Bryce Canyon National Park

Ready, set, go! It is time for the next segment of the Southwest USA trip we took back in April! The destination is beautiful Bryce Canyon National Park.

Located in southwest Utah, this park is renowned for its unique geology. The limestone rocks has been transformed by erosion and rain over the years to create bizarre shapes, including slot canyons, windows, fins, and spires known as “hoodoos”.

At elevations between 8000 and 9100 feet, it was a challenge for me to breathe and do anything strenuous during our stay. Even walking slowly gave me a slight headache and a dull feeling in my chest. Knowing our physical limits, we did not bring hiking gear (boots, hiking poles, etc.) for the myriad of trails leading into the formations. However, we were quite content to stay on the comfortable trail along the rim. The views were nothing but spectacular!

We were able to see the rock amphitheaters at sunset, sunrise, and mid-day. The beauty was incredible. In contrast to the rest of the trip, it was cold! We set an early alarm to see the sunrise and were able to take some incredible pictures. But we paid dearly for our enthusiasm because it was a windy 14 degrees. Brrrrr! Even wearing our polertec jackets, we only lasted about an hour before we retreated back to the room to thaw ourselves out with lots of hot coffee. (That white stuff in the picture below is snow.) The bitter cold didn’t last for long, and the day soon warmed up.


We stayed right inside the park in one of the historical cabins of Bryce Canyon Lodge. Our room was charming and comfortable, and the large rock fireplace kept us toasty as night. Our rooms were literally just a couple hundred feet from the rim, near both Sunrise and Sunset Points. In the opposite direction, we walked over just a little way to the main lodge for our delicious meals.

This is one place we would love to visit again, spend more time, and see the park thoroughly. Perhaps we could take a horse ride down into the canyons because the vantage point from there is totally different than at the rim. The shuttle bus season had not started yet, so we were limited to see a few locations on foot and with the tour bus. But we saw enough of this unique park to know that it is truly a special place.

Once we arrived at Bryce Canyon, we thought it was our number one favorite on the tour. But we soon changed our minds when we got to the next stop: Zion National Park. And that location will be the final chapter of my traveling adventure tales! You won’t want to miss that post!