Bryce Canyon National Park
Been Here Life List

Picture of Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah (Medio Images/PhotoDisc)

The sky never seems so blue as when viewed through the window of a Claron sandstone pinnacle in Bryce Canyon National Park. Although it is the smallest of Utah's national parks at 35,835 acres, Bryce Canyon contains an outsized number of some of the most beautiful, unlikely rock formations on earth. This Dr. Seussian landscape of towering spires, fins, arches, and mazes is fodder for the imagination and a delight to the eyes. Read More »

Bryce Canyon National Park Highlights

Bryce is famous for its unique geology of red rock spires and horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters.
The Rim Trail gives you the view from the top. It extends along 5.5 miles of the rim from Fairyland to Bryce Points.
Most of the trails in the park interconnect, so you can hike to your heart's content. The trail map is given out on entry, or you can download it from the website.
Visibility at Bryce Canyon National Park can exceed 100 miles, thanks to the park's exceptional air quality, low humidity, and high elevation.

By Travel Expert: Bill Weir

To get a nice overview of Bryce Canyon National Park, drive the 18-mile main park road. On this paved route, you will have many chances to stop and admire the view from various overlooks. The main road takes you by Fairview Point, the Natural Bridge Arch, and Aqua Canyon. It ends at Rainbow and Yovimpa Points.
The hoodoos will invariably grab your attention first. These brown, red, orange, yellow, and white pinnacles of limestone, sandstone, and mudstone shoot toward the sky in fanciful formation. Closer inspection of the park reveals horseshoe-shape amphitheaters, and views of Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. Ponderosa pines, high-elevation meadows, and fir-spruce forests border the rim of this canyon on the Paunsaugunt Plateau.
Within the migration season from May to July is the best time to see a wide variety of birds. There have been more than 170 bird species identified in Bryce Canyon National Park. Pick up a birding list at the visitor center.
A half-mile south of the visitor center and near the Bryce Canyon Lodge, numerous trailheads, and the General Store is the North Campground. Available on a first-come, first-served basis, it is best to arrive early during May through September. One of the sections of this campground is open year-round.
Highway 12 Scenic Byway is one of the most picturesque stretches of road in the Southwest and possibly in the entire United States. Starting at the intersection of US 89 west of Bryce National Park, you will be going through Escalante, passing through Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and onto Capitol Reef National Park.

By Travel Expert: Kim Lipker

Bryce Canyon National Park Travel Q&A

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Are hiking poles beneficial for use in hiking the Utah national parks?

Asked on January 24, 2012 by an anonymous user

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Photo Galleries

Bryce Canyon National Park Photo Gallery
From Gorp

Utah Photos: Bryce Canyon, Cedar Breaks, and Brian Head
From Gorp

National Parks of the West Photo Gallery
From BarkerPhoto

What You Can Do in Bryce Canyon National Park

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