Bryce Canyon National Park

Cedar City: Known as the Festival City, Cedar City is home so Southern Utah University, the Utah Shakespearean Festival and The Utah Summer Games.
Cedar City was first settled by Mormon pioneers sent to the area to mine iron. After the iron was depleted, they continued to stay and built the beautiful community that still stands. Cedar City received authorization for a state school in May of 1897 and started their first year that fall. The name of the institution may have changed over the years, but the quality of education has increased.
The Utah Shakespearean Festival is world renowned and you will agree when you see your first Shakespearean play in the outdoor Adams Shakespearean Theatre. You will also thrill at the contemporary plays selected each year.
While you are enjoy the festival and the quiet community, take an event at the Utah Summer Games. Held each year in Cedar City, the Utah Summer Games bring out the best athletes in the State. Here they compete more for pride than for anything.

Bryce Canyon St. George: The city was first started when Brigham Young, leader of the Mormon church, sent Jacob Hamblin to southern Utah as a missionary to the local Indians in 1854. During the civil war obtaining cotton was nearly impossible so Brigham Young sent 309 families to the St. George area to grow cotton and other products conducive to the climate such as silk, dried fruit, molasses and pecans. Because of the products coming from St. George and because many of the families sent to settle the area were originally from the southern States, the area became known as “Dixie” and the name continues today as “Utah’s Dixie”.
In 1908, the residents of St. George expressed their desire for higher education and plans were made with church officials to start an academy of learning in the community. On September 19, 1911, the college opened under the name of St. George Stake Academy. Over the years the names changed, in 1916 it became Dixie Normal College, in 1923 it was Dixie Junior College and finally in 1970, it became Dixie College. It had a long struggle to become a State college. Now it is constantly ranked in the top ten or twenty in the NJCAA for basketball, football and baseball.
With a population of 50,000+ and growing, St. George is one of the fastest growing communities in the country. In 1994, St. George had ten golf courses, sixteen movie theaters, more than forty motels/hotels, many tennis courts and more. Come visit the fastest growing community in Utah.

Kanab: Established by Mormon pioneers in 1870, Kanab is the largest town in Kane County. It started as a ranching town, but throughout the century, Kanab has turned into “Utah’s Little Hollywood”. Located within a short driving distance of some of the most spectacular scenery in the country, Kanab is the recreational and commercial center for south central Utah and the Arizona Strip. You will find a perfect blend of small town hospitality with the conveniences of the large towns.

Bryce Canyon Tropic: In 1874, a few pioneers heard about the Paria valley from Native Americans. It sounded like a good place to live with a favorable climate, extensive grazing and arable land, water, timber and coal. The pioneers settled near the Paria River and in the next 10 years several villages sprung up. Only Cannonville and Henrieville survived; Clifton, Losee and Georgetown all become ghost towns. Cannonville was settled in the early 1880’s with about 200 families, and Henrieville was settled with people from the area. Both towns ere named for Mormon counselors. The town of Tropic was founded in 1892 and incorporated in 1902. Tropic was home to Ebenezer Bryce, namesake of Bryce Canyon. These three communities make up what is now called Bryce Valley.

Hatch: The quaint town of Hatch is located 15 miles south of Panguitch on US 89. Stop at the visitor center south of town for local information. The first town site, called Aaron or Asay, was established in 1872 near the mouth of Asay Creek. Later these families joined others along the Sevier River and founded the old town of Hatchtown.
After severe floods and the breaking of the reservoir, the town was again moved to its present site and named Hatch, after a pioneer family. Mammoth and Asay Creeks are the headwaters of the Sevier River. The creeks are stocked with rainbow, German brown and cutthroat trout and offer excellent fishing, but check locally because some of the streams run through private land. The Sevier River is also stocked and the area around Hatch has the best fishing on the river.

