By Patricia Hall, FairfaxFamilyFun.com
Amazing. Majestic. Stunning. There are many ways to describe Bryce Canyon National Park, but perhaps the best word to capture it is: other-worldly. This unique park in southern Utah is so distinct that even the National Park Service itself says “descriptions fail” and “there is no place like (it).”
While the neighboring Mount Zion National Park (also in southern Utah and less than 90 minutes away) may be better known — and of course the Grand Canyon (less than three hours away) is the “grandaddy” of parks in this area — visitors to the region should not miss out on Bryce Canyon.
What makes it so special? For starters, its unique formations that may be unlike anything else you have ever seen. The park is known for its hoodoos, odd-shaped pillars of rock left standing from the forces of erosion that make the landscape look like something from another planet altogether. While there are hoodoos on every continent, Bryce Canyon has the largest collection of hoodoos in the world.
These hoodoos, all packed together, look like elaborate sculptures. Their bright hues (red, orange, tan, and white) form a magical landscape. Though the rock formations get the most attention, the park is not barren of life. Forests dominate the upper altitudes of the Paunsaugunt Plateau and you will find more than a dozen trees and shrubs including cactus, oak, and pine trees. If you’re lucky, you might spot some of the 59 species of mammals spotted at the park or any of the 175 different species of birds have been documented to frequent Bryce Canyon.
Despite its name, Bryce Canyon is not a canyon, but a collection of giant natural amphitheaters along ta plateau. Bryce is at a higher elevation than other nearby parks — its rims sits at 8,000 to 9,000 feet high — so the weather there is a bit cooler there. The park covers 35,835 acres and offers plenty of opportunities for hiking (from easy to strenuous) and outdoor programs.
Ranger-guided activities include kids’ programs, geology talks, a rim walk, full-moon hikes, and astronomy events. Annual events include astronomy, geology, and prairie dog festivals. In the winter, you can explore the park on a snowshoe hike!
But even if you are limited on time, a visit to Bryce Canyon National Park is worth it. You don’t have to go too far into the park to see the amazing hoodoos. (In fact, we visited on a day after we had done a hike halfway down the Grand Canyon and were exhausted and not up for much more hiking. Even so, with just a short hike down into Bryce, we still managed to enjoy amazing scenery and get the photos included in this post).
Another plus is that because Bryce Canyon is in a more remote area, it does not seem to get as many crowds as other parks do. Each year, over 1.5 million people visit Bryce Canyon, compared with 2.6 million visitors to Zion National Park, for example. Learn more about Bryce Canyon on the National Park Service website.
And finally, just getting there can be fun — look at the bridge you go under en route to the park!
All photos by and (c) Patricia Hall
Leave a Reply