Highway 12

by Christian Probasco, Graeme Turner, Probasco

Highway 12 is undoubtedly one of not only America's but the world's most scenic highways. From its intersection on the west with Highway 89 south of Panguitch, Utah, it runs up through Red Canyon onto the Paunsagunt Plateau and across Bryce Canyon National Park. It then drops into the Paria River Valley, passes through several tiny villages, crosses some extraordinary (for anywhere but this region) badlands, and descends the Escalante River into Potato...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0874215730
• ISBN13: 9780874215731
• Release Date: May 2005
• Publisher: Utah State University Press
• Length: 296 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

how did this book escape me for two years?

Wish I could write like this; "deserticulous" is certainly the right word for Probasco. Have had many adventures and misadventures in the very spots Probasco writes so well about, ah but never enough. Must load truck and go...

Amazing Adventures on Highway 12

More than a travel book, Christian Probasco's Highway 12 blends awesome accounts of scenery with unforgettable interviews and then adds a dash of controversy for a book that suprises the reader with every turn of the page. Illustrated by Probasco's stunning photography, the book is a must-read for anyone who has memories of traveling the Utah back country, and it is a should-read for anyone searching for that "road less traveled."

A memorable trip

If you are looking for an unusual trip with a myriad of options as to the degree of challenge then this book is worth a look.Utah Highway 12 runs 124 miles in length from just southwest of Capitol Reef National Park in the north through Red Canyon in the west and passes through two national parks, a national monument, two state parks and literally thousands of acres of nationa forest and BLM land. It has recently been designated an All-American Road by the Federal Highway Administration, one of only 20 in the U.S. The lure of this trip is you can traverse the entire route in your car and still view some of the most spectacular scenery in North America or you may elect to get off the highway and explore the myriad canyons and side roads that are as much a part of the book as Highway 12 which really serves as the unifying theme of the book. Whether you spend a day or a month exploring this road and its environs, by foot or vehicle, you are guaranteed a memorable trip. I would have prefered more maps but still found the text informative and accurate. I have traveled this road a number of times and have gone "off-road" and can attest to a number of the sights noted by the author. As the author notes this trip can be as difficult or easy as you choose. A good introduction to a most interesting Highway.

Even More Than Meets The Eye

Utah's Highway 12 is easily the most scenic byway in the continental United States. I've travelled it many times, but until I read Probasco's book I had no idea what a rich and variegated wonderland I was passing through. The author has done a really thorough investigation of the territory. Do not venture out on Highway 12 without first buying this book! Second best thing: Read the book in the comfort of your own home, with a good glass of wine and a dictionary near at hand. Probasco's prose won't insult your intelligence, and you will definitely learn a lot!