Utah Travels - Bryce Canyon National Park

 

Bryce Canyon National Park

Hoodoos and forest mixed together.

  

5/21/2016

The drive to Bryce was about 50 miles. from our campground in Glendale, We headed north on Hwy 89 to Hwy 12, which took us through Red Canyon. A teaser of what was yet to come. 

 

 

 

Unlike Zion, visitors to Bryce have the choice of driving their vehicle through the park, or take the shuttle.

The shuttle does not travel the entire 18 mile scenic drive. It operates within close proximity to the Visitor Center.



Spring is in its infancy in much of Utah, especially at the higher elevations.








We arrived at the park gate at about 11:30 am. The Ranger told us that all the parking lots for the first 4 miles were full, and suggested that we take the 18mile scenic drive to the end, which we did.

We started our sightseeing at Rainbow Point, the far end of the 18 mile scenic drive and worked our way back to the Visitors Center.

Erosion, created by frost and water have shaped the colorful limestone rock into bizarre shapes including windows, bridges and spires called "hoodoos."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 At 9115feet  elevation, it was very cold - 43 degrees and blowing a gale. Sightseeing was short here, and a picnic lunch………out of the question.

Although we were dressed in shirts and fleece vests, shorts were a poor choice for this windy, cool day.

 

Always a big smile, but don't be deceived, Alan's teeth were chattering in the cold.

 

 

 

 

 

 Tinted with colors too numerous and subtle to name, these whimsically arranged rocks create a wondrous landscape of mazes.


 

 

 There is no place like Bryce Canyon.

Hoodoos, odd-shaped pillars of rock left standing from the forces of erosion can be found on every continent, but here is the largest collection of hoodoos in the world!

 

 Descriptions fail.

Forest of stone?  The Piute Indians believe that these are the ancestors gone before, and now turned to stone.

Photographs do not do it justice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 An imagination of wonder will serve you when visiting Bryce Canyon National Park

 

Many of the rock formations remind me of fairytale castles.

 

 

 

While the hiking in Bryce Canyon National Park is superb, those who are unable to hike can enjoy the park’s 18-mile scenic drive (Highway 63).

It might be breezy and cool, but dam it, we are having our picnic! We stopped about half way down the scenic drive, and I'm sure it was the fastest picnic on record.









We were not alone. There were several other souls braving the chill and gusts.

As you study the twisted maze of canyons, consider the words of early Mormon pioneer (and park namesake) Ebenezer Bryce, who described it as “a hell of a place to lose a cow.”

Due to congestion on the park road, trailers are not allowed beyond Sunset Campground, and vehicles longer than 25 feet are not allowed at Bryce Point or Paria View. You may leave your trailer in the visitor center parking lot.

A picture is worth a thousand words

Followers of this blog will by now realize that I have great difficulty in selecting a few just a

few photos.

As noted above, a free voluntary shuttle bus system, operating May through early October
 (8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily), will take you from Ruby’s Inn or the visitor center to the park’s overlooks and trailheads. So if you want to experience scenic driving through Bryce Canyon National Park but don’t want the hassle of dealing with traffic, take the shuttle.

 

If you only have a short amount of time, make sure you stop at Sunrise, Sunset, Inspiration, and Bryce viewpoints!


Bryce viewpoint was closed when we visited, but there was no shortage of memorable sights to view.

 



If you are not planning to hike the trailheads, here’s a tip to help you get a good look at some of the best scenery: Just after passing the park boundary (and before the entrance/fee station) watch on your left for the road to Fairyland Canyon.

Many visitors, in their eagerness to enter the park, miss this viewpoint just 1 mile off the main road that allows you an up-close view of the red rock spires. The fantastic hoodoos you see below, and for which Bryce is so famous, were explained by the Paiutes as “legend people” who had been turned to stone.

 

 

Unlike Zion National Park, where there is a new, stunning vista around every bend, Bryce is a combination of equally stunning viewpoints and vistas, separated by forests and meadows.

 

Here at Fairyland Canyon, you can walk down amongst the hoodoos. The walkway corkscrews down into the canyon as shown in the photo to the left.

The walk is steep and it is recommended that one wears boots.  
Alan's hip was acting up so we decided to just view from above.

Another outstanding day for the memory bank.

 

We are truly fortunate to have so many awesome National Parks that preserve the natural wonders in perpetuity for generations to come.

 

 

For those of us age 62 or older, a Golden Age Pass can be purchased for $10 (I believe) and that allows you into National Parks at  no charge for the rest of your life......a heck of a great deal!