Things to do in Bryce Canyon City

The name says it all in Bryce Canyon City. There’s one huge draw here, and that’s Bryce Canyon National Park. Famous for its copper-coloured spires known as hoodoos, this vast gulf is one of the world’s premier geological marvels. Millennia of freezes and thaws have eroded its soft sandstone into a landscape like no other. Evergreen forests give way to sky-scraping spires, rocky ridges and huge, cavernous amphitheatres full of dagger-like stalagmites. What’s more, Bryce’s high altitude gives rise to a series of wow-factor viewpoints from which to admire some of Mother Nature’s finest work. See one of southern Utah’s most impressive national parks and learn the Native American legends that surround the otherworldly hoodoos.

Top three things to do in Bryce Canyon City

1. Take a hike

America’s national parks are crisscrossed with world-class walking trails, and Bryce Canyon is no exception. Here though, they come with an added touch of magic. The Rim Trail is an easy hike that begins at Bryce Point – a knockout spot overlooking a sea of hoodoos known as Silent City. Further along the route is Sunrise Point which offers great views of Aquarius Plateau and the Sinking Ship, a sloping ridge of sandstone that looks like the stern of a boat, buried in the rock.

2. Natural Bridge

Mother Nature is a fine architect. And this span of dusty, red-hued rock is a prime example. Technically an arch, not a bridge, it’s a testament to the powerful forces at play in Bryce Canyon National Park. Searing hot summers followed by icy winters work to weaken the rock. Then, crumbling and erosion combine to create the incredible windows you see today. The Natural Bridge is one of the park’s must-sees.

3. Learn the myths and legends of the hoodoos

These eerie-looking sandstone pinnacles are steeped in Native American myth. Looking like an army of stone warriors standing guard over the park, they’re Bryce’s top attraction. The Paiute Indians have lived in the canyon for centuries and believe the hoodoos are the petrified remains of the Legend People who the trickster god Coyote turned into stone.