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| Destination: Bryce Canyon National Park Distance from Point of Origin: 255 miles. Estimated (One Way) Travel Time: 4 hours and 30 minutes. Directions: From the Stratosphere, turn right onto Las Vegas Blvd south. Go a little over a mile and turn right again onto W. Sahara Ave. Go 1.2 miles and reverse direction by making a U-Turn to head back east on W. Sahara Ave. Go .5 miles and turn left to merge onto I-15 N via the ramp on the left toward Salt Lake City. Go 169 miles passing through Arizona and into Utah. Take exit 57 toward Cedar City/I-15/UT-14 and go .4 miles. Merge onto S. Main St and travel 2.2 miles. Turn right onto UT-14 E/E Center St and continue to follow UT-14 E for 40.4 miles. Turn left onto US-89 N and follow for 20.6 miles and turn right onto UT-12 E. Go 13.5 miles and turn right toward UT-63 S and go 5.5 miles and turn left onto Bryce Point Rd and take a slight right to Bryce Canyon National Park, Tropic, Utah General Description: Named after the Mormon Pioneer Ebenezer Bryce, Bryce Canyon became a national park in 1924. With a rim elevation between 8,000 to 9,100 feet, it is famous for its worldly unique geology, consisting of a series of horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters carved along the eastern edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. Bryce Canyon National Park is mostly know for its large groups of hoodoos. Encompassing 35,835 acres of land, a good share of it is covered with eroded shale that forms the mystical limestone hoodoos. These geological curiosities of claron limestone, sandstone and mudstone have an ancient history that dates back to the same time as the disappearance of the dinosaurs. Slowly over vast periods of time the landscape changed until it finally resulted in what you see in Bryce today. Although the parks name implies that it is a canyon, it is not. The hoodoos and amphitheaters are the edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. The edge has been embattled and sculpted by the Paria River's tributaries as well as wind and ice. Special Attraction or Points of Interest: In addition to dozens of hiking trails classified as easy, moderate, and strenerous, one can also take horseback rides down into the base of the canyon-like bowl. Getting to the “natural bridge” is a must picture taking moment. Primary Activity: Photographing. Secondary Activities: Hiking. Elevation: 8,000 feet to 9,100 feet. Best Time To Visit: Bryce is open year round. Spring and fall when the temps are lower would be the ideal times to visit. However, due to its elevation, there is plenty of snow in the winter and sometimes one can capture some very nice pictures of “snow-capped” hoodoos. Difficulty: Walks and hikes along the most common trails are easy to moderate. Facilities: Some portable facilities. Estimated Round-trip Time: Nine hours driving time leaves little time for exploring and picture taking without an overnight stay somewhere. |
| More Info On Bryce Canyon: http://www.nps.gov/brca/index.htm |
10/12/2009 Trip Notes: We visited Bryce Canyon National Park while on a 10 road trip with our neighbor Marc Resnic. Of all our stops, this was Connie’s favorite. The ever changing colors and formations were just amazing. One can wait hours trying to get good sunset and sunrise pictures. We made two visits to the canyon and still wish we had more time. |
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Read more about Bryce's Hoodoo's here ... Bryce Canyon Hoodoo's
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| Bristlecone Pines (Pinus longaeva and Pinus aristata) are among the oldest living organisms on earth. Bristlecones are only found in six states, Utah included. Some have been dated to more than 4,900 years old. They often grow on exposed dry rocky slopes and ridges between 6500-11,000 feet, such as those shown above. Bristlecones have 5 needles per fascicle, and can grow to be 40-60 feet in height (under most favorable conditions.) Often they will die in portions. As the roots become exposed they will dry out and die. The tree directly connected above those roots will eventually die as well. The remainder of the tree will continue to live. This is among the causes that create the twisted tortured look of the trees. The Natural Bridge, shown below, is located 1.7 miles past Fairview Point and is visible from the Natural Bridge turn-out, it is the largest and most beautiful of the park’s many arches. Even on an overcast day such as the one we had, it still makes for a beautiful picture. The naming of Natural Bridge in Bryce Canyon caused a slight uproar in the geology circles. Even though the natural-made structure looks like a bridge, it is in fact an arch. What is the difference between a bridge and an arch? The difference between a bridge and an arch is in how the rocks were molded and formed. A true natural bridge is formed by stream erosion or some sort of water force, but Bryce Canyon's Natural Bridge is thought to be formed by weathering, rain and freezing. Run-off enlarged the hole in the center of Natural Bridge, forming the structure seen today. |
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PDF Collage: In 2009 I produced a series of PDF collages for the creation of "Our Travel & Entertainment Diary" blog. Click here to view a two page PDF collage of our trip to Bryce Canyon National Park in Tropic, UT ... Bryce Canyon.