Bryce Canyon is one of the most visited National Parks in the USA. This land is most famous for its pinnacled badlands - a visual treat to visitors of all ages. The visit will become all the more interesting once you understand the geological history of the Colorado Plateau. This place is a song where each verse is sung by the voice of each season, ringing out through forests and meadows of enchanting beauty. Bryce Canyon reveals to you the past, the present and the future - the passage of time and the change it brings, through weathering and erosion, are very well displayed. Stars brighten the night sky with constellations that change season by season.
People continue to come to this magnificent land - some since ancient times - and some for the first time like me. All should visit this breathtaking land to experience Mother Nature and listen to her never-ending story. This national park is most notable for its bowl-shaped amphitheaters of oddly-shaped pinnacles and colorful limestone cliffs. It consists of an environment of complex ecosystems. The sunlight paints the amphitheaters with constantly changing palettes of color.
The story of this canyon unfolds in its canyon walls. To understand how this astonishing landscape was formed requires a travel back in time. 50 million years ago, this region of southern Utah was covered by a vast shallow lake system. Over time, layer upon layer of iron-rich sediment was deposited in the ancient lake beds. Then, 10 to 15 million years ago, geologic forces of uplifting and tilting formed this plateau over 8000 feet high. The north-south fault splits the tableland into seven separate plateaus that dominate the landscape of southern Utah. Here at the southern end of the national park, the Paunsaugunt Plateau is 9,105 feet (2776 m) above sea level, almost 2,000 ft (600 m) lower than the adjacent Aquarius Plateau/Table Cliff Plateau..
Vertical movement of rock layers along the Paunsaugunt fault created a cliff, or escarpement. Two separate plateaus were formed by this movement: the Paunsaugunt Plateau and the Table Cliff Plateau. Water flowed from the top of the Table Cliff Plateau over the cliff to the low lying Paunsaugunt Plateau. The water formed steep gullies and the entire cliff face (Claron formation) started to weather away. Warm days and freezing nights caused frost wedging which helped sculpt the exposed Pink Cliffs of the Paunsaugunt Plateau into hoodoos. The forces that create hoodoos also destroy them - they are constantly forming and eroding.
There are three distinct life zones defined by elevation and geology where communities of distinct flaura and fauna are found (1) Fir-Spruce-Aspen community, 8500-9100 feet (2) Ponderosa Pine Community, 7000-8500 feet (3) Pinyon-Juniper community, 6600-7000 feet. Each community is named for its most abundant plant species. These communities are neither separate nor distinct from one another. They integrate along their edges and are dependent on each other. Bryce Canyon's rim is eroding at a rate of 1-4 feet per century posing challenges to life on the edge - one can see limber pines that took root near the edge of the rim, barely hanging on with bare roots.
Paiute Indians inhabited this region for hundreds of years before the arrival of European Americans. A sacred oral tradition of the Paiutes states that the hoodoos are ancient "Legend People" turned into stones by the Coyote as a punishment for misdeeds. Native American groups, the ancestors of present-day tribes and bands, moved seasonally through the deserts, canyons, high plateaus, and mountains in the Bryce Canyon region. Local resources used by tribes and their ancestors in the Brice Canyon region included red clay, pine nuts, mule deer, rice grass, prairie dog, and rabbit.
Scottish-born Ebenezer Bryce came here with his wife Mary Ann in 1875. He was a shipbuilder who came west with Mormon prophet Brigham Young. At the direction of church officials, Bryce moved from place to place helping to establish communities. Settling near Tropic in 1876, Bryce built a road into the amphitheater to harvest timber; the locals began calling it "Bryce's Canyon". In 1880, the Bryce family moved to Arizona, leaving behind their cabin and their name which would be immortalized in 1928 with the establishment of Bryce Canyon National Park. Descendents of Mormon pioneers and other European-American settlers populate the towns surrounding the park. The lack of water and extreme weather made permanent settlements challenging. Mormon settlers built the Tropic Ditch and brought water where it was needed to grow crops. It has been used continuously ever since.
The main park road runs from the entrance to the Rain Bow Point (18 miles/29 km). One way in, one way out. As you travel south from the main entrance, all view points and trailheads will be on the left. The first 2 miles (3 kms) provides access to the Bryce Amphitheater area. The following 16 miles (26 kms) is a the Southern Scenic Drive providing access to grand views from the highest elevations. There are four overlooks (Bryce, Inspiration, Sunset, and Sunrise Points) to see the amphitheater area. The Queen's/Navajo Combo Loop (2.9 miles/4.6 kms) is a must hike to experience the park.
On a clear, moonless night, one can see over 7,500 stars above Bryce Canyon. That's three times the number of stars visible in most rural areas of North America. The combination of clean air, high elevation, dry climate, and very little light pollution makes the park a stargazer's paradise.
I felt privileged and humbled at the same time in front of this panorama of nature - unconfined and unmarred - an exceptional expanse of American Wilderness.
Interesting read and lovely photographs !