View source for Utah State Route 12

{{short description|State highway in Garfield and Wayne counties in Utah, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox road
|state=UT
|type=SR
|route=12
|alternate_name=A Journey Through Time Scenic Byway
|map={{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=290|frame-height=290|type=line|from=Utah State Route 12.map}}
|map_custom=yes
|map_notes=SR-12 highlighted in red
|section=107
|length_mi=122.863
|length_ref=<ref name=HRI>{{UDOT Reference Info |route=SR-12 |date=Jan 10, 2017 |access-date=September 16, 2021 }}</ref>
|tourist=[[File:MUTCD D6-4.svg|20px|alt=|link=]] Utah's Scenic Byway 12 - A Journey Through Time
|established=1914 as a state highway; 1920s as SR-12
|direction_a=West
|terminus_a={{jct|state=UT|US|89}} near [[Panguitch, Utah|Panguitch]]
|junction={{plainlist|
*{{jct|state=UT|SR|63}} near [[Bryce Canyon]]
*[[Hole in the Rock Road]] near [[Escalante, UT|Escalante]]
}}
|direction_b=East
|terminus_b={{jct|state=UT|SR|24}} near [[Torrey, Utah|Torrey]]
|counties=[[Garfield County, Utah|Garfield]], [[Wayne County, Utah|Wayne]]
|previous_type=SR
|previous_route=10
|next_type=SR
|next_route=13
}}
'''State Route 12''' or '''Scenic Byway 12''' ('''SR-12'''), also known as ''"Highway 12 — A Journey Through Time Scenic Byway"'', is a {{convert|123|mi|km|-long|adj=mid}} [[state highway]] designated an [[All-American Road]] located in [[Garfield County, Utah|Garfield County]] and [[Wayne County, Utah|Wayne County]], [[Utah]], [[United States]].

==Route description==
[[Image:Red Canyon Arch Utah State Route 12.jpg|left|thumb|SR-12 through Red Canyon Arch tunnel]]
[[Image:UtahSR12 HeadOfTheRocks.jpg|left|thumb|SR-12, as seen from the Head of the Rocks overlook]]
Proceeding west to east for 123 miles (nearly 200&nbsp;km), the highway starts south of [[Panguitch, Utah|Panguitch]] at an intersection with [[U.S. Route 89 in Utah|US-89]], crosses part of [[Dixie National Forest]] and [[Bryce Canyon National Park]], continues through the small towns of [[Tropic, Utah|Tropic]], [[Cannonville, Utah|Cannonville]], and [[Henrieville, Utah|Henrieville]]. It crosses various parts of [[Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument]] (GS-ENM), continues northeast through [[Escalante, Utah|Escalante]] and over the [[Escalante River]], then over "The Hogback",<ref>{{cite book |last=Long |first=Denise |title=PULL OVER! Roadside Attractions From Reno To Denver |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y5XVBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA12 |publisher=Lulu.com |page=12 |isbn=9781312241626}}</ref> a narrow ridge with no guardrails or shoulders and steep drop-offs on each side. It then proceeds north through more of GS-ENM, [[Boulder, Utah|Boulder]], the [[Aquarius Plateau]], and [[Grover, Utah|Grover]], ending in [[Torrey, Utah|Torrey]] at an intersection with [[Utah State Route 24|SR-24]], five miles (8&nbsp;km) west of [[Capitol Reef National Park]]. The {{convert|30|mi|km|adj=on}} long portion of the highway that ascends and descends [[Boulder Mountain (Utah)|Boulder Mountain]] on the Aquarius Plateau is known as Boulder Mountain Highway.

The segment of SR-12 between the US-89 and [[SR-63 (UT)|SR-63]] junctions is part of the [[National Highway System (United States)|National Highway System]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://data-uplan.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/utah-national-highway-system|title=Utah National Highway System|publisher=UDOT Data Portal|access-date=January 23, 2019}}</ref>

===Traffic volume===
The Average Daily Traffic (AADT) on SR-12 is at its greatest at its western junction with US-89, where the count for 2005 was 2,430. At its other end, at the junction with SR-24, the traffic bottoms out at 435.<ref>{{UDOT AADT |year=2005}}</ref>

