June is Great Outdoors Month. The aim is to encourage more people to get out and enjoy the world around them. If you enjoy visiting national parks, I would encourage you to take a trip to Bryce Canyon National Park in southern Utah.
Last year we spent a week in southern Utah. We visited Zion National Park (The Narrows), the North Rim-Grand Canyon National Park, and Bryce Canyon National Park. Each park offered unique experiences, but for me, Bryce Canyon touched me the most. Even writing this post and thinking about the experience, gives me goose bumps.
The park offers hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails for any endurance level, from flatland to challenging slot canyons. Bryce is distinctive due to its geological structures called hoodoos (spire-shaped rock formations). Hoodoos are formed with rain water seeping into cracks in the rock. The water freezes during Bryce’s cold nights, expands and breaks apart the rock. The deep, narrow walls called “fins” result from rain and snow melt running down the slopes from Bryce’s rim. Eventually the fins form holes (called windows), and when the window grows larger, they collapse and create the bizarre hoodoos that exist today. The red, orange, and white colors are spectacular to observe. It is this surreal landscape that brings people from around the world to visit this national park.
We hiked three trails that day: Navajo Trail, Peek-a-Boo Loop, and Queen’s Garden Trail. This was just under seven miles of hiking. The longest leg was the Peek-a-Boo Loop which is about 4.8 miles, it is considered a strenuous hike due to the significant elevation change and length. This loop will bring you down to the canyon floor, around and through many of the hoodoos, then the journey back up to the canyon rim. Bring plenty of water if you venture on this loop. Even though this was a challenging day, it was also one of the most worthwhile hikes I have done. Here are some of the photos of the most spectacular views from our experience.
If you are wanting to add some adventure to your summer travels, I would highly recommend a trip to Bryce Canyon National Park.
Have you experienced Bryce Canyon? What is your favorite national park and why is it your favorite?