After a good night’s sleep, we were so excited to start early. Bryce Canyon has an 18-mile scenic drive with lots of viewpoints, so we headed to Rainbow Point (below photo looking at the rest of the amphitheater)first, also the highest point in the park (9,105 ft). My favorite parts about Bryce Canyon are the beautiful colors of the sedimentary rock, formed by weathering and erosion.
(Scenic road trip suggestion: Drive south all the way to Rainbow Point, then make your way back towards the park entrance as all of the viewpoints will now be on the right.)
Remarkably more chilly than Zion, we donned our thickest jackets to brace the cold wind. Although the wind was fiercely strong and cold, we were so excited to see snow blanketing parts of the landscape and the expansive views. On a whim, we went on the Bristlecone Pine trail. I didn’t know I wanted to see them until I saw a sign saying that there was a small trail to get to the trees. I had the chance to witness trees several thousand years old! It was such a humbling feeling. On the way, somehow we lost the trail and had to trailblaze through some snow. We did get a chance to see the beautiful chromatic change in the sedimentary rock.
We continued driving along, stopping at different points along the way.
- Black Birch Canyon
- Ponderosa Canyon
- Agua Canyon
- Natural Bridge
- Fairview Point
- Piracy Point
- Swamp Canyon
- Bryce Point
- Inspiration Point
(When we went, the roads to Fairyland Point and Paria View were still blocked because of snow levels.)
Below the gallery is the panorama (my only good one!) of Bryce Canyon National Park and a view of Kaibab Plateau in the distance
Just look at the detail! So incredible.
