Hi - we are going to be 4 nights at Zion and 3 at Bryce at the end of April. We are hikers - not overnite but usually pretty much all day - so we like to do an area thoroughly. Not just a look see.

Everyone seems to say that Rte 12 to Torrey is a must see, but it is not just a day trip out of Bryce as far as I can tell.

Should we take away time from Bryce and Zion to do this drive and stay one night in Torrey or should I save it for another trip knowing that we will want to do the parks thoroughly?

Is it worth just doing part of the drive just to see Staircase Escalante so that we can head back to Bryce for the night?

Or I wonder if we should do a couple of stops at some of the smaller spots like Kodachrome and Cedar Breaks?

This is not a one time trip for us - we will be back to Utah. Thanks for any input.
sue

It can be done as a day trip. Bryce Junction on Hwy 12 to Torrey is about 114 miles. However, it is all two lane road with curves and grades in places. You would enjoy it much more if you took a day out and a day back. I would do the entire drive. The 25 or so miles just outside Torrey are very spectacular.

Kodachrome and Cedar Breaks are wonderful stops but if I had to choose between them and savoring Route 12, I'd do the latter.

Rt 12 is beautiful if you just drive it but it is even better if you take advantage of the frequent scenic overlooks and that takes some time.

Enjoy your trip.

Hi Sue,

You can drive it in a day, but if you are really hikers, there are some beautiful, AWESOME hikes in the Escalante/Boulder area.

Calf Creek Falls - 5 mi
Escalante River
Muley Twist and more.....

You really could spend 3 days there. Maybe another trip?

sueoz,
At least take a day or so to do the drive - it is so worth it. I love Bryce, but it's a relatively small park and a day or two spent hiking there is enough for me. I love Capitol Reef and Grand Staircase - the scenery is much different than Bryce. There are so many amazing places to see in Utah, it is really difficult to choose. It's a very diverse landscape and I love it all.

These choices are always hard. Hwy 12 is definitely worth the time, but then if you drive all the way to Torrey, Utah you are only 11 miles from Capitol Reef National Park and another couple days of hiking.

If you know you will be coming back to the area, then maybe just drive from Bryce to Boulder, Utah and back which would be a total of 160 miles round trip. From Boulder to Torrey is mountain driving. Yes you have great views, but the most maganificant is between the town of Escalante and Boulder. Save Torrey and Capitol Reef for another time.

Utahtea

I frankly prefer Capitol Reef to Zion.
The same Navajo sandstone is in both parks, and the winding and twisting canyons of Capitol Reef are spectacular.
Hike to Cassiday Arch, and there are some others that will test your leg power.

Cut a night off of Zion and spend it at a motel in Torrey, of which there are several good ones, and spend at least a whole day explore a most fascinating park. Geologically, Capitol Reef is much more varied and interesting to tour.

The drive up there is incredible. Much of it is over the surface of that beautiful white sandstone and then you skirt up into the green of the mountains.

Lovely route to dawdle along.