What’s up everybody?
Last November (2019) my beautiful bride decided to go visit one of her friends out in San Francisco. That Left me wandering what it was that I was going to do with myself while she was gone. I could do my typical go to’s like being lazy around the house, playing video games or watching a movie or tv show. None of that was really sounding appealing and then I heard it calling. Yes my friends, adventure was calling my name and I knew I had to answer that call. It didn’t take me long to decide, I already knew where I wanted to go. Bryce Canyon National Park.
From where I live in Salt Lake, its about a four hour drive to Bryce. I only had a day and a half to see the park. Ideally, I would have drove down the night before. Unfortunately, I still had some things to do around the house so that wasn’t going to happen. The plan was to wake up at 4:30 am, be on the road by 5.00 am and be at the park by 9.00 am. Surprisingly everything worked out that smoothly.
After leaving the metro area the cityscape quickly turns into a desert landscape. Honestly, its not the vibrant picturesque desert scene that you see on postcards or in paintings. No, its fairly dull and drab. Needless to say, with the exceptions of a few small communities, theres not much to look at or see. The drive is pretty boring especially if you’re driving alone. You have to find something to entertain you. The conversations are not that great or interesting. Best thing to do is crank up the radio and sing to your favorite songs.
Its not until you reach the Red Canyon area when you realize that you are in for something special. Spectacular red rock formations make themselves known as they start to appear through the foliage before towering high over the ponderosa pines. I don’t know too much about the area so I can’t tell you too much about it. It is part of the Dixie National Forest and used for many types of recreation. I have added it to my list of place that I want to explore and can’t wait to get back and find some fun. From Red Canyon you’re about a 20 minute drive to the small town of Bryce and the gates of Bryce Canyon National Park.
Establish in 1928 by President Warren G. Harding and named after pioneer Ebenezer Bryce who helped to engineer and build an irrigation system to supply water to the surrounding communities. Bryce Canyon is Utah’s smallest National Parks coming in at 35,835 acres or 55,992 square miles. Don’t let its small size fool you though, what it lacks in size it makes up in sheer beauty. Due to its remoteness it only see about 2 million visitors a year.
My first stop after entering the gate was the Visitors Center. I would suggest doing this whenever visiting a National Park, especially if it your first time there. Take a moment to talk with one of the rangers. They are full of information and can suggest ideas for you to help you plan out your visit. This is something that I wish that I had taken advantage of while I was there. I learned too late that they were doing a stat gazing hike when the sun went down. It sounded really fun and something that was right up my alley. Unfortunately by the time I found out about it I couldn’t fit into my limited schedule.
Heres one pro tip for visiting Bryce Canyon: Drive all the way to Rainbow Point, which is at the very top of the canyon, and start your journey from there. The reasoning for this is simple. The majority, if not all, of the turn offs are on the left side of the road. Its easier to turn into parking areas and you don’t have to fight with traffic. I know that I am making it sound easier than it is. There was several times that I had to fight the urge to pullover and not continue to the top. The views that appear are quite tempting but persevere and continue to the top.
It has been about 15 years since the last time I was here at Bryce Canyon, I had forgotten how beautiful and awe inspiring it actually was. I wish I was a better write to help paint a better picture of it for you to understand. Bryce Canyon is known for a rock formation known as a Hoodoo. Hoodoos are an irregular shaped spires created by the rock layers eroding at different rate of speed and are found in highly hot and arid locations. They are not exclusive to Bryce and can be found throughout the world. What makes Bryce different is the sheer number of them.
Bryce Canyon is a bit of a misnomer for its not really a canyon at all. It’s actually a series of natural occurring amphitheaters formed out of the surrounding plateaus. None of these amphitheaters are more famous than the Bryce Amphitheater. The largest by far, Bryce Amphitheater is filled with thousands, if not tens of thousands, of hoodoos in every size, shape, and color. You might even see a natural bridge here and there. Not to mention that the majority of the hiking trails in Bryce Canyon take you through the amphitheater. No matter what your skill level is you’ll be able to find a hike for you. They range from a few hours to several days. The choices are endless.
You will be amazed by any of the viewing areas that peer into Bryce Amphitheater but none show the true grandeur as Inspiration Point. Inspiration Point is a three tiered viewing area. Each platform opens you to even more spectacular views but nothing compares to the top. I will admit it is a bit of a hike to get there but definitely worth the effort. From the top of Inspiration you can see all of Bryce Amphitheater in all of its wonder. There is also a U.S Geological Survey Benchmark. These benchmarks are a metal disk that give latitude, longitude and/or orthometric height. In my opinion they are pretty cool, especially if you are int to that kind of thing.
I do have to admit that I did something really stupid but it ended up being my favorite part to the whole trip. For the last stop of the day I made my way to Sunrise and Sunset Points to take some final photos. Like the names state at the right time of day this is the place to be for some spectacular views. I did find myself back here at sunrise the following morning and it was absolutely beautiful. Just off to the left of Sunrise Point is the trail head for Queen’s Garden. The trail takes you from Sunrise into the middle part of the Bryce Amphitheater. Its not a difficult hike and is only about 2 miles round trip. I had only planned on taking a few pictures and not doing any of the hikes so I left my water bottle and other gear in the car. I figured I would walk down just a little ways and snap a few pics and head back. I was so captivated by what I was seeing that before I knew it I was at the end of the trail staring up at a formation that was supposed to resemble Queen Victoria. The hike down was really cool though. I felt like I was in a Indiana Jones movie looking for some strange ancient artifact. The trail gradually made it way to the bottom curving this way and that, man made arches cut through the rocks for easy access and green pine trees pultruding from the ground complimenting the red of the surrounding rocks.
Here is another tip: Bryce Canyon is in an arid desert, make sure you have water with you even if you don’t think you’ll need it. I kind of lucked out since I went in November and the weather wasn’t as hot as it could have been. If it had been in the summer I could have been in a world of hurt. The risk of heatstroke and dehydration is always high. Be smarter than me.
Even though it was a short tip, I enjoyed every minute of it. I have fallen in love with Bryce Canyon and appreciate its beauty once again. I don’t plan on waiting another 15 years before going there again. I’m already looking into planning another trip. This time I plan on spending more time and concentrating on hiking the trails.
Until next time. Thanks for stopping by.
Josh
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