah-12 and south on US-89. Continue south to Kanab, Utah. Proceed on US-89a to Jacob Lake, then Arizona-67 to the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park (camping, lodging in park or outside park in Kaibab National Forest or Jacob Lake). Most direct return is Az-67, US-89a to Fredonia, Az-389 to Hurricane, Utah and return to I-15. Pipe Springs National Monument (an old settlement) is a good stop along the way.

To add an extra day or more, proceed east on US-89a from Jacob Lake. Take the short turnoff to Lee's Ferry which is extremely scenic. There is a nice campground, trails, a historical site, and fishing. Continue east to US-89, then north to Page and Lake Powell. If you are short on time a tour of upper Antelope Canyon takes only a couple hours. The tour of the Glen Canyon Dam is also brief. Return via US-89 and Kanab.

Refer to Northern Arizona Travel Guide for more details.

(II) Las Vegas/I-15 - Grand Staircase Country - 5 to 7 days or more -

Head north on I-15 to St. George, Utah (120 miles). Just past town, take Utah-9 east to Zion National Park (camping, lodging in park or in Springdale). Continue on Utah-9 to US-89, then go north about 45 miles. Turn east on Utah-12. Red Canyon Recreation Area has nice scenic trails and a great campground. Bryce Canyon National Park is 14 miles east (camping, lodging in park or just outside park at Ruby's Inn).

From Bryce Canyon, continue east on Utah-12. Kodachrome Basin State Park is a good stop for lunch or overnight camping. Grovsener Arch is about a one hour sidetrip - twenty extra miles, mostly on dirt. Thirty miles farther, Escalante State Park is also a good stop overnight or for lunch. It's a good base camp if you want to spend time in the area, particularly if you plan to explore the Hole-in-the-Rock Road. If you are a day visitor, check out Devil's Garden or the slot canyons in the Dry Fork of Coyote Gulch. If the weather is hot, take the short drive north of town to Posey Lake in the mountains. You can also sample some or all of the Hell's Backbone Road.

From Escalante, continue east on Utah-12 to Boulder. Stop at the Calf Creek Recreation Area and take the hike to Lower Calf Creek Falls (allow three hours). The rec area has a beautiful but small campground which is almost always full. This section of Utah-12 is the most scenic. Expect to make several stops at vista points. From Boulder, there are two options to reach Utah-24 and Capitol Reef National Park. You can stay on Utah-12, an easy paved route to Torrey over the Aquarius Plateau. The high elevation will provide relief from desert heat. The other option is to sample a section of the famous Burr Trail which offers some of the finest scenery in Canyon Country. The dirt section through the Waterpocket Fold is slow going and a bit challenging but suitable for passenger vehicles if the weather is dry. After descending the switchbacks and reaching the desert floor, turn left on the marked Notom Road to reach Utah-24.

Camping is available in Capitol Reef National Park on Utah-24; motels are available in Torrey, a few miles to the west. Expect to spend a half day or more touring Capitol Reef. Proceed east on Utah-24. North of Hanksville, watch for the left turn to Goblin Valley State Park which makes an interesting side trip. The San Rafael Reef runs north of the park. Its famous slot canyons, Little Wild Horse and Bell, make an excellent day hike. Make inquiry at Goblin Valley for directions.

At I-70, proceed to the town of Green River if you need camping or lodging. Green River State Park offers excellent camping with shade and grassy areas. To return to Las Vegas, head west on I-70 (the next 100 miles are very scenic), then south on I-15.

(III) Grand Junction/I-70 through to Las Vegas/I-15 - 3 to 5 days or more -

If you are heading west on I-70 with the ultimate destination of Las Vegas or southern California, you can simply reverse the route of Trip II above. West of Green River, Utah, leave I-70, and head west on Utah-24. You can reach I-15 at St. George, Utah in a couple days of driving or take 3-5 days or more to visit the area as discussed above.

(IV) Grand Junction/I-70 Loop - 7 or more days -

Head west on I-70 into Utah. Turn south on Utah-128 (mile 214) for a very interesting drive to Moab. Watch for the short turnoff to Fisher Towers which offers fantastic vistas, a nice trail, and a tiny out-of-the-way campground. Utah-128 then follows the Colorado River through a steep and scenic canyon.

From Moab, expect to spend several days touring Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Arches is more suited to car touring and light hiking. Canyonlands is more suited to longer hikes, backpacking and four wheel driving. There is alos excellent mountain biking in the BLM Back-of-the-Rocks area. Also, don't miss the fabulous overlook at Dead Horse Point State Park. Note that these national parks are very popular, and getting a campsite in either park can be difficult.

