Capitol Reef to Bryce Canyon Road Trip: Epic 9 Days on Utah Scenic Byway 12

Planning a week-long trip to Utah and looking for the perfect road trip itinerary that includes Capitol Reef National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument? You’ve come to the right place!

There is SO MUCH to see in southern Utah, so it can be super overwhelming trying to plan a road trip here. 

This Utah Scenic Byway 12 road trip itinerary will take you from Capitol Reef to Bryce Canyon National Park over the course of 9 days (1 week of PTO + 2 weekends). You’ll also get to explore the highly-underrated area of Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. You’ll do some amazing hikes and get off the beaten path to explore the rugged Utah landscape.

Utah Scenic Byway 12 is one of the most beautiful drives I’ve ever done. It is thrilling, scenic, and makes a great road trip!

We spent a week exploring this area of Utah in May of 2021. A few years later, we planned a trip back to Utah to visit Moab in October of 2024, and couldn’t resist returning Capitol Reef and Escalante for an extra couple of days after our trip! We have thoroughly explored the area so I can help you plan the perfect Bryce Canyon to Capitol Reef road trip itinerary.

This post will cover everything you need to know about planning the ultimate 9-day road trip from Capitol Reef to Bryce Canyon via Utah Scenic Byway 12, including maps, a detailed itinerary, photos, where to stay, and more! I’ve also suggested modifications for if you have more or less time at the end of this post.

utah scenic byway 12 road trip capitol reef bryce canyon

The Best Time to Do This Utah Road Trip

The best time to visit southern Utah is in the spring or fall when temperatures are pleasant. It gets brutally hot in Utah during the summer, with highs over 100 degrees. Summer is also the busiest time to visit since kids are out of school and people are taking their summer vacations.

In Utah, most hikes don’t have treecover to shade the trails, so you get full sun exposure most of the time. It’s important to prioritize hiking early or late in the day because of this. The months of March, April, October, and November will have the best weather for hiking.

Capitol Reef and Grand Staircase Escalante both sit at about 5000 feet above sea level. Bryce Canyon sits at about 8000 feet and does recieve snow in the winter months, but there isn’t a lot of cumulative precipitation. Seeing Bryce Canyon covered in a dusting of snow is absolutely gorgeous! Just don’t forget to pack crampons and winter hiking gear if you visit between October and April.

When we visited in late May, it got very hot during the middle of the day. In October, we had a day of 80 degree highs and then it snowed overnight! We drove a portion of Utah Scenic Byway 12 in the snow and it was absolutely gorgeous and such a contrast from our first trip here in May.

fruita historic district
Fruita Historic District in Capitol Reef National Park

A Note on Utah Scenic Byway 12

You might notice that there are 2 routes to get from Capitol Reef to Bryce Canyon National Park: via Utah Scenic Byway 12 and Utah Highways 22 and 62. 

Both routes connect Capitol Reef to Bryce Canyon, but Utah Scenic Byway 12 is incredibly more scenic and takes you through Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. Most people skip this route entirely when they visit Utah, and they miss out on some of the best scenery and hidden gems that Utah has to offer.

capitol reef to bryce canyon map

There is a 30-mile portion of this highway that ascends and decends Boulder Mountain. This portion of the highway wasn’t paved until 1985, which prevented most travel to and from the rural town of Boulder as snow and rain would wash out the road. Boulder was actually the last town in the United States to recieve mail by mule train due to its isolation.

The paving of this portion of the road opened Boulder up to recieving more tourism, and it makes it much easier for us to enjoy this incredible route! It is also one of only 37 All-American Highways in the US.

Utah Scenic Byway 12 is home to some jaw-dropping scenic overlooks. You’ll climb from 5000 feet to 9600 feet of elevation and see some amazing views of the everchanging desert, red rock landscape, and Ponderosa Pine trees in the Dixie National Forest.

