Scenic Byway 12 runs through Garfield County. Scenic Byway 12 connects Bryce Canyon National Park with Capitol Reef National Park. Along the route, high-desert plateaus, red-rock canyons, hoodoos, and alpine forests alternate. More than a dozen central information and interpretation sites line the byway. This makes the road a discovery route where scenery and orientation come together. Garfield County also provides access to nearly a dozen national and state parks, as well as forest areas.
Rock Formations and Landscapes
In the Bryce Amphitheater, irregularly eroded rock spires fill the landscape; these formations are called hoodoos. Another cluster of sandstone formations can be found in Devil’s Garden in Garfield County, where hoodoos and natural arches are among the formations described. Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument covers nearly 1.9 million acres of cliffs, canyons, plateaus, and badlands.
At Kodachrome Basin State Park, 67 sandstone pipes rise from the ground, reaching heights of up to 170 feet. The Henry Mountains lie in eastern Garfield County. They are home to the only free-roaming, huntable herd of American bison in the 48 contiguous U.S. states.
Hiking and Water
The Lower Calf Creek Falls Trail is a developed six-mile round-trip hike that leads to a 126-foot waterfall. Heat and trail conditions affect the difficulty level. In Garfield County, the Petrified Forest Trail in Escalante Petrified Forest State Park offers a moderate 1.1-mile round-trip hike. The Petrified Forest Trail offers views of the reservoir, as well as petrified wood and wildflowers. The two round-trip trails differ considerably in their stated lengths: six miles here, 1.1 miles there.
Wide Hollow Reservoir borders Escalante Petrified Forest State Park; fishing and swimming are possible in the area. Hiking and camping are among the recreational activities encouraged at Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Free permits are required for all overnight stays in the monument. Check the current conditions before your trip.
Cultural Sites and Practical Information
In Garfield County, Anasazi State Park Museum includes the Coombs Site, an Ancestral Puebloan village that was inhabited from around 1050 to 1200 CE. The site includes a partially restored kiva and a fully reconstructed six-room dwelling.
The main access to Devil’s Garden is via the unpaved Hole-in-the-Rock Road. It begins about five miles east of Escalante, at its intersection with Scenic Byway 12. Because road conditions can change with the weather, check the conditions before driving.
Explore more destinations: Bryce Canyon, Panguitch, Tropic, Hatch, Boulder, Cannonville, Ticaboo, Escalante, Henrieville.
For the main trip overview: Utah.
