Bryce Canyon, Utah

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Bryce Canyon, God's Castle Spires

Did you ever let wet sand ooze through your fingers to build drizzle castles on the beach, or in a sandbox? This is what Utah's Bryce Canyon appears to be:The Creator's hand-crafted drizzle castles of red and yellow sandstone in giant mounds, molded into turrets, spires, castle-keeps, and boundary walls, with the occasional cathedral, or Queen's throne, and natural bridges and amphitheaters carved by eons of melting snow, penetrating ice, torrents of rain. Hike the rim, or view the miles of sandstone spires from one of the designated Look Out Points and your imagination is sent spiraling to the great architect of such wonder.

Whether you find it hot and arid in summer, with splendidly dazzling colors which change in varying hues of pink to red, or whether you stand in bitter winds and find her spires like a huge pink birthday cake with white snow frosting, the sight is one you can never forget. As you stand beneath the ancient gnarled britlecone pines you'll hear them gently whisper of Native Americans who gathered and hunted here, the Anasazi whose pueblo home and sacred kiva you can study at the Anasazi State Park Museum at Boulder, UT. (435-335-7308) Or perhaps in spring you'll go for a horseback ride in the lower canyon and pretend to be the first white rancher Ebenezer Bryce, who staked his claim and wrote to friends back East that this was a heck of a place to hunt for lost cattle.

On our first visit to Bryce we only were able to view it from the upper drive and look-outs, and that was only enouogh to whet our appetite to return to this beautiful place which captured our hearts and our imaginations for two decades before we were able to return..

Fewer than one percent of visitors to our great National Parks ever take more than a one mile hike, and the 99 percent miss so many of the wonders of the experience. We had an afternoon with snow covered trail in early spring to walk down the Queens Garden Trail from the Sunrise Point parking lot to see for the first time the marvelous spires from below. What a thrilling experience! If you can walk at all do not miss this. Sure you may get a little winded, but just stop and look up and take a few photos to catch your breath. By all means, don't go down without plenty of film! We took about 100 photos in two hours and cannot choose the best from all best!

This place of wonder in ancient times was home to nomadic hunter gatherers, Pueblo and Paiute Indians, who called it the home of beavers. They named the spires "Hoodoos" and believed them to be people that the tricky coyote had turned to stone. A Mormon homesteader, Ebenezer Bryce, staked his claim for this land in 1875. After Congress purchased the land to become a National Park the Union Pacific Railroad built the Bryce Canyon Lodge as a tourism center in the 1920's.

One of our National Park Treasures since 1924, Bryce Canyon is About three hours from Las Vegas, Nevada., by traveling US Interstate 15 North to just past St. George, Utah, then taking Hwy 9 through Zion Canyon (to be featured in another article) to Hwy 89 North which takes you to Utah Hwy 12, one of the newest and most scenic highways in the West. Turn onto Highway 63 for a few miles to the Entrance to Bryce Canyon National Park, one of America's most wondrous public lands.

In the past two decades an excellent Highway 12 has opened the way for travelers to see many wonders of these great uniquely beautiful sandstone formations and vast stretches of Nature's canvas between Bryce Canyon and Capital Reef. Wildlife abounds, but you will most likely focus your attention on the multiple incredible formations of sandstone in huge mountains and canyons stretching over the 85 miles, and including such great stops as Kodachrome Basin State Park and Escalante Petrified Forest State Park. There are two accessible Tourist Information Centers at Escalante.

The Escalante Petrified Forest State Park has a lovely campground with petrified forest trail (quite steep, good exercize, but you see more of the petrified wood at the beginning of the trail.) Also, at Boulder at Anasazi State Park you will find another Information Center and a great little museum that can orient you about the Native American culture that inhabited the area.

Be sure to travel a ways down what is known as Burr Trail out of Boulder to see the amazing “plaid” and striped sandstone mountains, and stop to hike into the box canyon,, an amazing (and easy walk) adventure into a “Cowboys and Indians movie set” experience.

