Bryce Canyon National Park

As you drive along through the Ponderosa Pine Forest you will probably be wondering where this giant amphitheater of rock could possible be hiding. You stop at the pay station, pay your $25 entrance fee and drive further into the forest. A sign points to the visitors center. Be sure to stop in as this is a great spot to begin your journey through the mysterious park.

VISITORS CENTER

Stop in to watch a twenty-two minute video on the history of the park. There is a small museum; in the museum there is pictures of the park in various seasons, different animals, and a warn place to act like you are star gazing. And don't forget to by a souvenir at the gift shop. Also while in the visitor's center ask about the many ranger programs provided by the park.

RANGER PROGRAMS

There are many different ranger programs provided here at the park, they vary from season to season and with the weather. For more information on when each of these are taking place call (435) 834-5322 to talk with a staff from the park who can give you more information on any of the ranger programs. Also you can visit the web site at http://www.nps.gov/brca.

Have you ever dreamt of a moonlit hike? Here at Bryce Canyon you can make that dream come true with the moonlit guided hikes provide by the staff at the park. You can hike into the giant amphitheater by the light of the moon. During a full moon is also a great time to take wonderful pictures of the park. These hikes vary do to the moon, weather, and season.

If you are not really capable of a moonlit hike but still want to enjoy the beauty of Bryce Canyon at night you can go on a star gazing adventure. This is where the guides will teach you about the stars and show them to you all at the same time. They provide telescopes so you can take a closer look at the far away galaxy.

Do you wonder why and how Bryce Canyon developed? Learn more from taking a geology lesson form the professional park rangers. They can teach you about the land and tell you why and how Bryce Canyon developed.

Another ranger program is one that could fulfill a life long dream of riding a horse through the amphitheater of rock formations. There is a guided horseback ride that take you down through the amphitheater of rock. You don't even have to be a pro cowboy, they can help you ride for the first time.

CAMPING

The park provides two campgrounds for convenient park access. There is the North Campground and the Sunset Campground. Both having running water and flushing toilets. During summer hours there is laundry services and shower facilities available near by at the General Store. The is a fee dump station for RV's. The campgrounds are open all year; however, the General Store with the laundry and showers and the dump station are only available in the summer season. The cost of camping is $15 per night.

If you are a real avid outdoors man there is backcountry camping. Permits must be obtained at the visitors center and please stay in the designated camping areas. When backcountry camping everyone must pack out everything they pack in with them. Please take care of the land so many others for generations to come will be able to enjoy the same beauty of the park. There is many trail that you can choose to take while backcountry hiking. Please see the visitor's center for maps and more details about the permits.

LODGING

If you are not really the type to sleep in the great outdoors there is the Bryce Canyon Lodge that is located within the park. There is 114 rooms varying from suites to cabins. The lodge is only open for the summer season which runs from April 1 - October 31. There is a restaurant and a gift shop available at the lodge. There is also more available lodging in Tropic which is just outside of the park boundaries. There is twelve places available to lodge there. If you decide to stay in Tropic instead of the park you don't even have to worry about driving your own vehicle to and from the park, there is a shuttle that is available to you for free once you have paid the $25 entrance fee to the park. The bus runs every 12 minutes from Ruby's Inn or Ruby's Campground. It does only run from May to September, so make sure if you want to use this service you plan your trip accordingly. The duration of the shuttle ride is 50 minutes without counting stops at different facilities and lookouts. The time may vary depending how much time is spent at each stop. Don't worry about missing out on some of the sights by taking the shuttle because it will stop at all the lookouts in the park.

VIEWING THE PARK

Bryce Canyon National Park is a giant natural amphitheater formed by thousands of years of ice, rain , and wind weakening the limestone rock that the park is made out of. The erosion has created rock formations call spires or fins but more commonly known as hoodoos. It has also crated fragile arches and mazes of rocks. The amphitheater sits on the edge of what is known as the Paunsaugunt Plateau. A mountain range in Southern Utah that is known for its trophy deer and elk. You can either choose to view the park from hiking down in or view it from the viewpoint that sit above the amphitheater.

When you come to enjoy the wonders of nature in Bryce Canyon National Park please come prepared for rapid change in weather. The park sits at an elevation of 8,000 to 9,100 feet. Weather varies from 80 degrees Fahrenheit to 40 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer months, with common afternoon rain and thunderstorms. In the winter there is an average snow fall of 95 inches which makes for great cross country skiing or snowshoeing.

Even if you choose not to hike Bryce Canyon it is still well worth the trip. You can take a 37 mile round trip inside the park and stop at multiple viewpoints along the way.

The first viewpoint would be Fairyland Point, it is a mile drive off the main road before you get to the visitors center. This is my least favorite view point in the park. The rock formations are not as detailed and many there is not as many as there is further into the park. The colors are also not as vivid. If you are not spending a lot of time in the park, I personally would not worry to much about passing this one up.

Next you would want to take the loop to Sunrise Point. There a short walk to the view area. It is an easy walk that most everyone should be able to do. Although I have never been at the park early enough to watch the sunrise I have seen pictures of the most magnificent pictures ever. This is not a viewpoint to miss no matter the time of day.

