Bryce Canyon National Park 2017

Chinese Wall

Tower Bridge

After visiting Yellowstone National Park and purchasing a year-long national park pass, I knew I couldn't waste it. Especially when I live in a place surrounded by so many national parks. The cost of one more entrance fee would be enough to make the $80 pass worth it. After spending last summer working on the Paunsaugunt Plateau for the Dixie National Forest and never visiting Bryce Canyon National Park, I decided that is where I would get my money's worth. It was money well spent after making the two-hour drive from Richfield, Utah to Bryce Canyon along with a couple of friends early one Saturday morning. We hit the trails early in an attempt to avoid the crowds, which now pervade our national parks. On our first hike, we followed the Fairyland Loop Trail past the Chinese Wall, down to the Tower Bridge, and back. After the hike back to the top, we took a lunch break on the picnic tables outside the General Store. During this time, I noticed an influx of people in the area. Good thing we arrived early and found a decent parking spot! The next trail was very busy, but contained many spectacular sights along the way. Starting at Sunset Point, we headed down the Navajo Loop past Wall Street. We did find ourselves off course after this and were met by a tour group on horses. The tour guide was nice as he told us how to get back to the correct walking trail. From there, we headed over to the Queens Garden Trail and ended at Sunrise Point. We did not see everything there is to see in the park, but we enjoyed the places we did visit along with the milkshakes in Panguitch on our drive home. In my opinion, Bryce Canyon is a natural wonder of the world, complete with its impressive collection of hoodoos and sandstone cliffs.