A portion of the road between Boulder and Escalante is called “The Hogback.” The road runs on top of a ridge with steep drop offs on either side. 

The scenery is absolutely amazing and looking down will give you that thrilling feeling as you drive.

utah scenic byway 12 overlook
Head of the Rocks Overlook
utah scenic byway 12 boulder utah
Highway 12 Near Boulder, Utah in October

Capitol Reef to Bryce Canyon Road Trip Overview

This road trip itinerary starts and ends in Salt Lake City. Salt Lake City is 3.5 hours from Capitol Reef and about 4 hours from Bryce Canyon. It is the closest and most convenient airport to fly into and rent a car.

You can do this road trip in either direction, it just depends on if you want to start in Capitol Reef National Park or Bryce Canyon National Park. If you are prone to altitude sickness, I recommend starting at Capitol Reef and working your way up in altitude toward Bryce Canyon. Doing the trip this way will give your body more time to acclimate to the higher elevations.

Here is a high-level overview of this Capitol Reef to Bryce Canyon road trip, starting from Capitol Reef (just reverse the days if you want to start at Bryce Canyon):

  • Day 1: Fly to Salt Lake City & Drive to Capitol Reef National Park
  • Day 2: Capitol Reef National Park
  • Day 3: Capitol Reef National Park
  • Day 4: Capitol Reef National Park
  • Day 5: Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument
  • Day 6: Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument
  • Day 7: Kodachrome Basin State Park
  • Day 8: Bryce Canyon National Park
  • Day 9: Drive to Salt Lake City & Fly Home

This entire road trip is only 2.5 total hours of driving between Torrey and Bryce Canyon City. You won’t be spending a ton of time driving between attractions on this trip, so there is ample time to explore.

Plan to stay in Torrey nights 1 through 4, in Escalante nights 5 and 6, and in Bryce Canyon City nights 7 and 8.

The route you’ll be taking is shown below.

capitol reef to bryce canyon road trip on utah scenic byway 12

Rental Car Information

You will be doing a lot of driving on this trip, so I recommend renting a car that you are comfortable in. To get the most out of your visit to Utah, I also recommend renting an SUV with high ground clearance if possible. 

There are two fantastic off-road drives in Capitol Reef National Park, and you’ll be traversing Hole in the Rock Road in Grand Staircase Escalante. You can do one of the drives in Capitol Reef with a 2WD SUV, but you will miss one of the best viewpoints. The other driving loop requires a 4WD vehicle. 

Hole in the Rock Road is just a dirt, washboard road that is fine in any vehicle, but you will be more comfortable in an off-road-equipped vehicle.

If you’d rather not rent a 4WD SUV, Capitol Reef Jeep Rentals rents Jeep Wranglers for daily use. I have also suggested alternative activities in this itinerary if off-roading isn’t your thing!

Why Doesn’t This Itinerary Include Zion, Arches, or Canyonlands National Parks?

In short, you are limited by time. In theory, you could spend a week touring all 5 of Utah’s National Parks, but you will spend most of your time driving between parks instead of actually exploring. 

Southern Utah also isn’t close to any major airports, so it will take you a half-day of driving to get to and from the airport on your first and last days, which cuts into your vacation time.

I’m a big fan of giving yourself adequate time to truly explore the area you’re in, instead of just rushing through to check a box. The surrounding National Monuments and State Parks here are just as incredible as the National Parks, and many people miss out on them!

You’ll be able to make the most of each area by spending multiple days, getting an early start to beat the crowds, and giving yourself time to see the more remote parts of the area.

If you have at least 10-14 days to spend in Southern Utah, then it would be realistic to add on one or more of Utah’s Mighty 5 National Parks.

Arches and Canyonlands National Parks can easily fill another week-long trip, and you can combine Zion with the Grand Canyon pretty easily. Therefore, this road trip is just focused on Capitol Reef, Grand Staircase Escalante, and Bryce Canyon.