==History==
[[Image:RedRockUtah.jpg|right|thumb|Red Canyon, Dixie National Forest]]
The road from [[Bryce Canyon Junction, Utah|Bryce Canyon Junction]] to [[Tropic, Utah|Tropic]] was added to the state highway system in 1914, and in 1923 a branch from [[Tropic Junction, Utah|Tropic Junction]] to [[Bryce Canyon]] was built as a [[forest road]].<ref name=resolutions-12>{{UDOT Resolutions |routenum=12 }}&nbsp;{{small|(9.72&nbsp;MB)}}, updated September 2007, accessed May 2008</ref> The [[State Road Commission (Utah)|State Road Commission]] numbered the route to Bryce Canyon SR-12 in the 1920s,<ref>[[State Road Commission (Utah)|State Road Commission]], [https://web.archive.org/web/20070108073910/http://www.nps.gov/archive/pisp/adhi/fig23a.jpg Utah State Trunk Lines], 1923</ref> and in 1927 the state legislature assigned it to both branches, to Bryce Canyon and Tropic,<ref>{{cite UTSR|year=1927|quote=12. From Hillsdale, about 7 miles south of Panguitch, southeasterly via Tropic Junction; to Bryce Canyon; also from Tropic Junction to Tropic.}}</ref> but split off the branch to Tropic as '''State Route 54''' in 1931. That same year, a new '''State Route 120''' was created, continuing the road from Tropic to [[Henrieville, UT|Henrieville]],<ref>{{cite UTSR|year=1931|quote=(54) From Tropic junction on route 12 to Tropic." "(120) From Tropic southerly via Cannonville to Henrieville.}}</ref> and in 1935 it became part of SR-54.<ref>{{cite UTSR|year=1935}}</ref> Another road was also added to the state highway system in 1914, connecting [[SR-22 (UT)|SR-22]] at [[Widtsoe, Utah|Widtsoe]] with [[Escalante, UT|Escalante]],<ref name=history>[[Utah Department of Transportation]], [http://www.udot.utah.gov/download.php/tid=1348/StateRouteHistory.pdf State Route History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070225155542/http://www.udot.utah.gov/download.php/tid=1348/StateRouteHistory.pdf |date=2007-02-25 }}. Retrieved July 2007.</ref> and it was numbered '''State Route 23''' in 1927.<ref>{{cite UTSR|year=1927|quote=23. From Widtsoe easterly to Escalante.}}</ref> An extension took SR-23 northeast to [[Boulder, UT|Boulder]] in 1941,<ref>{{cite UTSR|year=1941|chapter=34}}</ref> and in 1947 SR-54 absorbed SR-23, with the Widtsoe-Escalante road dropped in favor of Henrieville-Escalante.<ref>{{cite UTSR|year=1947|chapter=49|quote=Route 54. From Tropic Junction on route 12 via Tropic, Cannonville, Henrieville, and Escalante to Boulder.}}</ref> '''State Route 117''', running southeast from [[SR-24 (UT)|SR-24]] near [[Teasdale, Utah|Teasdale]] to [[Grover, Utah|Grover]], became a state highway in 1931,<ref>{{cite UTSR|year=1931|quote=(117) From junction with route 24 east of Bicknell, southerly via Teasdale to Grover.}}</ref> and was extended south to Boulder in 1957, becoming part of SR-54 in 1966.<ref>{{UDOT Resolutions |routenum=117 }}&nbsp;{{small|(1.56&nbsp;MB)}}, updated November 2007, accessed May 2008</ref> In 1969, SR-54 became part of SR-12, but most of former SR-117 was dropped, leaving SR-12 to stretch from Bryce Canyon Junction to the north limit of Boulder (at the [[Dixie National Forest]] boundary), with a short spur to Bryce Canyon. This spur became a new [[SR-63 (UT)|SR-63]] in 1975, and in 1985 the route was extended back north from Boulder to SR-24, using a different route than the old SR-117 north of Grover.<ref name=resolutions-12/>