Our dynamic planet is constantly being shaped and reshaped by dramatic events such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and mudslides. Other changes may not be detected in a human lifetime. Geological time spans or Periods cover millions of years. The Cretaceous Period began some 144 million years ago and lasted until about 63 million years ago. The rock formations you see exposed at Bryce Canyon began to develop during this time. For 60 million years a great seaway extended northwestward into this area, depositing sediments of varying thickness and composition as it repeatedly invaded, retreated, then re-invaded the region. Retreating to the southeast, it left sediments thousands of feet thick. Their remnants form the oldest, lowest, gray-brown rocks at Bryce Canyon.

In the Tertiary Period, between 66 and 40 million years ago, highlands to the west eroded into shallow, broad basins. Iron-rich, limy sediments were deposited in the beds of a series of lakes and streams. These became the reddish rocks of the Claron Formation from which the hoodoos are carved and for which the Pink Cliffs are named.

The Cretaceous Seaway moved northward from the Gulf of Mexico into this region of North America. Sediments deposited as the sea invaded and retreated became the brown and gray marine rocks now exposed at the park’s lowest elevations and across the Paria Valley.

Deformation, Uplift, and the Grand Staircase
Horizontal compression related to the formation of the Rocky Mountains deformed these rocks. Then volcanic flows from the north covered parts of the region: black rocks at the mouth of nearby Red Canyon and on the Sevier Plateau to the north still protect softer underlying layers. About 10 million years ago the Earth pulled apart, moving and tilting great blocks along north-south trending fault lines. Layers, once connected, were displaced vertically by several thousand feet, forming the High Plateaus of Utah.

Older Cretaceous layers rested side by side with younger Tertiary layers across fault lines. Streams began to remove sediments deposited by their ancestors. Working on the weakened edges of the upthrown blocks, water gradually removed the uppermost Tertiary layers and exposed Cretaceous rocks once again. Now these drab former marine sediments lay on the surface of the land side by side with the brightly colored deposits of freshwater lakes and streams.

Differential Erosion
Water erodes rock mechanically and chemically. Scouring, abrading, and gullying occur when fast-moving water scrapes its silt, gravel, and rock debris against firmer bedrock. Slow-moving or standing water enters minute rock pores and dissolves cements holding the rock together. This leaves loose grains to wash away. Softer Cretaceous rocks were loosened and carried away from the upthrown block by the Paria River. The resulting Paria Valley is carved out of rocks that lie deep beneath the Paunsaugunt Plateau, whose edge now is exposed to erosion.

Along the plateau rim, conditions are optimal for erosion. Its steep slope increases water speed and energy. Faults and joints from ancient compressional forces influence erosion patterns. Freezing and thawing loosen slope surfaces. Debris carried by runoff, scours softer rock and creates gullies; harder rock remains as fins.

As gullies widen to canyons, fins become exposed to further erosion along vertical cracks. In winter, freezing water expands within cracks to peel off layers and carve vertical columns.

Hoodoos Cast Their Spell
Hoodoo – a pillar of rock, usually of fantastic shape, left by erosion.
Hoodoo – to cast a spell.

Bryce CanyonAt Bryce Canyon National Park erosion forms a remarkable array of fantastic shapes we know as hoodoos. Surrounded by the beauty of southern Utah, these hoodoos cast their spell on all who visit. Geologists say that ten million years ago forces within the Earth created and then moved the massive blocks we know as the Aquarius and Paunsaugunt plateaus. Rock layers on the Aquarius now tower 2,000 feet above the same layers on the Paunsaugunt. Ancient rivers carved the tops and exposed edges of these blocks, removing some layers and sculpting intricate formations in others. The Paria Valley was created and later widened between the plateaus.

The Paria River and its many tributaries continue to carve the plateau edges. Rushing waters carrying dirt and gravel gully the edges and steep slopes of the Paunsaugunt Plateau on which Bryce Canyon National Park lies. With time, tall thin ridges called fins emerge. Fins further erode into pinnacles and spires called hoodoos. These in turn weaken and fall, adding their bright colors to the hills below.

Early Native Americans left little to tell us of their use of the plateaus. We know that people have been in the Colorado Plateau region for about 12,000 years, but only random fragments of worked stone tell of their presence near Bryce Canyon. Artifacts tell a more detailed story of use at lower elevations beyond the park’s boundary. Both Anasazi and Fremont influences are found near the park. The people of each culture left bits of a puzzle to be pieced together by present and future archaeologists. Paiutes lived in the region when Euro-Americans arrived in southern Utah. Paiutes explained the colorful hoodoos as “Legend People” who were turned to stone by Coyote.