Sunset Point neighbors Sunrise Point. There is not a lot of differences in the view seen from here and Sunrise Point; however, it is one of a kind to be during the sunset. It did not get its name for the fun of it. The pictures that can be taken here during the sunset are unbelievable and are well worth staying in the park during the evening just for the pictures.

There are many other viewpoints along the way, you won't want to miss out on them. Stop and use your imagination to see what you can make out of each of the different views of hoodoos. I personally have not spent a lot of time at these viewpoints except to drive to and take a few pictures.

Natural Bridge is the next unique stop along the way that cannot be missed. It is a huge rock arch that sits mysteriously on fragile ledges of rocks and dirt. The driving view point is the only way to be able to see this arch.

To the end of the road there are four more view points. Each offers its own pictures and show different beauties of the park. Rainbow Point is the last viewpoint and now it is time to turn around and head back down through the park.

HIKING

If you choose to hike Bryce Canyon National Park you will experience a whole new work of rock. My first time visiting the park I thought it was absolutely beautiful, but I thought that one trip was plenty because I thought that I had seen it all. I wasn't in a hurry to return to the park. Almost ten years later I found myself living in a small town close by (about 1 ½ to 2 hours away). I ended up taking a bunch of kids from where I work to the park. This time I was going to do some hiking down into the park. It was so amazing and it gave the park a whole different view. After hiking on a cool January day I couldn't wait to go back for more. In February I went again with my family and my camera. We hiked all day long in a maze of rocks.
The hikes are divided into three different categories: easy, moderate, and strenuous. One thing to be aware of on all of the hikes is that once you drop down in you do have to climb back out of the canyon.

EASY HIKES

There are four hikes that are in the easy hike category.
* Mossy Cave Hike - This is a .8 mile round trip hike that takes you along a stream and up to a mossy overhang and a small waterfall. Unfortunately the water only flows in this area May through October. I have never been on this hike but the pictures I have seen are beautiful and one that I think is worth taking a trip back to Bryce to go and see the waterfall. This trail will drop you down into the canyon 300 feet.
* Rim Trail - This is the easiest of all the hikes. It does not drop you down into the canyon, but it is beautiful. It runs you along the rim of the amphitheater between Sunset and Sunrise Points. It is paved and fairly level with only a total of dropping 34 feet along the way. Most everyone could do some or all of this hike. Even my husband who is paralyzed and in a wheelchair is able to do this walk (I don‘t really consider it a hike). It is .11 miles round trip and can be taken from either point.
* Bristlecone Loop - This is a short 1 mile loop that takes off from Rainbow point. It takes you through forest and rocks. There is 195 foot drop on this loop. Although I have not taken this trail I have seen it from the point and it looks like another beautiful hike.
* Queens Garden - This is the least difficult trail that takes you into the canyon. It is a 1.8 mile round trip hike. It drops you down 320 feet into the canyon. Once you drop down this is a fairly level hike that takes you through the maze of rock formations. This trail can break off into other more difficult trails. This is the first trail that I took down into canyon. It was so amazing that this is the trail that made me want to go back for more. Although when I took this hike I did branch off to a more difficult trail.

MODERATE HIKES

There is also four hikes it the moderate category.
* Navajo Trail - This is a trail that branches off from the Queens trail. This is the one that I took that I did not realize had been closed off due to a land slide. Although this trail is now open, I have not completed it. It is 1.3 miles round trip hike that drops you 550 feet into the canyon. The trail starts at Sunset Point. It is one of the most popular trail into the canyon. It does take you up into narrow canyons and by arches and many other rock formation.
* Tower Bridge - This is a trail that begins at Sunrise Point and runs North along the rim into Fairyland Loop. It is a 3 mile hike that is not round trip. There is 950 foot drop. I have not taken this trail personally.
* Swamp Canyon - This trail starts at the Swamp Canyon overlook. It is 4.3 mile hike that drop you 800 feet. It is not a round trip hike but does join in with other hikes along the way. I have not done this hike either.

STRENOUS HIKES

The is three hikes in this category.
* Fairyland Loop - This is at the North end of the park. It drops you into the canyon 2309 feet, which is one of the reasons it is considered a strenuous hike. Although I do not have the miles for this hike it is a longer hike that takes you further into the canyon than just staying on the trail. I have done park of this hike and it is really pretty but does not have quite the rock formations that is further south into the canyon. This hike has more trees and less rock. It does take you to the bottom of the canyon where it runs along a stream which is really pretty when it has water, but remember the water only flows in certain months of the year.
* Peek-A-Boo Loop - I do not know a lot about this trail because I have never been on it. I do know that it is 5.5 miles long and drops you into the park 1555 feet.
* Riggs Spring Loop - Another trail that I don't know a lot about. It is 8.5 miles and drops 2248 feet.

OVERALL

Bryce Canyon is a one of kind nature wonder in Southern Utah. It is a place to stop by when you are traveling Southern Utah. It is a bit out of the way from other place but it is well worth the drive. I am a fan of winter hiking and that is the only time I have hiked the canyon. I just love the snow sitting on the orange and red rocks. Unfortunately I have missed the water running through the canyon because of my choice to only hike it in the winter. I have been there in June but I did not do any hiking. I think that depending on what you like the most depends on what time of year is the best time to visit the park. One thing to keep in mind is that there is more going on in the summer but there is also more people.