Related: Top 16 Things to Do in Arches National Park

bryce canyon national park
Hoodoos in Bryce Canyon National Park

Fees & Passes Information

Admission to Capitol Reef National Park costs $20 per vehicle and admission to Bryce Canyon National Park costs $35 per vehicle. The passes are good for 7 days. Neither park requires advanced reservations or timed entry tickets.

Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument does not have an entrance fee.

Escalante-Petrified Forest and Kodachrome Basin State Parks will each cost you $10 per vehicle to enter.

Capitol Reef does not have entrance stations like most National Parks. Since a major Utah Highway runs through the park, they follow the honor system for paying park fees. You can pay the entrance fee at the Visitor’s Center or purchase a pass online at the recreation.gov website here.

Bryce Canyon National Park, Kodachrome Basin, and Escalante-Petrified Forest State Parks all have entrance stations where park entrance fees are collected.

If you plan to visit 3 or more National Parks or Monuments on your trip to Utah (or within one year), getting the America the Beautiful National Park Pass will save you money vs. paying the separate fees at each park. It costs $80 and you must order ahead of time as they will ship you a physical pass.

For this road trip in particular, the National Park Pass won’t save you any money but it’s something to consider if you are planning any more National Park trips within the year. Be aware that the National Park Pass will not get you in to Utah State Parks.

Related: 15 Can’t-Miss Things to Do at Canyonlands Island in the Sky District

Where to Stay

At Capitol Reef National Park

Torrey is the best place to stay near Capitol Reef National Park. It’s a cute town located just 8 miles west of the park with restaurants, hotels, gas stations, gift shops, and a general store.

On our first trip, we actually stayed in an Airbnb in the neighboring town of Teasdale (there is literally nothing there, so we did all of our eating and shopping in Torrey). The second time, we stayed in Torrey at the Red Sands Hotel and Spa.

Here are some good lodging options in Torrey:

  • Red Sands Hotel and Spa: We stayed here for 2 nights on our second trip and would recommend it. There is a pool, spa, rock garden, and a restaurant on-site.
  • Capitol Reef Resort: You can stay in a luxury room, a glamping teepee, or a wagon with an amazing view of the red rock cliffs. There is also a restaurant, pool, and hot tub.
  • Chuck Wagon Lodge: This is a great budget option with a convenient location above the general store with a bakery and deli. 
  • Broken Spur Inn: Simple, affordable accommodations 5 minutes from the park. They also have wagons you can stay in.

At Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument

We visited Escalante as a day trip from Torrey both times we have visited, so we didn’t actually stay in Escalante. If I could do it again, I would definitely stay here to be closer to Grand Staircase and explore more.

Escalante is a small town, but there is a grocery store, restaurants, gift shops, and a few hotels. Yonder Escalante, Canyon Country Lodge, and Circle D Motel all get great reviews!

Since Grand Staircase is located on BLM land, free, dispersed camping is allowed. They prefer you to camp in “already disturbed” areas, so spending the night along Hole-in-the-Rock road could be a good option. Just grab a free permit from the Visitor’s Center in Escalante first!

Calf Creek and Deer Creek campgrounds are the only 2 developed campgrounds in the monument. Both are first come, first serve.

At Bryce Canyon National Park

The best place to stay near Bryce Canyon is in Tropic or Bryce. Tropic has more of a small-town feel and has a lot of cool bed and breakfasts. Bryce is more touristy but has more amenities.

The Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel in Bryce, Bryce Trails Bed and Breakfast in Tropic, and Bryce Canyon Inn in Tropic are all highly-rated options.

Bryce Canyon does have its own hotel in the park (the Bryce Canyon Lodge), but it is very overpriced in my opinion. You’re paying for the convenience of being in the park and getting to skip the lines at the entrance, but it’s really not necessary at Bryce Canyon. 

