Bryce Canyon: One of Our
Favorite National Parks
Bryce Canyon National Park has spectacular
scenic views...
You can't beat the sunset and sunrise photographs !
copyright 2007 by Howard A. Knudsen |
The visitor center, camp sites and main road in this national park are located on the top of the mountain plateau at an elevation of 8000 ft. The main road has multiple turnoffs to get to the viewpoints that are along the rim of the canyon (which is the upper-most step in Utah's Grand Staircase).
The canyon is named after an early Mormon settler (Ebenezer Bryce) who was sent by Brigham Young to settle the area. You can see a few lights from the town of Tropic under a left branch of the dead tree, just above the orange hill (look for red). Ebenezer Bryce and other settlers built a road to harvest timber in the canyon area. His famous quote about the canyon is:
"It's a hell of a place to lose a cow."
Bryce Canyon National Park is
located in the middle of southern Utah, about 4 hours from Las Vegas and two
hours from St. George, UT. This national park has 204 campsites available
divided into two campgrounds. It also has a lodge and cabins.
Camping is $10 per night, first-come-first-served, and fill up by 5 pm on
weekdays, by about 1 pm on weekends. There are no reservations.
The park entrance fee is $20 for one week. We purchased the National Parks Pass
($80 for one year) as we plan to visit many this year. From mid-June to
mid-August the Park runs a shuttle bus system to help alleviate the traffic
congestion at the viewpoints, and is free once you've paid the entrance fee.
My first trip to this national park was in a motor home RV with my grandparents as a child. My mother said I was 3 or 4 years old, but I distinctly remember the formations and the hikes when I returned with my wife during our honeymoon in 1994. My wife and I returned with our family in 2007.
This national park is quite unique...
Your camera will love all the color it finds in the scenic views... if you are so inclined to take pictures. The sunsets and sunrises are nothing less than spectacular. The hoodoos (the name given to the rock formations in canyon) remind me of the characters in Lord of the Rings: kings, warriors, and strange-looking creatures.
copyright 2007 by Howard A. Knudsen |
Notice the king kneeling, bowing his crowned-head and clasping his hands in the bottom right corner (with his entourage kneeling behind him) as if praying to the rising sun.
Bryce Canyon is accessed from multiple viewpoints at the top of the rim of the canyon. You should travel to each viewpoint because each has a unique scenic view. If you were to go to Bryce Point as your first stop, you might think, "I can see it all from here... I think I am done!" This would be a major mistake...
Every view point is worth seeing and you should also hike down into the canyon to see it all from that vantage point.
The most recognizable and most photographed "hoodoo" in the canyon is called Thor's Hammer as seen in the picture below. It is a short hike (but steep incline) to this viewpoint. Go to Sunset Point and take the left loop of Navajo trail. For more information, see this list of Bryce Canyon hikes.
copyright 2007 by Howard A. Knudsen |
Where should you stay? No question about it... I have asked many life-time residents of Utah and they emphatically agree. Check our Bryce Canyon hotel page for more information.
For interesting information on a grandmother's lifetime experience of visiting Bryce National Park, read her essay.
Suggestions:
1. Bring your hiking boots (unless you want to stay on the canyon rim).
2. Visit every over-look point.
3. Bring your camera to take some great pictures.
4. Wake up early to photograph the sunrise, then later take some sunset photos during the same day.
5. Check the weather before you go...
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