Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon National Park is one of the most spectacular sights in America. The amphitheater area is about 8 miles across and filled with hoodoos, holes in the rocks, arches and spires of white, pink, gold and brown sandstone. This canyon was not carved by a river but by erosion. Unlike Zion, Bryce’s rock is soft and crumbly and slowly melting with each season making it an ever-changing landscape.

When we were at the Grand Canyon we wanted to hike to the bottom, but Phantom Ranch was completely booked. The next time we visit there, we will plan in advance and get reservations for a room so we can do that hike. It’s too much to go down and back in a day. Here at Bryce, you can easily hike to the bottom and out in a few hours and we didn’t miss our opportunity to do that. Bob and I made the 5 mile trek down from Bryce Point, went along the Peekaboo Trail to Queens Garden and out at Sunrise Point. It was a fantastic hike with a 1500 ft drop to the floor at Bryce Point, unbelievable rock formations, areas of snow and a variety of evergreen trees along the floor and sides of the amphitheatre. The way up, at Sunrise Point, was only about a 500 ft climb in elevation. Photos are from the rim looking down, and from the trail looking up.

Most of Bryce is 8,000-9,000 ft in elevation. We enjoyed two days of 70 degree weather, but on Saturday the wind started to blow and the temp at the high end of the park was 48 degrees when we took a little hike on the Bristlecone loop. These rare pine trees grow to be 1600 years old in the park. Along the road we saw mule deer, pronghorn antelope and Utah prairie dogs.

One day we enjoyed a trip outside of the park into Red Canyon on horseback. It’s been quite some time since either of us had ridden, and in “the end”, three hours was more than we needed. We both got pretty gentle horses though and the ride through the red rocks was spectacular, but I don’t want to get on my bike anytime soon.