Capitol Reef to Bryce Canyon Road Trip Itinerary


Day 1: Fly into Salt Lake City & Drive to Capitol Reef National Park

Fly into Salt Lake City and pick up your rental car. I recommend taking an earlier flight if you can so that you can drive to Capitol Reef National Park in the same day. Check into your accommodations and get settled for 3 days in Capitol Reef National Park!

If you can’t get a morning flight, fly in the night before and stay near the airport.

Day 2: Capitol Reef National Park

The first full day of your Utah road trip will be seeing some of the highlights of Capitol Reef National Park.

I wrote a whole blog post about how to spend 1 to 4 days in Capitol Reef where I go into more detail about how to do all of the things listed here, so make sure to check out the 3-day itinerary I’ve listed there for more details. I’ll briefly recap the days here, but that post goes into much more detail than I can here!

capitol reef national park map

Hike the Cassidy Arch Trail

Spend the morning by hiking the best trail in Captiol Reef National Park. The Cassidy Arch is a 3.1 mile, out-and-back hike with 685 feet of elevation gain. You’ll hike to the Cassidy Arch, and have the opportunity to stand on the arch!

cassidy arch trail capitol reef national park
Cassidy Arch Trail

Gifford Homestead & Fruita Historic District

After your hike, explore the Fruita district and Gifford Homestead. The Gifford House is one of the only buildings left from the Mormon settlers in the early 1900s.

The Gifford House is now a museum and gift shop where you can buy handmade soaps, jams, ice cream, fruit pies, and other crafts. It’s open from 9 – 4:30, but they often sell out of the ice cream and pies before noon during peak season. I recommend grabbing your dessert here before heading to Torrey for lunch.

You can also see some petroglyphs in this area via a short, boardwalk trail (there is a sign pointing them out along the road).

petroglyphs capitol reef
Petroglyphs

Capitol Reef Scenic Drive

After lunch, head for the Capitol Reef Scenic Drive, an 8-mile paved road suitable for any passenger car. The rock formations and colors here are absolutely unbelievable. The NPS has an accompanying virtual tour so you can learn more about the geology of Capitol Reef National Park.

There are some great trails along the Scenic Drive as well.

If you’re up for it, I recommend hiking the Capitol Gorge Trail. This is a wide, flat trail through a tall canyon with before an optional steep scramble up some rocks to the at the end. The entire hike is just over 2 miles with 396 feet of elevation gain. 

capitol reef scenic drive
Capitol Reef Scenic Drive

Panorama Point, Goosenecks Overlook, & Sunset Point

End your day in Capitol Reef National Park by exploring 3 of the most scenic viewpoints in the park. Panorma Point, Goosenecks Overlook, and Sunset Point are all located in the same area and have short, easy trails leading to the viewpoints.

sunset point capitol reef
Sunset Point

Day 3: Capitol Reef National Park

Your second day in Capitol Reef National Park will be all about exploring the Waterpocket Fold district.

Loop the Fold

“Looping the Fold” in Capitol Reef is a 124-mile driving tour of the Waterpocket Fold district. 

A high-clearance 4×4 vehicle is recommended, but not necessary for this drive. The roads are unpaved, rough, and sandy, so be prepared! 

This drive can take anywhere from 4 hours to all day depending on how often you stop for photos and hiking (there are some cool, short hikes along the way). 

I’d recommend packing a lunch, some snacks, and plenty of water. You won’t have cell signal out here and there are very few people, so it’s important to be prepared in case you get stuck or stranded. Download your maps ahead of time and start the day with a full tank of gas.

loop the waterpocket fold map capitol reef national park

Dinner at Hell’s Backbone Grill

I highly recommend having an early dinner at Hell’s Backbone Grill just south of Boulder. It’s on your way back to Torrey when Looping the Fold.

This is a world-famous, farm-to-table restaurant that features a regional cuisine.

It is a bit pricey, but the food is incredible! We ate here on both of our trips and will continue coming back every time we are in the area. The hours change every season, so make sure it’s open when you plan to go!

