Bryce Canyon National Park - Elemental Quests

Bryce Canyon is a monument to the natural forces that shaped the landscapes once upon a time in the Southwest. Take a trip in a time machine, and observe snapshots of its gradual transformation across 50 million years. It’s not actually a river-carved canyon. After rivers deposited sediments into large lakes, the Colorado Plateau began to rise and the dried lakes turned to sedimentary rocks. As the edge of the rim eroded away, rock walls started to form. Snow and ice formed cracks in the walls leaving rock spires, the iconic hoodoos of Bryce Canyon. From the edge of these ultimate amphitheaters, you will have sweeping vistas of pink cliffs and incredible rock formations. Like the old cattle rancher, Ebenezer Bryce, once said, it’s definitely a “helluva place to lose a cow.”

Must Sees | Logistics

MUST SEES

Bryce Amphitheater

Tectonic forces ripped open a massive crack. Over time, snow and rain created bowl-shaped drainages. At this colorful amphitheater, you’ll enjoy majestic panoramic views of jagged spires, or hoodoos.

Navajo Loop

Combine Navajo Loop with Queen’s Garden for a 2.9-mile hike. From Sunset Point, descend a dozen steep switchbacks to a space between pink and orange limestone walls. Hike among the hoodoos and examine the formations up close.

Thor’s Hammer

Among the hoodoos resembling figures, animals, or other irregular shapes, Thor’s Hammer from Sunset Point is the most recognizable. This timeless hammer has been forged in stone over many eons.

Natural Bridge

Erosion at the rim leaves rock walls, or fins, with harder caprock on top and softer rocks below. As water seeps into the cracks, it freezes, expands, and creates holes. These windows become arches or bridges, and eventually collapse.

Agua Canyon

Shhh! Be vewy vewy quiet. The hunter in his hunting cap has set his eyes on the bunny wabbit. The hoodoo on the left looks like a hunter. At Agua Canyon, you can even see the ear flaps on the hunting cap.

Rainbow Point

Rainbow Point is the highest point in the park at 9,115 feet. You can view the Poodle, a white hoodoo with curly “fur.” From here, you can hike 22.9 miles on the Under-the-Rim Trail all the way to Bryce Point.

LOGISTICS

Park Shuttle

The Bryce Canyon Shuttle provides transportation to the park’s most popular overlooks and trails. Buses arrive every 15 minutes at each stop and there is a real-time Bryce Canyon Shuttle Tracker.

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