Bryce Canyon National Park is a popular stop along Scenic Byway 12 in Utah. But down the road is another hidden gem worth checking out. Escalante Petrified Forest State Park offers camping, boating, fishing and hiking. And if you’re there in July, it also offers the typical afternoon thunderstorm. But that didn’t stop us from making a stop in the park and creating an adventure the kids would talk about to their friends when we got back home.

Here’s what you can expect on your visit to Escalante Petrified Forest State Park.

Getting to Escalante Petrified Forest State Park

If you aren’t looking to visit Escalante Petrified Forest State Park, you’ll likely pass right by it as you travel along Scenic Byway 12 in Utah. There are some signs to let you know where to turn off the highway to access the park. The park is located roughly 45 minutes east of Bryce Canyon National Park, and five minutes west of the town of Escalante.

Once you turn off the main road, a paved road will take you to the visitor center. While you may be surprised that the visitor center is pretty much a double-wide mobile home, it works well for the park’s needs. It’s here where you pay your entrance fee or show your annual pass. You can also pick up a trail guide to help you know what you’re seeing on your hike to the petrified forest.

If you want to grab a souvenir, park on the west side of the visitor center. There are a few parking stalls on that side.

Hiking Trails in the Park

A one-mile loop trail starts just northeast of the visitor center. While it is uphill at the start, it’s nothing too strenuous for kids or adults. If you picked up the trail guide at the visitor center, there are numbers marked along the trail. Pause at each of the numbers to read a short paragraph about the rock formations, view points, wildlife and vegetation.

Once you reach the plateau, the trail levels out and you start to see petrified wood along the trail. Be respectful of the trees and please don’t try to take a piece of the rock/wood home with you.

Along the one-mile trail, you’ll see an off-shoot loop trail. It only adds .75 miles to the overall loop, but you’ll find even higher concentrations of petrified wood along that trail.

I will also note, that hiking in the early afternoon can make for more of an adventure than you bargained for. The afternoon thunderstorms can swoop in and drop a lot of rain on you really quickly. You may note in the photos of this post, that we did get caught in one of those storms and we ended up soaked. The mud stuck to our shoes, making it pretty slippery on the way down. But again, the kids still talk about that hike when we bring up stories of our family vacations to Escalante.

Other Activities at the Park

Camping, fishing, swimming and boating are also available at Escalante Petrified Forest State Park. Wide Hollow Reservoir is accessible from inside the park. Campsite reservations can be made through ReserveAmerica’s website. There are bathrooms with flushy toilets (because that’s key for my wife when we go camping) in the campground.

If fishing is your thing, check out the Wide Hollow fishing report online.

The reservoir is also great if you’ve got a kayak, paddle board or other small float, the reservoir is perfect for you. Don’t have any of those water toys? Simply swimming the reservoir is great, too.

The Details

Address: 710 Reservoir Rd, Escalante, UT 84726

Parking: There are a few parking stalls at the visitor center, with a larger parking lot to the north east at the trailheads.

Cost: $6 day-use permit, which includes watercraft launching into Wide Hollow Reservoir. $3 for seniors (62+). You can also purchase a Utah State Parks Annual Pass for $75, which gives you access to more than 40 state parks.

Hours: The park is open year-round. Summer: 7 am to 10 pm; Winter 8 am to 10 pm. Escalante Petrified Forest State Park is closed on Christmas and New Years Day.

Website: https://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/escalante-petrified-forest/

Phone: 435-826-4466

Looking for other things to do along Scenic Byway 12? Here are some other great stops:

• Anasazi State Park (Boulder, Utah)
• Utah’s Best Pioneer Day Parade is held in Escalante every July

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