Bryce Canyon is a small national park in southwestern Utah. Named after the Mormon Pioneer Ebenezer Bryce, Bryce Canyon became a national park in 1924.
Despite its name, this is not really a canyon, but rather a spectacular series of 14 huge amphitheaters, each of which is carved at least 1,000 feet into the chromatic limestone of the Paunsaugunt (Paiute for "home of the beaver ") Plateau. The largest is Bryce Amphitheater, which is 12 miles long, 3 miles wide and 800 feet deep. The area is at a much higher elevation than nearby parks, the rim at Bryce varies from 8,000 to 9,000 feet – be prepared for cold weather if you are visiting in spring or fall.
The park is rather small (56 square-miles) and it receives relatively few visitors compared to Zion Canyon and the Grand Canyon, largely due to its remote location.
Erosion and the dissolving power of rainwater have shaped the colorful limestone rock of the Claron Formation into bizarre shapes. Each of the park's amphitheaters is crowded with a multitude of rock sculptures - domes, pinnacles, windows, natural bridges, arches, temples, and spires called Hoodoos. The color of these rock formations, augmented by a rising or setting sun, is delicate and often extraordinarily beautiful.
Your first view of Bryce Canyon (usually at Sunrise Point) is rather dramatic, as rows of pine trees veil the color and grandeur of the canyon until you reach the rim. Here the brilliant hues come alive - especially with the rising and setting of the sun.
The area has some of the world's best air quality, offering panoramic views of three states and approaching 200 miles of visibility. This, coupled with the lack of nearby large light sources, creates unparalleled opportunities for stargazing.
Various walking and hiking trails are maintained along the rim or to the bottom of the canyon. A walk along one of the many trails into the "furnace" of red and yellow spires shooting up into the sky gives the feeling of being on another planet. There are over 50 miles of hiking trails, ranging in difficulty from beginner-level through advanced backpacking trails.
Most visitors take the 37-mile round-trip drive to Bryce Canyon's most famous viewpoints, including Sunrise, Sunset, Rainbow, Yovimpa, and Inspiration Point.
Sunrise Point is the first and northernmost viewpoint of the main park area where most visitors get their first impressions of Bryce Canyon. The views are enormous – you can see Fairyland Canyon, Sinking Ship and in the distance, Bryce Point.
The Queens Garden Trail starts at Sunrise Point and takes you down to the bottom of the amphitheater where you can wander amongst the towering hoodoos. The Hoodoos here are spectacular, and you can see why legends might think that they were creatures or people frozen in stone.
Sunset Point is the second major viewpoint and offers vistas of some of the most famous and breathtaking of Bryce Canyon's hoodoos. Directly below the point and to the south, the Silent City rises from the canyon floor, a maze of so called red-rock-men hoodoos and fins packed in tight formation.
Close to Sunset Point, the area around Inspiration Point is a perfect example of how the Claron formation eroded and formed Bryce Canyon. The viewpoint consists of three levels that provide a variety of spectacular perspectives of the main amphitheater and the Silent City (near Sunset Point).
Being the southernmost viewpoint, Bryce Point offers the most dramatic views of the full amphitheater. Here, the hoodoos are standing that close that it is almost impossible to identify the single ones.
The viewpoint is just around the corner from Bryce Point and is off that same road. Here you can get a clear picture of that Bryce Canyon is not really a canyon but has been carved out of the eastern part of Paunsaugunt Plateau.
With 9105 ft, Rainbow Point is the highest elevation (or view point) in the park. Together with Yovimpa Point, it is also the southernmost one, located 18 miles away from the entrance. If you have a full day for your visit, we recommend you start here and then go back north.
Along the road to Rainbow Point are numerous lookouts over other amphitheaters in the park – Swamp Canyon, Farview Point, Natural Bridge, Aqua Canyon, and Ponderosa Canyon. Each affords a little different view of the wonderful geology and distant landscapes.
Directions
If you are approaching the area via 89, turn east on Utah 12 (seven miles south of Panguitch) and continue for about 13 miles until you reach the junction of Utah 12 and 63. Turn south (right) on Utah 63 and travel three miles to reach the park entrance.
If you are coming from the east via Utah 12, go west until you reach the intersection with Utah 63. Turn south (left) to reach the park entrance.
