Bryce Canyon National Park Things to Do

The 4th (southernmost) viewpoint of Main Amphitheatre offers the most dramatic views and should better be read as “Sunrise Point”, as from here, you’d view them best (as it is southeast of the Amphitheatre).

Here, the hoodoos are standing that close that it is almost impossible to identify the single ones.
It is said that this here was the favourite spot of old settler Ebenezer Bryce, and it’s clearly imaginable why he said “that’s a hell of a place to loose a cow”. Bet, the cow did think the same, when she was lost here…

Located a bit south (right hand side) of “The Hunter”, there is another cute and famous hoodoo, called either The Backpacker or The Rabbit – presumably depends if you’re a hunter or a outdoor person :-)

Look at it’s top, also here, little tree is growing ! This hoodoos’ top is also made of the white limestone formation, and also look what a nice prominent joint erosion has formed between the two formations, the hoodoo is “made of”.

At Bryce Point, where the “Under-the-Rim”-Trail starts, Bryce Canyon hosts its famous grottos.
The carving erosion did a good job here, caving out little grottos or caves or hollow cavities, as a result of the soft structure in the upper layer, the White Cliffs. Hardly colored limestone mixed with yellowish limestone, containing limonite (the yellow colored iron oxide modification).

Those grottos look as if Antonio Gaudí, Barelonas most famous architect, took them as a model to work on his Parque Güell.

Being the second of the 4 viewpoints in Main Amphitheatre, Sunset Point gives room to view the magnificent red-rock-men hoodoos.
As for Inspiration Point, the Pink Cliffs and White Cliffs – the 2 major forms of Bryce Canyon’s geologic history – can be admired.

Here, also the famous well-trotten Navajo Loop Trail begins and ends, with glorios views to some special hoodoos, such as Thor’s Hammer.

The best time for pictures is – how else would it be from the name – the late afternoon.

The area around inspiration point is a classical example of the Claron or Wasatch formation.
This is the “youngest” formation of rocks within Colorado Plateau and shows more or less how Bryce Canyon was “made”:
A huge system of lakes filled the region of central and eastern Utah during the Eocene epoch (which was 56 – 34 million years ago). Iron oxide enriched lime was deposited in the deepest beds, followed by calcium-rich mud layers and various sand deposits closer to the surface.
Lithification took place, after climate change and the lake’s shrinkeage.

Now visible are the Pink Cliffs (the iron oxide enriched limestone) and above the White Cliffs (limestone and sandstone).

Still, the name of this View – Silent City – refers to the more romantic approach of the silent city, which was left after god coyote has transformed it’s people into stone.

With 9105 ft, Rainbow Point is the highest elevation (or view point) in the park. Together with Yovimpa Point, it is also the southernmost one, located 18 miles away from the entrance.

Park officials suggest to begin the visit here and then “work” your way back to the north, visiting every viewpoint. This sounds like a perfect idea, as by when you reach the Main Amphitheatre, it’s afternoon and you can’t miss the sunsets !

From Rainbow Point, you have a superb view to the south – on clear days you can even see as far south as Kaibab Plateau, which is the Northern Rim of Grand Canyon.

Rainbow Point is also the home of the Bristlecone Pines, one of the oldest tree species on earth.

As if Sleeping Beauty waiting here for the prince to kiss her to life again – this is how these hoodoo-wall formation looks.

Or was is it Rapunzel’s castle, with the tower on the left, where she is waiting for the kings son to release her out of her prison tower, by climbing up her long braided hair ?

You have the room for your fantasy :-)

This Fairy Castle is located in the area of Sunset Point.

Formerly called “View Point”, Ponderosa Canyon is your second stop if you decide to do the view tour from the parks’ southern end.
The name of this viewpoint is derived from the little forests of Ponderosa Pines there, the tallest trees of America Southwest (grow up to 120 feet), plus a variety of multicolored Hoodoos.

In the picture you can also notice that the Canyons here are not that deep (or don’t go that deep) as it is for Main Amphitheatre. And look for the rocks’ different shades of yellow and red and orange in front – all depending on the concentration and the physical “form” of iron oxide present.