Bryce Canyon National Park

There was no reason to worry about being disappointed. This park is phenomenal, but in a totally different way to Capitol Reef. It is the most amazing country and it is a pity that we tend to have the big city stereotype in our minds when we think of it.

The canyon is about 18 miles long and 2,000 feet deep, the formations are between 7,000 and 9,000 feet above sea level. It consist of wildly eroded landforms in amazing colours. The focal point of the park is Bryce Amphitheatre which is a huge area of “hoodoos”. We began the day in the recommended manner of driving to the end of the road (canyon) and slowly making your way back. All the focal points are to the west so this is the safest method. However, it did not matter where you stopped as every outlook, while different, was jaw-droppingly beautiful. There is no way the scale of the park can be shown in photos.

As we continued along the road there were large numbers of bikers. This had been consistent in this area with large groups of recreational bikers enjoying the roads. The bike of choice 99% of the time is a Harley Davidson and there is no requirement for anyone over 18 to wear a helmet so many are in shorts and tshirts (all ages). This group gave us a wave as they went by, what they did not know was that about half a mile previously we had stopped to see if we could help someone who had slid off the road on their bike.

About half way along the canyon is a formation called Natural Bridge. According the the experts it is actually an arch not a bridge due to the manner in which it was formed.

Sometimes the road signs are a little confusing, we have come to terms with the 4 Way Stop sign, but occasionally come across signs like this – the arrow is the opposite direction to the corner. We have also had it happen at junctions.

I am pleased to say that I seem to finally be getting to grips with the constant high altitude. Today I walked up a steep climb to Inspiration Point without gasping all the time. However the high altitude and sun caught me out as I have some inspiring sunburn and had to wander down to the ‘outfitters’ and buy a collared long sleeve shirt to wear tomorrow. The temperature today was very warm and it was still about 27 at 9pm, however it becomes very cool overnight. It is several days since we saw a cloud.

The main area of the canyon is spectacular, you think you have seen amazing sights and then come to this huge amphitheatre where the hoodoos raise in tiers and fill a huge area. The depth of the canyon here is about 2,000 feet. The trees you can see in the photos are full size Ponderosa Pines.

In this picture you can see people standing on the rim if you look carefully.

The really freaky part is that in most areas you can stand on the edge of the canyon without any form of fences or barriers, in fact there are paths through them that go along the top of ridges with huge drops on either side. These paths are about 5-6 feet wide and the warning is that they expect you to be sensible and  responsible for yourself.

I still have some reservations, but my fear of heights is diminishing.

It is altogether a remarkable spot.