Bryce Canyon has been towards the top of our National Park MUST-DO! list for quite some time now. And we are so excited to finally be able to check it out and off our National Parks list! This was a GREAT Day! We visited the park on September 24, 2016 - which turned out to be one of the FREE PARKS admission days, so that was a real treat to find out when we pulled up to the booths to enter the park. It was a slow drive in to the park as the roadway that leads in has some pretty interesting sites to see... some stops along the way, and we were also taking our time so the GoPro camera could capture some of the driving footage along the way. It was a great advantage to be able to drive through the park!
A few things to keep in mind that we try and remind everyone when traveling through the National Parks no matter what time of year is to check the weather! These pictures reflect what looks like a nice and sunny day, which it was, however you won't see the wind, 50 degree temperature, cool breeze and that some locations already had a little bit of snow on the trails. So remember to pack appropriate, bring your jackets along with all your other travel gear!
Red Canyon/Scenic Byway 12
We decided to follow the signs and pull off stops along the way for driving through Bryce. It took us almost the entire day to get through the park as we really did take our time at each pull off, stopping all along the way and doing some of the walking trails. Other advice that was given to us was to drive straight to the top and then work your way down. I'm sure either way would work, and take up about the same amount of time but that was our route.
Getting in some video with the GoPro that you will see shortly on our YouTube channel
(Stay Tuned).
On a clear day at Bryce Canyon, you can see over 150 miles and even recognize landforms in Arizona! From several of the parks viewpoints you can usually see Navajo Mountain, more than 80 miles away. Very cool, right?!
Bryce Canyon National Park is not a canyon, but rather, a spectacular series of 14 huge amphitheaters, each of which is carved at least 1,000 feet into the pastel palette of limestone along the Paunsaugunt Plateau.
Breathtaking Landscapes!
Rainbow Point/Elevation
Highest: 9,115 feet (2778 m)
Sarek taking his Pano photos at Rainbow Point.
Hoodoo [hoo’doo] n. 1. A pinnacle or odd-shaped rock left standing by the forces of erosion. -- One of the main reasons for our visit was to check out the Hoodoos!
Elevation/Size
Lowest: 6,620 feet (2018 m) Yellow Creek.
Highest: 9,115 feet (2778 m) at Rainbow Point. Area: 55 square miles (35,835 acres)
Bryce Canyon's most striking feature -- the hoodoos. They're photogenic, stunningly beautiful such a site to see! The view just keeps going and going and going!
We really really enjoyed our Bryce Canyon Adventure.
Stay tuned for our social media post coming up next highlighting our stops off throughout the park. If this park isn't on your LIST IT SHOULD BE!
TIPS to Remember:
1) Check the weather, dress for it!
2) Go to the NPS website and download their Travel Packet https://www.nps.gov/brca/planyourvisit/things2know.htm
3) Take a read through the Hoodoo Newspaper that you receive at the entrance of the park at the booth. You will find all kinds of information, map, shuttle schedule, walking/hiking guides, park roads information and services, emergency response, and more!
4) Pack water for your walks/hikes. It is recommended to drink 1 quart/liter every 1-2 hours.
5) Bring a back pack for hikes with all your essentials. Food snacks, water, first aid supplies, maps, and more. Something light enough to carry or keep close by in the car. Don't forget sunglasses for sunny days and waterproof jackets for rainy ones!
6) Hat and Sunscreen, even if its cool outside, you may not realize how powerful the sun is until later. Pack it and use it.
7) If you plan to hike towards the evening time bring a flashlight and headlamp with you to help guide your way. Take extra caution and be careful when hiking in Bryce. There are some steep drop offs, but do it safely and you should be fine!
8) If you are visiting with your children check out the junior ranger program!
9) Shuttle buses have no fees in addition to the entrance fee and offer another way to visit the park. The Bryce Canyon Shuttle is voluntary. Riding the Bryce Canyon shuttle reduces traffic, conserves fuel, saves time, money, and helps protect the planet!
10) Bring your camera, GoPro, your camera phone, special photo lenses and more. Don't forget to bring SOMETHING with you to capture all that beautiful Bryce and its views has to offer!