Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park was formed over millions of years. Wind, water and time have eroded its sandstone cliffs into thousands of spire-shaped hoodoos. David and I arrived to Bryce just in time for dinner service at the lodge. After hiking 6 miles in the Grand Staircase earlier that day, we were laying low for the rest of the evening. We crashed by the roaring fire in the lobby and didn’t move until we were ready to turn in.

Around 6am the next morning we bundled up and set out to watch the sunrise over the canyon. A quick 3-minute walk from our room led us directly to its rim. Soon the sun began to light up the sky with vivid shades of red and orange. As it peaked above the horizon, layers upon layers of hoodoos and rock cliffs were slowly illuminated. Well worth the early wake up call!

The rest of our morning was spent driving along Rte 63, Bryce Canyon’s main scenic road. One of the highlights was the Natural Bridge. Peaking through its arch was the deep green Ponderosa forest covering the valley floor.

The park’s hallmark is Bryce Point. The overlook offered sweeping views of the entire amphitheater. It’s incredible that wind and water can create such beautiful shapes and formations. And the different layers of color almost made the canyon appear like it was on fire.

We ate lunch on our room’s balcony, and geared up to hike the Queen’s Garden-Navajo Loop. The trail dropped down into the amphitheater, and meandered through the flame-colored hoodoos. The landscape was unlike anything we’ve ever seen; it felt more like a Star Wars movie set than a national park.

Deeper into the canyon, we were walking among giant Ponderosa Pine trees that were somehow thriving in the dry, sandy environment. The trail also crossed over several large, debris-ridden washes created by devastating flash floods. It was quite eerie standing in its path, imaging the amount of water it took to create them.

We were dreading the steep climb back out of the amphitheater, but it was actually the best part of the hike. Switchbacks snaked through a narrow slot canyon with massive hoodoos towering overhead. Once at the top, we jumped back in the car and finished exploring the northern section of the park.

That evening was the first time our feet started to feel the nearly 22 miles we had hiked in the past four days. But we had no plans on slowing down. In the morning, we were off to our next national park!