Bryce Canyon is located halfway between Capitol Reef and Zion National Parks. It is a postage stamp when compared to these two parks in terms of size. But size doesn’t matter when it comes to national parks.

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Ironically, Bryce Canyon isn’t a canyon at all. In fact, it is an eroded portion of the Grand Staircase plateau that’s been transformed into hoodoos, or rock spires. These hoodoos are found in the highest concentration anywhere in the world in the park’s premier feature, Bryce Amphitheater.

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The Amphitheater is stunning at any time of the day. However, you must see it at sunrise and sunset. The warmer light makes the rocks glow as if they are embers in a hot fire. Be sure to get down into the amphitheater to hike the numerous trails that wind their way through the feet of the hoodoos.

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In addition to the amphitheater, the park offers great views of nearby mountains and an extensive peak at the Escalante-Grand Staircase National Monument due to the surprisingly high elevation found in the park, especially at the southern end. You reach elevations greater than 9,000 ft.

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The high elevation of the park means they get a surprising amount of snowfall per year. Even in late April, many of the trails were still closed due to hazardous conditions. On the plus side, the elevation and the distance from anything you could remotely consider a big city make for very dark nighttime skies. In fact, Bryce Canyon and several other southern Utah parks are certified as International Dark Sky Parks.

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If you are boondocking, there are some terrific dispersed campgrounds just outside of the park’s entrance in the surrounding national forest. A recently built multi-use trail leads to park’s visitor center from the nearby town and the national forest campgrounds. This provided a safe and easy way to bike into the park and avoid driving. Parking was rather limited near the visitor center and Bryce Amphitheater.

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Bryce, along with the other large national parks in southern Utah, will certainly not disappoint. It offers unique views, hikes in a range of difficulty, and convenient lodging and camping accommodations. Be sure to include this park in any southern Utah trip.