The “canyon” really is a series of natural amphitheaters on the eastern side of the Paunsaugunt Plateau, filled with coral-colored hoodoos, totems, and spires. The formations take shape as softer rock erodes, leaving harder layers behind in a maze of domes, windows, and towers. Today, scientists estimate that the eastern rim of the Paunsaugunt is eroding one foot every 50 years. Come visit this dream landscape before it dissolves!
Bryce Canyon National Park is located in Utah’s high country, and at 8,000 feet elevation, you should expect a wide range of temperatures when visiting the park. Summer months offer the best hiking, with cool mornings heating up to pleasant afternoons. During peak season (June-September), the Park Service recommends that visitors use the free park shuttle bus instead of driving personal vehicles. With limited parking at the overlooks, spots fill up quickly. You can also avoid traffic and entrance lines by riding into the park. There are three shuttle stops outside the park, and eight stops inside the park.
But don’t let the winter months keep you inside, though. Bryce Canyon becomes a snowy wonderland, perfect for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. With fewer people on the trails, your company comes in the form of hoodoos instead of tourists.
Regardless of the time of year you visit, expect clear skies and starry nights. Bryce Canyon is famous as a “night sky sanctuary,” far away from any source of light pollution. Bring your star chart, or attend a ranger-led astronomy program.
Trails: Fairyland Loop | Queen's Garden & Navajo Loop
Campgrounds: North Campground | Sunset Campground
Bryce Canyon’s multicolored rock is nature’s version of chinaware – lavish, dainty, and easy to break. Over time, the cliffs have eroded into a beautifully sculpted amphitheater filled with statuesque hoodoos, window openings, and long fins.
The geologic story that explains these finely shaped features began about 55 million years ago, when a freshwater lake covered south-central Utah. Lake and stream sediments accumulated into what’s now known as the Claron Formation. The plateau was uplifted more recently, exposing these alternating layers of limestone, siltstone, and mudstone to erosion. Because some rocks are soft and some are hard, they erode at different rates, creating a landscape that continues to change with each winter freeze, spring thaw, and summer rainstorm.
Alternating cliffs and plateaus step up from the Grand Canyon to the top of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. Bryce Canyon sits on top of the Paunsaugunt Plateau, the final step – called the Pink Cliffs — in what’s known as the Grand Staircase. While Bryce Canyon is a small sliver of the staircase, it’s part of a bigger geologic record that spans 200 million years.
The Alton Coal Mine stands in direct contrast to nearby Bryce Canyon National Park—a dirty gash compared to the vibrant rock wonderland. This 600-acre strip mine, located about 12 miles from the park, wants to expand their operation by an additional 3,500 acres and 25 more years. The Bureau of Land Management has not yet issued the permit, but is analyzing the supplemental Environmental Impact Statement.
Join the Grand Canyon Trust today to receive your adventure kit:
Your donations make our work possible. Consider making a gift today ›
Grab your work gloves and join us in the field. Find a volunteer trip ›
Speak up for the Colorado Plataeu by signing a petition. Add your voice ›