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Bryce & Hwy 12

Alpine Loop

Mount Nebo

High Unitas

Arches Park

Dead Horse Point

Cedar Breaks

Skyline Drive

One of the best motorcycle rides in Utah is Highway 12

Making home base in Panguitch at the Purple Sage Motel which I must they treated us great and at $55 a night what a deal.....riding out through Red Canyon  the constant succession of towering redrock, remote slickrock canyons, heavily-forested alpine mountains, small towns contribute to the uniqueness and diversity of the drive.

The entire length of this road has been designated a Utah Scenic Byway, and they got that right. Red Canyon, Bryce's pink sandstone, Kodachrome Basin,  this first 62-mile section of UT 12 is a colorful drive indeed and the people along the way are some of the nicest you will find anywhere. Also make sure you keep one eye on the rode and the other eye looking out for the wildlife in this area which includes lots of deer some elk and quite a few small furry things that dash acoss the rode at time.

The road to be well maintained throughout with moderate traffic, sometimes heavy from the Bryce Canyon turnoff and all through the park which I must say you can find anything a tired bikers would need at the stores around Bryce Canyon from motels,dining, camping...heck you can even rent a tee-pee to camp in.  South of Panguitch, UT 12 immediately cuts through the awesome redrock formations of the Red Canyon in brilliant vermilion-colored formations and stands of ponderosa pines make the canyon a true gem of roadside beauty. Red Canyon is nature's original painted desert. You will find  the best scenery from your bike in the entire country.

Bryce Canyon National Park the most awesome sandstone scenery in Utah, looking out over its pink and orange spires and hoodoos. there are, campgrounds, scenic overlooks, hiking trails, and the most extraordinarily sculpted landscape on earth are a short drive south of the highway.

Continuing east on UT 12, it is 7 miles to the town of Tropic,  it is a pleasant place with a surprising abundance of flowers and fruit orchards. Then at Cannonville, you may want to drop over to see Kodachrome Basin State Park, with its fascinating multi-colored formations.

Back on UT 12, you pass through the quaint little town of Henrieville, after which the road climbs past colored clay cliffs and the the rugged sandstone and shale country of Escalante. There is nothing for the next 30 miles except for some of the finest, most unspoiled high desert scenery you will ever see from a paved road.

Escalante is a classic little town that retains the aura of the pioneer West. Settled until 1875-76, Escalante was most prosperous right around the turn of the century, as confirmed by the number of larger brick buildings from this period. Limited farmland made this primarily a ranching community. You may still see livestock grazing on town lots and you may find some great diners to rest you rump and cool off at.

My wife and I rode this trip in June when the temptures were aroung 102...but when your on a bike who cares how warm it is...besides in Utah the heat is very dry so you hardly notce it at all.