The Paiutes were living throughout the area when Capt. Clarence E. Dutton explored here with John Wesley Powell in the 1870s. Many of today’s place names come from this time. Dutton’s report gave the name Pink Cliffs to the Claron Formation. Other names — Paunsaugunt, place or home of the beavers; Paria, muddy water or elk water; Panguitch, water or fish; and Yovimpa, point of pines— were derived from the Paiute language.

The Paiutes were displaced by emissaries of the LDS Church who developed the many small communities throughout Utah. Ebenezer Bryce aided in the settlement of southwestern Utah and northern Arizona. In 1875 he came to the Paria Valley to live and harvest timber from the plateau. Neighbors called the canyon behind his home Bryce’s Canyon. Today it remains the name not only of one canyon but also of a national park.

Shortly after 1900, visitors were coming to see the colorful geologic sights, and the first Hotels – Motels were built along the Paunsaugunt Plateau rim above Bryce’s Canyon. By 1920 efforts were started to set aside these scenic wonders. In 1923 President Warren G. Harding proclaimed part of the area as Bryce Canyon National Monument under the Powell (now Dixie) National Forest. In 1924 legislation was passed to establish the area as Utah National Park, but the provisions of this legislation were not met until 1928. Legislation was passed that year to change the name of the new park to Bryce Canyon National Park.

Each year the park is visited by more than 1.5 million visitors from all over the world. Languages as varied as the shapes and colors of the hoodoos express pleasure in the sights. Open all year, the park offers recreational opportunities in each season. Hiking, sightseeing, and photography are the most popular summer activities. Spring and fall months offer greater solitude. In the winter months, quiet combines with the area’s best air quality for unparalleled views and serenity beyond compare. In all seasons fantastic shapes cast their spell to remind us of what we protect here in Bryce Canyon National Park.

The park has over 50 miles of hiking trails with a range of distances and elevation change. Assess your ability and know your limits. Use caution if unaccustomed to the high altitude.

Day Hikes: The easiest trail is the 1/2-mile (one way) section of Rim Trail between Sunset and Sunrise Points. Other sections of the Rim Trail (which extends 5.5 miles between Fairyland and Bryce Points) have steeper terrain. The Fairyland Loop (8 miles round trip), Peekaboo Loop (4.8 or 5.5 miles round trip), Queen’s Garden (1.7 miles round trip) and Navajo Loop (1.5 miles round trip) trails wind down through the rock formations along steep grades. The Peekaboo Loop Trail also serves as a horse trail.

Backcountry: The Under-the-Rim Trail extends 23 miles from Bryce Point to Rainbow Point and has eight backcountry campsites. The Riggs Spring Loop Trail (8.8 miles round trip) from Yovimpa Point has four backcountry sites. Both trails drop below the rim of the plateau and lead through forested areas. A backcountry permit is required for all overnight hiking. Permits are available at the Visitor Center for $5.

Permits must be obtained in person and are issued at the park visitor center from 8:00 a.m. until two hours before sunset. No phone or email reservations will be accepted. In person reservation can be made up to 48 hrs. in advance. Park staff reserves the right to refuse permits to parties that fail to demonstrate the necessary preparedness that Bryce Canyon’s high and dry backcountry demands.

Trails

Rim Trail: An easy hike, the rim trail starts at either Bryce or Fairyland points. It is 5.5 miles from one point to another, taking a maximum of 5 or 6 hours to complete the 11 mile round trip. If that is too long for you, you may jump on the trail at one of the other points that connects to the rim trail. This trail will provide you some spectacular views of the magnificent hoodoos in the Bryce Amphitheater.

Fairyland Loop: A moderate hike, you may start your hike through the Fairyland Loop at either Fairyland or just north of Sunrise Point. It covers eight miles, taking around four to five hours to complete. This trail tends to be less crowded than the trails through the Bryce Amphitheater. Along the way, you will pass such attractions as the Tower Bridge, and the Chinese Wall.