==Major intersections==
{{jcttop|state=UT|length_ref=<ref name=HRI/>}}
{{UTint
|county=Garfield
|cspan=10
|location=Bryce Canyon Junction
|mile=0.000
|road={{jct|state=UT|US|89|city1=Panguitch|city2=Kanab|city3=Zion National Park}}
}}
{{UTint
|location=none
|mile=10.713
|road=[[East Fork of the Sevier Scenic Backway]]
}}
{{UTint
|location=Tropic Junction
|mile=13.598
|road={{jct|state=UT|SR|63|road|John's Valley Road|city1=Bryce Canyon|city2=Antimony}}
|notes=Former [[SR-22 (UT)|SR-22]]
}}
{{UTint
|location=Cannonville
|mile=25.657
|road=[[Cottonwood Canyon Scenic Backway]]&nbsp;– [[Kodachrome Basin State Park]]
}}
{{UTint
|location=none
|mile=54.643
|road=Main Canyon Road
|notes=Former [[Utah State Route 23 (1927–1947)|SR-23]]
}}
{{UTint
|location=Escalante
|lspan=2
|mile=58.968
|road=[[Smokey Mountain Scenic Backway]]
}}
{{UTint
|mile=59.830
|road=[[Posey Lake Scenic Backway]]
}}
{{UTint
|location=none
|mile=64.392
|road=[[Hole-in-the-Rock Scenic Backway]]
}}
{{UTint
|location=none
|mile=83.270
|road=[[Hell's Backbone Road]]
}}
{{UTint
|location=Boulder
|mile=86.352
|road=[[Burr Trail Scenic Backway]]
}}
{{UTint
|county=Wayne
|cspan=2
|location=none
|mile=118.179
|road=[[Teasdale, Utah|Teasdale]]<!--does it have a name?-->
|notes=Former [[Utah State Route 117 (1931–1966)|SR-117]]
}}
{{UTint
|location=none
|mile=122.863
|road={{jct|state=UT|SR|24|city1=Loa|city2=Hanksville}}
}}
{{jctbtm}}

==See also==
*[[Paunsaugunt Plateau]]

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="180px" heights="180px" perrow="4">
Image:Escalante_river_2003.jpg|{{center|SR-12 goes north up the canyon in the upper left of the photo after crossing the [[Escalante River]].}}
Image:Highway_12_2005.jpg|{{center|The canyons after the Escalante River.}}
File:Moonrise over Escalante wilderness.jpg|{{center|Moonrise over SR-12 in [[Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument]]}}
Image:011107-Red-Canyon,-Utah.jpg|{{center|Red Canyon, in Utah's [[Dixie National Forest]], is near the western end of Route 12.}}
Image:Hwy_12_Overlook.jpg|{{center|An overlook from the eastern portion of Highway 12.}}
Image:Calfcreek.jpg|{{center|Calf Creek Canyon runs near Route 12.}}
Image:Hells Backbone-Bridge.jpg|{{center|The bridge on [[Hell's Backbone Road]].}}
Image:RedCanyonScenicByWay.JPG|{{center|Red Canyon Scenic Drive.}}
Image:UT12East.jpg|{{center|State Route 12 in Utah - Panorama looking north and east from Head of the Rocks Overlook.}}
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Utah State Route 12}}
{{Attached KML|display=title,inline}}
* [http://www.byways.org/browse/byways/2020/travel.html Map and more] from the [[United States Department of Transportation|DOT's]] American Byways website
*[http://www.utah.com/byways/highway_12.htm State of Utah's website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090416150724/http://utah.com/byways/highway_12.htm |date=April 16, 2009 }} for the highway
* {{HAER |survey=UT-83 |id=ut0536 |title=Red Canyon Tunnel, Through Rock Fin on State Highway 12, 5 miles east of U.S. 89, Panguitch, Garfield County, UT |photos=3 |color=1 |dwgs= |data= |cap=2}}
* {{HAER |survey=UT-80 |id=ut0420 |title=Escalante River Bridge, Spanning Escalante River at State Route 12, 9.5 miles East of Escalante, Escalante, Garfield County, UT |photos=11 |color= |dwgs= |data=16 |cap=1|link=no}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:State Route 012}}
[[Category:All-American Roads|Utah State Route 012]]
[[Category:Bryce Canyon National Park]]
[[Category:Dixie National Forest|Utah State Route 012]]
[[Category:Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument]]
[[Category:Historic American Engineering Record in Utah]]
[[Category:Landmarks in Utah]]
[[Category:National Forest Scenic Byways]]
[[Category:National Scenic Byways|Utah State Route 012]]
[[Category:State highways in Utah|012]]
[[Category:Utah State Routes in Garfield County, Utah| 012]]
[[Category:Utah Scenic Byways|012]]
[[Category:Utah State Routes in Wayne County, Utah| 012]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Garfield County, Utah]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Wayne County, Utah]]