Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park
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Jesper Rautell Balle


Bryce Canyon National Park is a national park in southwestern Utah which despite its name, is actually not a canyon. It is rather a giant natural amphitheater created by erosion on the eastern side of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. Here, you can see towering formations known as hoodoos. They were formed by wind, water, and ice erosion of the river and lakebed sedimentary rocks. The spectacular color of the rocks, from red to orange and white is one of the main attractions of Bryce Canyon.

Bryce is at a much higher elevation than nearby Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon. Its rim varies from 8,000 to 9,000 feet (2400 to 2700 m) compared to 7,000 feet (2100 m) above sea level for the south rim of the Grand Canyon. As a result, it enjoys a different ecology and climate. People who visit all three national parks in a single vacation will be able to see the difference between them.

Mormon pioneers arrived in the area in the 1850's. Bryce Canyon got its name from an Ebenezer Bryce, who lived there in 1875.

The area around Bryce Canyon was declared a US National Monument in 1924. It was designated a national park in 1928.

Bryce Canyon National Park covers 56 sq miles (145 sq km). As it is more remote compared to Zion Canyon and the Grand Canyon, it receives much fewer visitors. The town of Kanab, Utah is situated at a central point between these three parks.

Visiting Bryce Canyon National Park

There are two recommended routes to reach Bryce Canyon, one from the north and another through Zion National Park from the south.

If you are coming from the north, such as Salt Lake City, take the Interstate 15 highway south and leave it at Exit 95 to Utah State Route 20. Continue on UT-20 and then enter US Highway 89 going south. Then exit to UT-12 going east till Bryce Canyon City, when you exit UT-12 on to UT-63. Go south on UT-63 until you reach Bryce Canyon National Park. The visitor center is a mile after the entrance.

Bryce Canyon National Park is open 24 hours a day all year round. However the roads to the park may be closed during severe snow storms. The visitor center operating hours are 8:00 am to 8:00 pm from May to September, 8:00 am to 6:00 pm in October, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm from November to March, and 8:00 am to 6:00 pm in April.

Entrance fee to Bryce Canyon is $25 for each non-commercial vehicle including its driver and all its passengers. Those coming on foot or on bicycle or motorcycle pay $12 per person. Annual pass is available at $30 per person for unlimited visits per year. The national park offers free admittance on Martin Luther King Jr Birthday weekend, National Park Week, First Day of Summer, September 24 (National Public Lands Day) and Veteran's Day Weekend.

List of National Parks in the United States

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