BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK is one of five national parks spread across the width of southern Utah.  The canyon was settled by Mormon pioneers in the 1850s, and was named for Ebenezer Bryce who homesteaded in the area in the 1870s.  Long before, and even for a time after white settlers arrived, the area was inhabited by Native Americans, including Paiutes.  Relatively soon, however, the Paiutes were displaced by representatives of the LDS Church who developed numerous small settlements across Utah.

Small as park units go (only about 36,000 acres), Bryce nevertheless receives over a million visitors each year, an indication that its small size by no means equates to a lack of interest or natural beauty.  Lying within the Colorado Plateau geographic province of North America, Bryce Canyon—despite its name—is not really a canyon eroded by rivers, but rather a giant amphitheater carved by freeze-thaw cycles.  The park transcends 2,000 feet of elevation, covering three distinct climatic zones:  spruce/fir forest; ponderosa pine forest; and pinyon/juniper forest.  Elevations on the rim range from 8,000 feet to 9,100 feet so even summer temperatures are generally mild, and this park receives more precipitation than its sister southwestern parks.      

Elevations aside, the primary attraction of the park is the fantasy land of eroded spires and fanciful shapes known as “hoodoos,” which are formed by wind, water and ice erosion of the sedimentary rock.  Depending on the time of day and angle of the sun, hoodoos appear in varying shades of red, orange, pink and white.  The Paiutes explained the colorful hoodoos as “legend people,” who had been turned to stone by Coyote. 
Whatever mythical context is preferred, the colors and especially the shapes have to be seen to be fully appreciated. 

The dead-end road into the park follows the plateau rim for most of its 18 miles to the turn-around at Rainbow Point.  Numerous overlooks along the way make views into the amphitheater easily accessible for visitors.  For those with time and inclination, a series of trails both on and below the rim lead to more secluded, close-up views of the hoodoos.  Several designated backcountry campsites are available along several of the trails. 

Whether viewed from the rim for a couple hours or from within the amphitheater for several days, Bryce Canyon is well worth visiting.