After dinner, finish Looping the Fold and head back to Torrey for the night.

hells backbone grill
Hell’s Backbone Grill

Day 4: Capitol Reef National Park

Spend your last day in Capitol Reef National Park hiking some trails or driving the Cathedral Valley Loop.

Go Hiking

If you plan to hike this day, I would start the day with the Hickman Bridge trail and then pick another trail to hike after lunch. Here is a list of some of the best hikes that are easily accessible in the Fruita/Scenic Drive area:

  • Rim Overlook Trail: 4.3 miles, 1066 feet of elevation gain
  • Cohab Canyon Trail: 3.3 miles, 764 feet of elevation gain
  • Chimney Rock Trail: 3.3 miles, 793 feet of elevation gain
  • Grand Wash Trail: 5 miles, 341 feet of elevation gain
  • Navajo Knobs Trail: 9.1 miles, 2139 feet of elevation gain

We loved the Cohab Canyon Trail. You’ll hike up some switchbacks to an incredibly scenic hidden canyon. Keep hiking up to the North Viewpoint for an incredible view over Fruita!

hickman bridge trail capitol reef national park
Hickman Bridge Trail
cohab canyon trail
Cohab Canyon Trail

Cathedral Valley Loop

If you enjoyed Looping the Fold, you will love the Cathedral Valley Loop. You’ll explore Capitol Reef’s northern district full of sandstone monoliths and wide-open deserts. Driving the 57-mile Cathedral Valley Loop will take you between 6 hours and one full day, depending on how often you stop for sightseeing and hiking. 

You WILL need a 4WD vehicle for this loop. You will have to cross the Fremont River, so you will need a high-clearance 4WD vehicle. Do this loop in the clockwise direction so you get the river crossing over with first. You DO NOT want to save this part for last, find out the water level is too high, and then have to turn around and redo the entire 6-hour loop to get back to civilization.

All of the tips for Looping the Fold apply to driving in Cathedral Valley. This area is very remote with no cell signal, so it’s important to be prepared.

There are a ton of awesome hikes and scenic spots in Cathedral Valley. Some of them are pointed out on the map below, but you can find more details on the NPS website here.

cathedral valley loop capitol reef

Day 5: Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument

Grand Staircase is named for the “stair steps” down in elevation from Bryce Canyon in the north to the Grand Canyon in the south (“Escalante” comes from the Escalante River that runs through the region). There are 5 different layers of rock that make up each step.

This severely overlooked area of Utah often gets overshadowed by the Mighty 5 National Parks, which means no to low crowds for those of us wanting to explore it!

There is much to be explored here, from desert waterfalls, to slot canyons, to unique sandstone formations.

grand staircase escalante national monument map

Drive to Grand Staircase Escalante

Head out for Grand Staircase Escalante by taking Utah Scenic Byway 12 south. If you Looped the Fold in Capitol Reef, you’ll take the same route to Boulder just in the opposite direction.

Enjoy the scenic overlooks on the way and driving the Hogback portion of Scenic Byway 12. You’ll also ascend and descend Boulder Mountain on this portion of the drive which is the highest elevation point in this area of Utah.

Escalante is only an hour and a half from Torrey and you will spend the next 2 nights here.

larb hollow overlook utah scenic byway 12
Larb Hollow Overlook in October
the hogback on utah scenic byway 12
The Hogback on Utah Scenic Byway 12

Hole-in-the-Rock Road & Slot Canyons

Spend your first day in Escalante by exploring Hole-in-the-Rock Road.

Hole-in-the-Rock Road is a packed dirt, washboard road that is very rough to drive on. You’ll be fine in any passenger car as long as it’s dry out.

Along this road, you will have 2 slot canyon hike options: the Zebra Slot or the Peek-A-Boo and Spooky Slot. The Peek-A-Boo and Spooky trailhead is 25 miles down Hole-in-the-Rock Road and getting there will likely take you a full hour. Zebra is only 8 miles down this road.

