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Dinosaur Dunes
Utah is famous for its “ Big Five ” national parks , which showcase towering , brightly colored geologic wonders of the world . One of the most beautiful and challenging stretches of pavement in America is Scenic Highway 12 , which connects Bryce Canyon National Park to Capitol Reef National Park and passes through Grand Staircase- Escalante National Monument . A few miles east of the town of Escalante is Head of the Rocks Overlook , which provides sweeping views of the multi-hued Escalante Canyons with several mountain ranges on the horizon . From the overlook , Highway 12 descends quickly with several dramatic curves on its way down into the canyon , where the roadbed is carved into the expansive slickrock — a landscape made up of petrified sand dunes . Photo by Greg Drevenstedt