Utah’s Scenic Byway 12 leads you through changing landscapes to the front door of Bryce Canyon National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, and other natural wonders in the state.
Highway 12 runs northeast to the west for more than 120 miles connecting Torrey to Panguitch, Utah. You can complete the trip in just 3 or 4 hours going 40 miles per hour or less. However, you should add additional time to stop at national parks, state parks, overlooks, scenic backroads, and campgrounds along the way.
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While the road is open year-round, the best time to visit Utah’s Scenic Byway 12 in an RV is during the shoulder seasons, in the spring or fall. Temperatures are manageable, traffic is lighter, and points of interest, like Boulder Mountain, aren’t treacherous with snow or ice.
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Regardless of when you choose to visit, there are a variety of places to pull in your RV for the night. Here are the best-reviewed RV campgrounds near Utah’s Scenic Byway 12:
Wonderland RV Park, Torrey
- Number of Sites: 32
- Pad Type: Grass
- Reservations: Yes
Consider staying at Wonderland RV Park if you’re starting your trip in Torrey. This campground is located right at the junction of the Scenic Byway and only a short drive away from Capitol Reef National Park.
This campground offers RV, tent, and glamping accommodations with amenities, including full hookups, a dump station, full-service restrooms, laundry services, and group sites. Wonderland RV Park is also big rig friendly with pull-through sites. You’ll also find RV washes and RV repair shops nearby.
Singletree Campground, Torrey
- Number of Sites: 27
- Pad Type: Gravel
- Reservations: Yes
Located directly off of Highway 12, Singletree Campground is managed by the Forest Service in the heart of Fishlake National Forest.
While the campground offers minimalist dry camping, it still has flush toilets, water, a dump station, and big rig access at select sites. Each site comes equipped with a picnic table and fire ring.
The draw of this campground is the quiet setting among ponderosa pines and aspen trees that overlook a Capitol Reef vista. It’s also a short drive away from the town of Torrey when in need of a cell phone signal and other services.
Durffey Mesa, Boulder
- Pad Type: Gravel
- Reservations: No
You can’t beat free camping along one of the most beautiful roadways in the U.S. Durffey Mesa is located at coordinates 37.851, -111.375 just a few miles away from Boulder, Utah.
“This is a great site to boondock along the Burr Trail,” according to a Campendium review. “Large, flat gravel area with plenty of room. Large ponderosa pine in the middle and surrounding stone outcroppings provide plenty of shade… Would definitely stay here again.”
Since this is a boondocking spot located along Route 12, be prepared for dry camping, no amenities, and no cell phone service. But it’s free and offers prime access to Burr Trail and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
Escalante Heritage Center, Escalante
- Number of Sites: 11
- Pad Type: Gravel
- Reservations: Yes
Located just outside of Escalante lies Escalante Heritage Center, a public initiative dedicated to “preserve, educate, and inspire” in the surrounding natural landscape. You can camp here too.
This affordable dry camping area offers flushable toilets, water, cell phone reception, and trash services. Each campsite is established with a picnic table and a fire ring with incredible sunset views. The town is located nearby, and beyond you’ll find access to hiking trails, slot canyons, and slow coursing rivers.
Bryce Valley Ranch RV & Horse Park, Cannonville
- Number of Sites: 144
- Pad Type: Gravel
- Reservations: Yes
You’ll find Bryce Valley Ranch RV & Horse Park located in the high desert near Bryce Canyon National Park.
The campground offers full hookups, full-service restrooms, laundry, and WiFi. There are big rig sites, a general store, a playground, and nearby recreational trails. You can even try horseback riding, or bring your horse, and see the landscape in a new way.
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Red Canyon Campground, Panguitch
- Number of Sites: 37
- Pad Type: Asphalt
- Reservations: No
Limestone pierces the sky overlooking Red Canyon Campground, located right off of Highway 12 in the Dixie National Forest. It’s a first-come, first-served campground with beautiful views and epic adventure right by your site.
“Probably one of the nicest national forest campgrounds we’ve stayed at,” says one Campendium review. “Sites are very nice with fire pits and picnic tables. Nice dump station and freshwater available… We visited Bryce and Zion from this location.”
This area only offers dry camping, but it does provide flushable toilets and showers, a dump station, and sites for big rigs and large groups.
Nearby you’ll find Bryce Canyon National Park and biking and hiking trails, including Buckhorn Trailhead which starts right at the campground.
Hitch-N-Post RV Campground, Panguitch, Utah
- Number of Sites: 40
- Pad Type: Gravel
- Reservations: Yes
If you travel west from Torrey along Highway 12, you end your journey along the Scenic Byway in Panguitch. Here you’ll find Hitch-N-Post RV Campground. It’s a worthwhile stop for amenities, services, and access to surrounding forests and parks.
The campground has full hookups, full-service bathrooms, WiFi, laundry, and a general store. There are also big rig friendly and pull-through sites. Aside from a convenient location with cell phone service and access to nearby amenities in town, Hitch-N-Post RV Campground also has a book exchange and game room for entertainment.
A road trip along Utah’s Scenic Byway 12 is a must-do for RVers. It’s distinguished as an All-American Road by Scenic America, meaning that it’s acknowledged and celebrated for unique natural features, like hoodoos and hogbacks.
