After our drive through Zion National Park, we continued to follow the road that would take us to our next national park. There are 5 national parks in Utah which are referred to as the Utah High 5. And Bryce Canyon National Park is one of my all time favorite national parks. I was filled with excitement as we approached the hole in the rock that guards the entrance to the park.
The area around Bryce Canyon was first settled by Mormon pioneers in the 1850s and was named after one of the first homesteaders Ebenezer Bryce. President Warren G. Harding originally designated this area as a national monument in 1923 but a few years later in 1928 congress changed its status to a national park. In 2023 Bryce Canyon celebrated its 100th birthday and the park held a series of events and activities to mark the time.
The park is full of fantastic rock formations called Hoodoos. These formations give such a dynamic interest to the land. Bryce Canyon is less visited compared to its larger neighbors of Zion National Park and Grand Canyon National Park due to it being a little more remote. But for those willing to take the detour to the park, they are well rewarded with incredible views and experiences of the hoodoos.
Due to there still being snow throughout the park, most of the trails down into the hoodoos were closed for the season. So visitors had to content themselves with a walk along the rim of the canyon gazing in wonder down into the valley at the park from above. But even with the snow, the views were beautiful with the contrast of the red rock and the white snow.
As much as I love this park in the snow, I couldn’t help but wish we were able to go down into the hoodoos and hike around. Being down among these giants is an incredible experience that makes you feel like you have stepped into another world. But for now, it made me grateful to have a few quiet minutes looking out over the vastness of rock and sky of my favorite national park.
Want to see more of Bryce Canyon? Then check out these posts:
Thank you for coming along to the beautiful Bryce Canyon National Park. May you be like the hoodoos and stand tall with power and balance.
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