Boulder Mountain in south central Utah is one of those special places that doesn’t get the attention it deserves – and that’s a good thing. Covering half of the Aquarius Plateau in Wayne and Garfield counties, it includes 50,000 acres of rolling forest and high meadows surrounded by beautiful stands of aspen. At over 11,000 feet it’s also the highest timbered plateau in North America, and encompasses a good portion of Dixie National Forest, the largest preserve in the state.
Scenic Byway 12 is the main artery in the area and traverses the eastern side of the mountain from the town of Torrey through Boulder and on to Escalante. Rising to the west of Capitol Reef National Park, Boulder Mountain is the prominent landform along this beautiful stretch of highway as you travel south to Bryce Canyon and Zion.
With so many outstanding natural features and world-famous parks in the area, it’s easy to see how this spot gets overlooked, but therein lies it’s beauty. It’s a wonderful place to explore and experience the solitude that’s often hard to find in the more popular destinations of this amazing state.
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