Peekaboo Loop: A steep hike, the Peekaboo Loop trail passes the Wall of Windows and the Three Wiseman. It is 5-7 miles, depending on the entrance you use. You can enter from Bryce Point via the Under-the-rim trail, Sunrise Point via the Queens Garden trail, or Sunset Point, via the Navajo Loop trail.. The hike should take around three or four hours. The Peekaboo Loop trail also serves as a horse trail.

Tower Bridge: A piece of the Fairyland Trail, this hike will take you to see the Tower Bridge, named after its resemblance to one of the Thames bridges in London. The hike is 3 miles long and will take you two or three hours to complete.

Queens Garden: A moderate hike, the Queens Garden trail is the easiest way to get down into the Amphitheater. Formations in the bottom resemble Queen Victoria, hence its name. It is 1.8 miles long, and it should take you around one to two hours. You can get to it via Sunrise Point.

Navajo Loop: This moderate hike will take you down into Wall Street, an extremely narrow canyon where tall trees mingle amongst the hoodoos, via switchbacks. The hike is 1.4 miles and takes one or two hours to complete. You can get to it via Sunset Point.

Trail to the Hat Shop: This trail will take you to the Hat Shop, a collection of hard gray caps balanced on smaller pillars of rock. The trail, which starts at Bryce Point, is 3.8 miles long and will take you three to four hours to complete.

Bristlecone Loop: A very easy trail, this trail is one of the most popular at Bryce Canyon. It is an easy way to catch the beauty of Bryce Canyon without having to do the difficult hiking. Along the way, you will encounter bristlecone pines, some that are 1,700 years old! The trail is one mile long and takes only about half an hour to complete. It begins at Rainbow Point.

Bryce Canyon National Park is located in southern Utah on the eastern side of the Paunsaugunt Plateau in Garfield County. Settlement of the area began in 1874. Ebenezer Bryce moved from Pine Valley and settled a site near the mouth of Bryce Canyon in 1875. Bryce used the now famous canyon as a cattle range, and it was given his name as early as 1876.

Bryce Canyon is a series of natural amphitheaters below which stands an array of white and orange limestone columns and walls sculptured by erosion. The erosion has been accomplished mainly by rain, snow, and frost prying off cliff fragments rather than by stream erosion. Nearby streams actually flow away from the canyon. The high rim country of the park is part forest dominated by fir, pine, and aspen, and part meadows of grass and sage. At lower, drier altitudes, pinon pine and Utah juniper predominate.

Geologically, the rocks of the canyon are among the youngest of the Colorado Plateau. Despite the fragile nature of the environment, there are many miles of foot and horse trails below the rim. A twenty-mile paved highway runs along the edge of the rim. Overlooks provide magnificent views of the natural structures carved by erosion into fanciful forms that glow in delicate and varied colors.

Bryce Canyon awaited promotion and development before its full tourism potential could be realized. National Forest Supervisor J. W. Humphrey was transferred from the La Sal National Forest to the Powell National Forest on 1 July 1915. He was amazed at the beauty and grandeur of Bryce and resolved to do all he could to promote it and make it accessible. He took visiting dignitaries to Bryce and secured funds for a passable road to the canyon rim. In 1916 Arthur W. Stevens of the Forest Service wrote an illustrated article for the Union Pacific railroad tourist magazine. J. W. Humphrey wrote a similar article for the Rio Grande railroad. These were the first descriptive articles published about Bryce Canyon. In the meantime, moving pictures and postcards began circulating and Bryce began to attract visitors from all parts of the nation.

In 1919 the Utah state legislature asked Congress to create Bryce National Monument, which was done in 1923. The Union Pacific railroad acquired a state school section on the rim and began developing campgrounds, cabins, a lodge, and improved access to the Canyon. In 1928 Bryce Canyon was removed from Forest Service jurisdiction and made Bryce Canyon National Park. Later 12,000 additional acres were added to create what is now a 37,277-acre park that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year from throughout the world to marvel at its unique beauty.