Intro –
Bryce Canyon National Park is a national park of the United States located in southwestern Utah. The major feature of the park is Bryce Canyon, which despite its name, is not a canyon but a collection of giant natural amphitheaters along the eastern side of the Paunsaugunt Plateau.
Bryce Canyon
Geography
The park is located in southwestern Utah about 50 miles (80 km) northeast of and 1,000 feet (300 m) higher than Zion National Park.
Bryce Canyon National Park lies within the Colorado Plateau geographic province of North America and straddles the southeastern edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau west of Paunsaugunt Faults (Paunsaugunt is Paiute for “home of the beaver”). Park visitors arrive from the plateau and look over its edge toward a valley containing the fault and the Paria River just beyond it (Paria is Paiute for “muddy or elk water”). The Kaiparowits Plateau is on the eastern opposite side of the valley.
Bryce Canyon was not formed from erosion initiated from a central stream, meaning it technically is not a canyon. Instead headward erosion excavated large amphitheater-shaped features in the Cenozoic-aged rocks of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. This erosion resulted in delicate and colorful pinnacles called hoodoos that are up to 200 feet (60 m) high. A series of amphitheaters extends more than 20 miles (30 km) north-to-south within the park. The largest is Bryce Amphitheater, which is 12 miles (19 km) long, 3 miles (5 km) wide and 800 feet (240 m) deep. A nearby example of amphitheaters with hoodoos in the same formation but at a higher elevation is in Cedar Breaks National Monument, which is 25 miles (40 km) to the west on the Markagunt Plateau.
Wildlife
The Utah Prairie Dog is one of three endangered animals that dwells in the Bryce Canyon area. Reddish-brown in color and about 12 inches long, this small animal is a member of the squirrel family. The Utah Prairie Dog burrows around small meadows and is active during the day. Prairie dogs live in colonies, or “towns,” in meadows with short grasses. Each town consists of individual territories that are occupied by “families.” The groups consist of one dominant male, multiple females, and the young of the past two years. Towns range in structure and size but all contain multiple burrows ranging between 3-6 feet deep and 15 feet in length. Burrows can provide great refuge from birds of prey and larger predators, such as coyotes, but they can quickly become a place of vulnerability when smaller predators, such as rattlesnakes and badgers, come to the town.
Pronghorn are ungulates (hoofed animals) and are very similar to deer and antelope in appearance, but are actually neither. They are the last surviving member of a group called the Antilocapridae, all other members having gone extinct. Pronghorn are the fastest land animals in North America, reaching speeds up to 55 miles per hour (88 kilometers per hour). This possibly evolved as a way to avoid extinct predators such as the American Cheetah. Today, animals such as mountain lions, wolves, coyotes, grizzly bears, and even golden eagles are known to prey on pronghorn. When alarmed, they will release a smell from glands on their rump that resembles buttered popcorn.
The Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrel is commonly confused with the Uinta Chipmunk which is also common in Bryce Canyon National Park. The primary difference is that the Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrel does not have striping around its eyes. Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrels are found throughout the western U.S. and Canada, from Colorado to northern California, north to western British Columbia and eastern Alberta and south to New Mexico and northern Arizona. They are found in a wide variety of habitats at higher altitudes, from woodland areas to alpine meadows. They are frequently found in areas of natural and human-caused disturbance. Their burrows are found in rock outcrops as well as underground.
The Three Endangered Animals
Crossing through the park from time to time are both black bears and mountain lions, the latter a decidedly more solitary animal that few people see. Additionally, according to park officials, Bryce Canyon has been the backdrop for migratory hummingbirds, nesting peregrine falcon, Rocky Mountain elk and even pronghorn that roam through the forested plateau and barren amphitheater.
The park is also home to three wildlife species listed under the Endangered Species Act: the Utah prairie dog, the California condor, and the Southwestern willow flycatcher. It is illegal to take, capture, kill, pursue, hunt, or harm these species or their habitat.
Other wildlife that call the park home include mule deer, both the least and Uinta chipmunks, the Golden mantled ground squirrel, sagebrush lizards, and a wide range of birds, including the western bluebird.
Common Birds
Fun Facts:
- Peregrine Falcons eat mostly birds, of an enormous variety—450 North American species have been documented as prey, and the number worldwide may be as many as 2,000 species. They have killed birds as large as a Sandhill Crane and as small as a hummingbird and are also known to prey upon bats.
- Northern Harrier hawks are sometimes mistaken for an owl, due to their heart-shaped face, which helps direct sound to their ears to better locate their prey. All Northern Harriers have a while patch on their behinds that are very noticeable in flight and can help with identification from a distance.
- Golden eagles can soar through the skies for long amounts of time, turn their heads 270º to search for prey and have long, sharp hallux (rear) claws. If they spot prey while soaring, they can tuck their wings and swoop at speeds up to 200 miles per hour. Golden eagles can carry up to 8 pounds during flight!
Landmarks
Rainbow Point
At 9,115 ft (2,778 m) this and Yovimpa Point are the highest viewpoints in the park. Tectonic uplift has lifted this entire scene from sea-level over the course of the last 20 million years to later be dissected by tributaries of the Paria and Colorado Rivers. Tilting that occurred during uplift has situated the southern end of the park approximately 1,000 ft (304 m) higher than its northern end near the Visitor Center. Here erosion has been at work far longer than the Bryce Amphitheater, and undercut sheer cliffs compose much of the view along the edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau.
Yovimpa Point
Along with Rainbow Point, Yovimpa Point is one of the highest viewpoints in the park. Tectonic uplift has lifted this entire scene from sea-level over the course of the last 20 million years to later be dissected by tributaries of the Colorado River. Tilting that occurred during uplift has situated the southern end of the park approximately 1,000 ft (304 m) higher than its northern end. Here you can gaze from the southern tip of the Paunsaugunt plateau and overlook the colorful cliffs of the Grand Staircase.
Bryce Amphitheater
Experience the heart of Bryce Canyon at Bryce Amphitheater, home to the park’s most iconic hoodoo formations. Enjoy breathtaking panoramas from Bryce Point, Inspiration Point, Sunset Point, and Sunrise Point—each offering a unique perspective on this natural wonder. The Bryce Amphitheater is the most iconic and visited section of Bryce Canyon National Park, known for its massive concentration of hoodoos, or irregular rock spires. It is accessed by viewpoints along the first three miles of the park’s main road, including Sunrise, Sunset, Inspiration, and Bryce Points. This area offers various hiking opportunities, from easy rim strolls to more strenuous trails that descend among the hoodoos.
