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

The small resort town of Brian Head, Utah, offers prime mountain biking at higher elevations than the rest of the state—meaning you can grind your gears mid-July in temperate climes.  

Resting on the top of the Colorado Plateau, the expansive vista of nearby Cedar Breaks National Monument echoes eons of wind- and water-borne evolution best witnessed at sunrise and sunset.  

The hoodoos—narrow columns of sandstone—are Bryce's signature geographical feature, formed over the eons from acid rain and cycles of freezing and thawing known as frost wedging.  

Thor's Hammer (center) is arguable the park's signature formation, as evidenced by this sunset shot. But hike into one of the 14 hoodoo-choked park amphitheaters and you'll likely discover your own personal favorite.  

The aptly-named Hat Shop, one of the first formations on the 23-mile backcountry Under the Rim Trail, hosts a series of limestone rocks precariously perched atop narrow spires like derbies on display.  

Most of the nearly 1 million annual visitors stick to the car-accessible overlooks, leaving Bryce's backcountry practically empty, even at peak season, as witnessed by this campsite off the Below the Rim Trail.  

Winter brings a different face—and a mellower vibe—to 36,000-acre Bryce National Park, as snow blankets its red sandstone rock formations.