We originally planned to do the Peek-A-Boo and Spooky loop, but we got tired of driving on Hole-in-the-Rock Road pretty quickly, so we opted for Zebra instead. It takes a 5.2-mile roundtrip hike to get to the canyon, and then you can hike in as far as you want before heading back.

The Zebra Slot Canyon often has standing water in it, usually between ankle and chest height. Even though it is hot out, the water is cold! Bring a pair of water shoes to change into or be prepared to carry your shoes through this portion of the hike. Bring an extra pair of socks too in case your feet get wet.

We got lucky (or unlucky, depending on how you look at it) because the Zebra slot was bone dry when we went! Hiking in the Zebra Slot Canyon was absolutely incredible, and we had it all to ourselves.

DO NOT attempt these slot canyons if it is raining or if rain is in the forecast. Rain will make Hole-in-the-Rock Road impassible even in a 4WD vehicle. Slot canyons are extremely susceptible to flash flooding even from storms miles away.

Zebra Slot Canyon
zebra slot canyon hike
Trail to Zebra Slot Canyon

Devil’s Garden

Now it’s time to explore a garden of sandstone rock formations at Devil’s Garden! We didn’t see a single person the entire time we were here.

If you hiked Zebra Slot Canyon, head south on Hole-in-the-Rock Road for 5 more miles. If you hiked Peek-A-Boo and/or Spooky, you’ll head north for 16 miles to reach Devil’s Garden.

This visit can be as long or short as you’d like. We spent maybe 30 minutes here snapping some photos and climbing on the rocks.

When you’re finished, head back to Escalante and have dinner.

devils garden grand staircase escalante
Exploring Devil’s Garden

Day 6: Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument

Spend another day in Escalante hiking to a waterfall and seeing some petrified wood!

Hike the Lower Calf Creek Falls Trail

Get an early start and head toward the Calf Creek Campground and trailhead for the Lower Calf Creek Falls. This is a pretty popular hike and the parking lot is small, so I recommend getting here early. There is also a $5 fee to park.

This is a 6.1-mile, moderate, out-and-back hike to the Lower Calf Creek Waterfall. Water cascades down an 126-foot orange cliff into a refreshing pool of water before continuing down Calf Creek. This hike is relatively flat, but it is almost all through sand so it is more strenous that it seems.

This is a great place to wade in the water or go swimming, so bring a swimsuit and water shoes for this hike!

calf creek recreation are
Calf Creek Recreation Area

Escalante-Petrified Forest State Park

This small state park is located right in the middle of town and was a much cooler than I expected. Grab lunch in town and get ready to see some colorful petrified wood that rivals Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona with a great view of the Wide Hollow Reservoir. It honestly felt like a little oasis in the middle of the desert!

There are two short trails here: The Petrified Forest Nature Trail and the Trail of Sleeping Rainbows. The Trail of Sleeping Rainbows spurs off the Nature Trail. Doing both trails result in a hike of 2.2 miles with 492 feet of elevation gain.

In my opinion, this State Park is only worth it if you hike the Trail of Sleeping Rainbows. Gorgeous, colorful pieces of petrified wood surround this short but steep trail and it blew my expectations out of the water.

trail of sleeping rainbows escalante petrified forest
Trail of Sleeping Rainbows
escalante petrified forest state park
Wide Hollow Reservoir

Day 7: Escalante Natural Bridge & Kodachrome Basin State Park

Make your way to Bryce Canyon National Park along Utah Scenic Byway 12 and make a stop at a Utah State Park along the way. This drive will only take you an hour, which leaves plenty of time for exploring.

Hike to Escalante Natural Bridge

Before heading out toward Bryce Canyon, hike to the Escalante Natural Bridge. This is a 4.4-mile, easy trail to a gorgeous natural bridge. The trailhead is located right off of Scenic Highway 12.

