Sites in Utah
NPS Units
Arches
Bryce Canyon
Canyonlands
Capitol Reef
Cedar Breaks
Dinosaur
Glen Canyon
Hovenweep
Natural Bridges
Zion
Other Places
Dead Horse Point
Flaming Gorge
Goblin Valley
Grand Staircase
Kodachrome Basin
Monument Valley
Mount Timpanogos
Red Canyon
Snow Canyon
Utah Site Map
Site Search
|
|
|
Bryce Canyon National Park does not contain one main canyon, but rather a dozen smaller ravines eroded into the east side of a ridge running approximately north-south at the edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau in south west Utah. This erosion has resulted in thousands of bizarre and fragile rock formations, large and small, in many subtle shades of pink, white, yellow and red. The national park is named after Ebenezer Bryce, a Mormon farmer who was the first modern-day settler in the region, and was created in 1924.
The Grand Staircase: The main ridge forms part of the Pink Cliffs, which are the highest and most geologically recent of a series of escarpments known as the Grand Staircase stretching across south Utah, formed by erosion and uplift of differently colored sandstone rock layers. The cliffs are named according to the dominant rock colour: (running northwards, from the
Grand Canyon) - Chocolate, Vermilion (visible most spectacularly around
Lees Ferry, Arizona), White (which surround
Zion Canyon), Gray and Pink. Most of the Grand Staircase is now contained within the new
Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument. The rocks that give Bryce Canyon its distictive colors are members of the Clarion Formation, a mixed limestone/sandstone layer, and are also found exposed in other nearly locations such as Red Canyon and Cedar Breaks.
Erosion: Water was initially responsible for creating the rock shapes in Bryce Canyon National Park. Rain and melting snow flowing down the Pink Cliffs towards the Paria River form ridges, or fins, which subsequently erode into the spires, pinnacles and other shapes (collectively known as 'Hoodoos') which are left standing. In time these too erode, and the whole process moves westwards as more of the cliff is gradually worn away.
Access and Fees: Bryce Canyon is reached by only one road - scenic highway UT 12 which crosses the northeast corner of the park. The entrance road branches southwards, follows the top of the ridge for 18 miles, and has 14 viewpoints of which
Bryce Point is the most famous and gives the best perspective of the extent and variety of the rock formations. The first overlook is
Fairyland Point, a pretty side valley like a small-scale version of the main canyon. This is reached before the park entrance station, and so can be appreciated without payment, though it isn't signposted when travelling south, only north when leaving the park. From all the viewpoints it is often possible to see 100 miles south and east over the Paria River valley towards Lake Powell and the Grand Canyon. From Jan 1st 2007, the entrance fee for Bryce Canyon National Park has increased to a rather high $25 per vehicle or $12 person, to pay for expenses related to the shuttle bus system.
Bryce Canyon Trails: The increase in visitation over the last few years has required a major renovation of the latter stages of the park road, and has led to the introduction of access restrictions during the summer; vehicles over 25 feet long are not allowed beyond Bryce Point, about one third of the way along the road. A shuttlebus service is provided instead.
However, as with most National Parks, the best way to appreciate Bryce Canyon is to explore away from the main roads. There are various trails both along the rim and down through the formations, but probably the best is the Fairyland Loop Trail, an 8 mile, little-used route which descends 900 feet from the ridge road and winds through many of the fins and spires giving a more intimate and personal view of the park. More details on hiking in Bryce Canyon.
Light: Many of the formations in Bryce Canyon have received official names, like Tower Bridge, reached via a short side-track, which resembles one of the Thames bridges in London. The park is especially beautiful at sunrise, when the rapidly changing light and shadows make the landscape even more magical. Sunsets are not so good, as the main ridge shields the park from the west.
Weather: Temperatures in Bryce Canyon are always less than other parks in Utah due to the high elevation (7,900 feet at the visitor center, rising to 9,015 feet at Rainbow Point, at the south end of the park road), hence even summer hiking is usually comfortable. However, the altitude does mean that the air is thin, so there is less oxygen. Apart from admiring the formations, it is worth walking the short Bristlecone Loop Trail, at the south end of the park, to see 1,600 year old bristlecone pines; these are the longest lived species of trees in the world. Snow may be present for six months during the winter, although
the national park remains open all year.
|
|
|
Accommodation: Best Western Ruby's Inn is the closest hotel to Bryce Canyon National Park, two miles north of the entrance station along highway 63 and one mile south of the UT 12 junction. The inn is part of a complex of shops, a gas station and other buildings at the edge of the forest - the land to the south rises gradually and becomes wooded while to the north stretches empty grassland. This is a large hotel (368 rooms on 3 floors), and has many facilites such as convenience/gift shops, indoor and outdoor pools, ATM, post office and restaurant. The hotel also has an RV site and campground, and can assist with planning a wide range of leisure activties in and around the national park. The Bryce Canyon shuttle stops just outside the inn.
Check rates at the Best Western Ruby's Inn
 |
|
|
|
