Day 3 (P1) of 10 of Our Epic Summer Journey

BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK AND ITS CRIMSON-COLORED HOODOOS!!

DAY 3 - Part 1: Bryce through Escalante and Capital Reef to Arches

Let me just say that by Day 3 of our trip, I was already so humbled and literally... found something awe-inspiring at every turn. Although it was a LONG wait to take my first southwest trip, I'm so glad I was able to see this amazing countryside at an age where I could actually appreciate it. Yes... there are SO MANY things worth waiting for ~ and this was one of them!

                   

As you can see, Bryce Canyon is absolutely sprawling in size! We mainly visited the overlooks (Sunrise Point, Sunset Point, Inspiration Point and Bryce Point ~ which are easily drivable), but if you have time, there are many trails where you can hike through the hoodoos in the secret backcountry of Bryce (Navajo Loop Trail {a moderate 1.3 miles and takes about 1 hour}, Queen's Garden Trail, Swamp Canyon Loop Trail, Fairyland and Peekaboo Loop Trails {5.5 miles and strenuous}, etc.). 

You could actually spend an ENTIRE week hiking all of the park's trails! While we chose to drive to the lookouts, you can also take the shuttle that's available.

These rock formations are called "hoodoos" and are the park's main attraction. They can be found all over the world, but Bryce Canyon boasts the largest collection of them ~ 34,000 acres worth!

Check out the Ponderosa Pines on the plateaus!

Utah's Paiute Indian tribe called these hoodoos "Legend People". According to folklore, the tall, tapering columns were formed when the mischievous god Coyote decided to turn a crowd gathered on a hillside to stone.

After we spent some time enjoying the spectacular views from the overlooks of Bryce Canyon National Park, we were off to see the Arches! Our drive down Hwy 12 (aka, the Million Dollar Highway) took us through Escalante and Capitol Reef National Park.

******************************************************************

Because we were on a timeline, we didn't stop to hike... but we DID end up taking the beautiful Scenic Byway 12 on the way to Moab. It was *SO* beautiful that I'm designating it its own post. See a sneak peek below:

Most people can spend about 2-3 hours enjoying Bryce Canyon, which is what we did. It's such a surreal photographic place. It was almost like stepping on another planet! They say at nighttime, more than 7,500 stars are visible in its sky...

So, that was how we spent the first part of Day 3. Stay tuned for Part 2... Scenic Byway 12 and Part 3... Arches National Park in Moab, UT ~ The Adventure Capital of the United States, in the heart of the Colorado Plateau!

Cheers, y'all!!

xoxo

"It's a hell of a place to lose a cow!" ~ Ebenezer Bryce 

{the Scottish homesteader whom the park is named after and
responsible for overseeing the building of America's
oldest Morman chapel, still in use today}

(See Day 1, Day 2 {P1} and Day 2 {P2})