Kodachrome Basin State Park

Hop back in the car and head out for Kodachrome Basin State Park, named for the bright colors you’ll see here. If you’re hungry, I recommend driving 5 minutes past Kodachrome into Tropic and grabbing lunch there.

This park is truly a hidden gem, and you will likely have it all to yourself!

Pick a couple of easy hikes to spend an hour or two here. The Angel’s Palace Trail is the most popular and is an easy 1.4 mile hike with great views of the basin. The Nature Trail is an easy 0.4 mile walk with information on the wildlife, plants, and geology in the area.

When you’re done exploring, head out to your accommodations near Bryce Canyon National Park and relax for the night. Feel free to get a head start on exploring the viewpoints at Bryce Canyon if you’d like!

powell point vista
Powell Point Vista Near Bryce Canyon National Park

Day 8: Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon is a compact park, so you can see most of it in just one day. It’s famous for having the largest collection of hoodoos in the world!

For more details on how to see Bryce Canyon in a day, check out my Bryce Canyon travel guide. I will summarize the itinerary here for you as well, but there is a lot more information in that post!

bryce canyon national park map

Hike the Queen’s Garden and Navajo Loop

For the ultimate day hiking experience in Bryce Canyon, hike the Queen’s Garden and Navajo Loop. This 3.1 mile trail has 649 feet of elevation gain and is classified as moderate.

You’ll start at either Sunrise or Sunset Point, and then hike into the amphitheater and back out on the other side. You’ll traverse some switchbacks and see the famous hoodoos!

My husband and I loved this hike. We started with the Queen’s Garden trail first and finished with the Navajo Loop.

sunrise point bryce canyon
Sunrise Point
navajo loop trail in bryce canyon national park
Navajo Loop Switchbacks

Bryce Canyon Scenic Drive

After your hike, grab lunch and head out for the Bryce Canyon Scenic Drive.

It’s 18 miles one way down the main park road and has 9 scenic stops. The Bryce Amphitheater area (where you just hiked) is the first 3 miles, but the rest is the lesser-visited Southern Scenic Drive.

The whole drive will take you about 2 – 3 hours round trip depending on how long you spend at each spot. It’s a great way to end your day in Bryce Canyon!

sunset point in bryce canyon national park
Sunset Point

Day 9: Fly Home

The last day of your trip is reserved for the drive to the airport to fly home. It will take you about 4 hours to drive to Salt Lake City from Bryce Canyon.

If You Have More Time

If you have more time, I would recommending adding a day in Hanksville, Utah to the beginning of your trip.

Hanksville is a tiny town between Capitol Reef and Moab that is near some lesser-known, otherworldly landscapes similar to the surface of the moon. Here’s how to visit Factory Butte and the Moonscape Overlook, hike to the Long Dong Silver Spire, or check out Goblin Valley State Park.

If you have more 2 or more extra days to spend, you can add on a visit to Moab to see Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Reserve at least one day for each park to visit the highlights. Here are the 16 best things to do in Arches National Park and the 15 best things to do in the Island in the Sky District in Canyonlands, and how to drive the Shafer Canyon-Potash Road loop in Canyonlands.

If You Have Less Time

If you only have 8 days, I would remove the day 3 itinerary from Capitol Reef National Park.

If you have 7 days, I would remove day 3 from Capitol Reef and combine Kodachrome Basin and Bryce Canyon into the same day (skip hiking to the Escalante Natural Bridge on day 7 and visit Bryce Canyon instead).

With 5 or less days, you’d have to eliminate Bryce Canyon or Grand Staircase Escalante from this itinerary and save it for another trip.

I hope you enjoy this Capitol Reef to Bryce Canyon road trip as much as we did!

Let me know in the comments below if you plan to do any of the things on this itinerary! What are you most excited for?

-Megan

2 thoughts on “Capitol Reef to Bryce Canyon Road Trip: Epic 9 Days on Utah Scenic Byway 12”

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