Proceed south on US-191. Take Utah-211 about 50 miles south of Moab to reach the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. Along the way, stop at Newspaper Rock State Park which has a fabulous pictograph. Continue south on US-191 to Blanding which has two excellent museums worth seeing: the Dinosaur Museum and Edge of the Cedars State Park. The park has excavations of an ancient Indian village but also an excellent collection of pottery and other artifacts in its museum.

South of Blanding, turn west of Utah-95, also known as the Trail of the Ancients. There are interesting stops at Butler Wash and the Mule Canyon Ruins. Natural Bridges National Monument is also worthwhile. The park protects three natural stone bridges which can be toured by the auto road or by hiking or both. There is an excellent campground here but with few sites.

If you wish to drive the exciting and scenic Burr Trail, turn left on Utah-276 and proceed to Hall's Crossing Marina on Lake Powell. If you prefer to stay on pavement continue on scenic (especially around Hite Crossing and north of there) Utah-95 to Hanksville. Head west on Utah-24 through Capitol Reef National Park, then south on Utah-12, reversing the route described in Trip II.

From Hall's Crossing, you will take the ferry across Lake Powell (inexpensive and runs frequently) to Bullfrog Marina (camping, food, and lodging), then continue north on Utah-276 about five miles to the Burr Trail turnoff. The trail is mostly paved but becomes dirt through Capitol Reef and the steep switchbacks up the Waterpocket Fold. Trailers are not recommended on the switchbacks and can proceed north on the Notom Road to Utah-24. The Burr Trail ends near the town of Boulder on Utah-12. Continue west to US-89, reversing the route described in Trip II. Proceed north about 55 miles on US-89 to reach I-70 and your return trip.

(V) Flagstaff/I-40 Loop - 7 or more days -

For details on the Arizona part of this trip, refer to the Northern Arizona Travel Guide.

If you are coming from Phoenix, head north on I-17 to Flagstaff. If you are coming east on I-40 from California, start this trip at Flagstaff, too. If you are coming west on I-40, you will save time by turning north on US-191, then west on Utah-163 (which becomes US-163). You will be able to include stops at Canyon de Chelly and Monument Valley.

From Flagstaff, head north on US-89, then northeast on US-160, then US-163. There is good, scenic camping at Navajo National Monument near Kayenta. During summer, there are guided hikes/tours of the Betatakin and Keet Seel cliff dwellings. Crossing into Utah, there are good stops at Monument Valley and Valley of the Gods. After passing Mexican Hat, turn left onto Utah-261. Make a brief stop at Goosenecks State Park (Utah-316) and check out the fabulous vista of the Goosenecks of the San Juan River.

The road briefly turns to dirt as it ascends the steep and exciting switchbacks to the top of Cedar Mesa. At the top, take the short detour to the Moki Dugway scenic overlook for a great vista. Utah-211 ends at Utah-95. turn left and proceed west. You reach the turnoff to Natural Bridges National Monument in a couple miles. The park protects three natural stone bridges which can be toured by the auto road or by hiking or both. There is an excellent campground here but with few sites.

If you wish to drive the exciting and scenic Burr Trail, turn left on Utah-276 and proceed to Hall's Crossing Marina on Lake Powell. If you prefer to stay on pavement continue on scenic (especially around Hite Crossing and north of there) Utah-95 to Hanksville. Head west on Utah-24 through Capitol Reef National Park, then south on Utah-12, reversing the route described in Trip II.

From Hall's Crossing, you will take the ferry across Lake Powell (inexpensive and runs frequently) to Bullfrog Marina (camping, food, and lodging), then continue north on Utah-276 about five miles to the Burr Trail turnoff. The trail is mostly paved but becomes dirt through Capitol Reef and the steep switchbacks up the Waterpocket Fold. Trailers are not recommended on the switchbacks and can proceed north on the Notom Road to Utah-24. The Burr Trail ends near the town of Boulder on Utah-12. Continue west to US-89, reversing the route described in Trip II. Proceed south on US-89 to reach Lake Powell and then Flagstaff.

If you prefer some off-pavement excitement to finish your trip, leave Utah-12 at Kodachrome Basin State Park. The park is a good place to camp for the night. Then head south on the Cottonwood Canyon Road. This route features colorful scenery, Grosvenor Arch, and an easy hike in the Cottonwood Canyon Narrows. The driving is not too difficult. The route reaches US-89 about 20 miles west of Lake Powell.

   <Back to Interactive Map>  |  <Top of Page>

    <Map Items 1-5>   |   <Map Items 6-10>   |   <Map Items 11-16>