Wondrous Rocks and So Much More
Bryce Canyon National Park is a scientist's laboratory and a child's playground.
Because Bryce transcends 2000 feet (650 m) of elevation, the park exists in three
distinct climatic zones: spruce/fir forest, Ponderosa Pine forest, and Pinyon
Pine/juniper forest. This diversity of habitat provides for high biodiversity. Here at
Bryce, you can enjoy over 100 species of birds, dozens of mammals, and more
than a thousand plant species.
It is the uniqueness of the rocks that caused Bryce Canyon to be designated as a
national park. These famous spires, called "hoodoos," are formed when ice and
rainwater wear away the weak limestone that makes up the Claron Formation.
However, the hoodoos' geologic story is also closely tied to the rest of the Grand
Staircase region and the Cedar and Black Mountains volcanic complex. In short,
Bryce has enough fascinating geology to fill a textbook.
Bryce Canyon National Park is a scientist's laboratory and a child's playground.
Because Bryce transcends 2000 feet (650 m) of elevation, the park exists in three
distinct climatic zones: spruce/fir forest, Ponderosa Pine forest, and Pinyon
Pine/juniper forest. This diversity of habitat provides for high biodiversity. Here at
Bryce, you can enjoy over 100 species of birds, dozens of mammals, and more
than a thousand plant species.
It is the uniqueness of the rocks that caused Bryce Canyon to be designated as a
national park. These famous spires, called "hoodoos," are formed when ice and
rainwater wear away the weak limestone that makes up the Claron Formation.
However, the hoodoos' geologic story is also closely tied to the rest of the Grand
Staircase region and the Cedar and Black Mountains volcanic complex. In short,
Bryce has enough fascinating geology to fill a textbook.
Bryce Canyon is a small national park in southwestern Utah. Mormon
Pioneer Ebenezer Bryce, Bryce Canyon became a national park in
1924.Bryce is famous for its worldly unique geology, consisting of a series of
horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters carved from the eastern edge of the
Paunsaugunt Plateau in southern Utah. The erosional force of frost-wedging
and the dissolving power of rainwater have shaped the colorful limestone rock
of the Claron Formation into bizarre shapes including slot canyons, windows,
fins, and spires called "hoodoos." Tinted with colors too numerous and subtle
to name, these whimsically arranged rocks create a wondrous landscape of
mazes, offering some of the most exciting and memorable walks and hikes
imaginable.Ponderosa pines, high elevation meadows, and fir-spruce forests
border the rim of the plateau and abound with wildlife. This area boasts some
of the world's best air quality, offering panoramic views of three states and
approaching 200 miles of visibility. This, coupled with the lack of nearby large
light sources, creates unparalleled opportunities for stargazing. Historic
Resource StudyIntroductionSmall by National Park standards, the 56.2
square miles of Bryce Canyon National Park occupy the eastern edge of the
Paunsaugunt Plateau in south-central Utah. The park is not a canyon. Rather,
it is a spectacular series of more than a dozen amphitheaters, each of which
is carved at least 1,000 feet into the chromatic limestone of the Paunsaugunt
Plateau. ...
Named after the
Pioneer Ebenezer Bryce, Bryce Canyon became a national park in
1924.Bryce is famous for its worldly unique geology, consisting of a series of
horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters carved from the eastern edge of the
Paunsaugunt Plateau in southern Utah. The erosional force of frost-wedging
and the dissolving power of rainwater have shaped the colorful limestone rock
of the Claron Formation into bizarre shapes including slot canyons, windows,
fins, and spires called "hoodoos." Tinted with colors too numerous and subtle
to name, these whimsically arranged rocks create a wondrous landscape of
mazes, offering some of the most exciting and memorable walks and hikes
imaginable.Ponderosa pines, high elevation meadows, and fir-spruce forests
border the rim of the plateau and abound with wildlife. This area boasts some
of the world's best air quality, offering panoramic views of three states and
approaching 200 miles of visibility. This, coupled with the lack of nearby large
light sources, creates unparalleled opportunities for stargazing. Historic
Resource StudyIntroductionSmall by National Park standards, the 56.2
square miles of Bryce Canyon National Park occupy the eastern edge of the
Paunsaugunt Plateau in south-central Utah. The park is not a canyon. Rather,
it is a spectacular series of more than a dozen amphitheaters, each of which
is carved at least 1,000 feet into the chromatic limestone of the Paunsaugunt
Plateau. ...
Named after the
Bryce Canyon National Park
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The mission of the National Park Service at Bryce Canyon National Park is to
preserve, conserve, protect, and provide for the enjoyment of nationally
significant resources including spectacular geologic formations, clean air,
panoramic vistas, native vegetation and wildlife and the history of human
interaction with them.
preserve, conserve, protect, and provide for the enjoyment of nationally
significant resources including spectacular geologic formations, clean air,
panoramic vistas, native vegetation and wildlife and the history of human
interaction with them.