A Magical Fairyland - Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Only three years ago was I privileged to make a trip with my Dad to Bryce Canyon National Park, one of my home state's treasures. Coming from Salt Lake City, Utah, the trip was not too long at all, only about 5 hours (coming from a Google Maps calculation). However, we spent the night in Cedar City, Utah before we made our drive to the park the next day, where we were about to experience the sights of a truly magical fairyland.

From one of the first overlooks we saw.

When we finally arrived in Bryce Canyon, we checked in at the Rubys Inn and proceeded through the Bryce Canyon Scenic Drive, and got out of the car at one of the first viewpoints. When we peered over the railings, we got a very dramatic view of the canyon, shown to the right. It was truly amazing to see the beautiful red rocks and hills stretch out for miles; this made for an interesting combination for a view.

The Natural Bridge.

 There were more other natural wonders this place would have to offer. On our next stop, we saw the awe-inspiring Natural Bridge. It was absolutely wonderful to see how expansive this bridge was, even though in this picture it looked rather small. As we headed onward through the scenic drive, we saw many more scenic views. The view at Rainbow and Yovimpa Points were equally spectacular, yet each in their own way. Rainbow offered a dramatic viewpoint of the prime canyon, whilst Yovimpa, a small hike away from Rainbow offered a dramatic view of the rolling hills.

From Rainbow Point.

From Yovimpa Point.

On our way back to Rubys Inn, we went backwards through the drive and decided to stop at Bryce Point. At the end of the short hike leading up to the point, we dropped our mouths.

The vista at Bryce Point.

View of hoodoos from inside the Queen's Garden / Navajo Trail.

It was truly a different, yet heart-stopping view of the many hoodoos (the nickname for the rock formations in Bryce Canyon). We stayed for a good long time, but soon the storm clouds began to roll in, so we had to leave. The next day brought forth another unique view of the canyon - from inside. We went on a hike through the Queen's Garden / Navajo combination trail. This trail offered the chance to view the hoodoos from the bottom, not from the top of an overlook, and it was quite wonderful. There were infinitely many inspiring formations inside the trail. It was a fun and rewarding hike that was not strenuous at all, except when it came to the climb at the end, which ended at another overlook.

I could go on forever raving about the many wonders in this park, but I don't want to spoil too much. I didn't mention all of the trails or viewpoints I took on my trip. I decided for this post to show a few shots and share a couple of my experiences in the park to simply wet your appetite. It is up to you to explore this fantastic fairyland for yourself.

A view from the Queen's Garden / Navajo Trail.

Ruby's Inn was a comfortable place to stay with great dining and lodging. I highly recommend it if you decide to stay in the park. Bryce Canyon Lodge is a bit further in the park, this one is owned by Xanterra. I did not stay in this lodge, so I don't know what it is like. The scenic drive is lengthy, branching off to a rather large array of overlooks and trails to hike. The Queen's Garden trail mentioned earlier was the only large hike my Dad and I ventured. There are many other trails that are lengthy and offer rewarding views of Bryce Canyon, but we never hiked them, and hence never saw the rewarding views of Bryce that they offered. The next time I return to this place, it will be my turn to take those trails.

Check out my photos from my trip:
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=bryce%20canyon&w=52619990%40N06