Although 85 miles doesn't sound very far, there are so many wonders to stop and photograph, hike through, or just enjoy staring at,, one day is not enough time to allow for this highway 12. Plan an overnight near the middle at Boulder, where you'll enjoy very nice cabins and lodge and good home cooking and see more stars than you can imagine in the huge black dome overhead. We were not able to allow enough time and Alas (or A Luck!) we must return again to see Capitol Reef and the remaining fifty miles of the scenic highway. You can continue on Hwy 24 East from Capital Reef to Hwy 95 South find your way to the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

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	Travel Adventures International Magazine Utah Flag Send this Page to a Friend Peace for Everyone Bryce Canyon, God's Castle Spires © 2003 Bonnie Neely, Photos © 2003 Bill Neely Did you ever let wet sand ooze through your fingers to build drizzle castles on the beach, or in a sandbox? This is what Utah's Bryce Canyon appears to be:The Creator's hand-crafted drizzle castles of red and yellow sandstone in giant mounds, molded into turrets, spires, castle-keeps, and boundary walls, with the occasional cathedral, or Queen's throne, and natural bridges and amphitheaters carved by eons of melting snow, penetrating ice, torrents of rain. Hike the rim, or view the miles of sandstone spires from one of the designated Look Out Points and your imagination is sent spiraling to the great architect of such wonder. Whether you find it hot and arid in summer, with splendidly dazzling colors which change in varying hues of pink to red, or whether you stand in bitter winds and find her spires like a huge pink birthday cake with white snow frosting, the sight is one you can never forget. As you stand beneath the ancient gnarled britlecone pines you'll hear them gently whisper of Native Americans who gathered and hunted here, the Anasazi whose pueblo home and sacred kiva you can study at the Anasazi State Park Museum at Boulder, UT. (435-335-7308) Or perhaps in spring you'll go for a horseback ride in the lower canyon and pretend to be the first white rancher Ebenezer Bryce, who staked his claim and wrote to friends back East that this was a heck of a place to hunt for lost cattle. On our first visit to Bryce we only were able to view it from the upper drive and look-outs, and that was only enouogh to whet our appetite to return to this beautiful place which captured our hearts and our imaginations for two decades before we were able to return.. Fewer than one percent of visitors to our great National Parks ever take more than a one mile hike, and the 99 percent miss so many of the wonders of the experience. We had an afternoon with snow covered trail in early spring to walk down the Queens Garden Trail from the Sunrise Point parking lot to see for the first time the marvelous spires from below. What a thrilling experience! If you can walk at all do not miss this. Sure you may get a little winded, but just stop and look up and take a few photos to catch your breath. By all means, don't go down without plenty of film! We took about 100 photos in two hours and cannot choose the best from all best! This place of wonder in ancient times was home to nomadic hunter gatherers, Pueblo and Paiute Indians, who called it the home of beavers. They named the spires "Hoodoos" and believed them to be people that the tricky coyote had turned to stone. A Mormon homesteader, Ebenezer Bryce, staked his claim for this land in 1875. After Congress purchased the land to become a National Park the Union Pacific Railroad built the Bryce Canyon Lodge as a tourism center in the 1920's. One of our National Park Treasures since 1924, Bryce Canyon is About three hours from Las Vegas, Nevada., by traveling US Interstate 15 North to just past St. George, Utah, then taking Hwy 9 through Zion Canyon (to be featured in another article) to Hwy 89 North which takes you to Utah Hwy 12, one of the newest and most scenic highways in the West. Turn onto Highway 63 for a few miles to the Entrance to Bryce Canyon National Park, one of America's most wondrous public lands. In the past two decades an excellent Highway 12 has opened the way for travelers to see many wonders of these great uniquely beautiful sandstone formations and vast stretches of Nature's canvas between Bryce Canyon and Capital Reef. Wildlife abounds, but you will most likely focus your attention on the multiple incredible formations of sandstone in huge mountains and canyons stretching over the 85 miles, and including such great stops as Kodachrome Basin State Park and Escalante Petrified Forest State Park. There are two accessible Tourist Information Centers at Escalante. The Escalante Petrified Forest State Park has a lovely campground with petrified forest trail (quite steep, good exercize, but you see more of the petrified wood at the beginning of the trail.) Also, at Boulder at Anasazi State Park you will find another Information Center and a great little museum that can orient you about the Native American culture that inhabited the area. Be sure to travel a ways down what is known as Burr Trail out of Boulder to see the amazing “plaid” and striped sandstone mountains, and stop to hike into the box canyon,, an amazing (and easy walk) adventure into a “Cowboys and Indians movie set” experience. Although 85 miles doesn't sound very far, there are so many wonders to stop and photograph, hike through, or just enjoy staring at,, one day is not enough time to allow for this highway 12. Plan an overnight near the middle at Boulder, where you'll enjoy very nice cabins and lodge and good home cooking and see more stars than you can imagine in the huge black dome overhead. We were not able to allow enough time and Alas (or A Luck!) we must return again to see Capitol Reef and the remaining fifty miles of the scenic highway. You can continue on Hwy 24 East from Capital Reef to Hwy 95 South find your way to the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Subscribe Real Travel Adventures Web Magazine Thanks for visiting us! 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