Brake Lights & Bug Bites

Oh Bryce Canyon. I fell in love with you at first sight! This was definitely my favorite stop of the 5 Utah National Parks. In fact, Bryce was going to be just a quick stop between Capitol Reef and Zion, but we ended up extending our 3 night stay to 9 nights.

Our campground, Bryce Pioneer Village was located in Tropic, Utah, just 15 minutes from the entrance of Bryce Canyon. Although it was a quaint little campground with just 10 spots, it was surrounded by an entire village with motel rooms, cabins, a restaurant, pool, hot tub, and quiet places to sit and relax. It was a wonderful place to stay, One of our favorite parts of the campground was the onsite restaurant offering live music nightly and a large campfire with marshmallows to roast!

Bryce Canyon is the smallest of the 5 national parks in Utah, at about 55 square miles. Although its name suggests it is a canyon, Bryce is actually a collection of 12 giant natural amphitheaters. What is the difference between a canyon and an amphitheater? I am glad you asked because I had the same question! An amphitheater is a bowl-shaped area shaped by erosion and seasonal rains, whereas a canyon is shaped by a flowing river. Filling these giant amphitheaters are the most incredible geological features called hoodoos. Hoodoos, irregular columns of rock, exist throughout the world, but Bryce Canyon is home to the largest concentration of Hoodoos in the world.

In 1874, Bryce Canyon was named after a homesteader in the area named Ebenezer Bryce who said it was a horrible place to lose a cow! However, the early homesteaders did not stay long in the area because of flooding. Bryce Canyon became popular to the public in 1916 when the Union Pacific and Santa Fe Railroads began promoting the scenic wonders of the area. However, the area was being damaged by overgrazing, logging and uncontrolled visitation, so in 1923, after much pleading by the governor of Utah, Bryce Canyon became a national park.

Due to our extended stay in the area, we were able to fully enjoy the beauty of Bryce Canyon and many of the hikes the park has to offer. Our favorite hike, The Queens Garden/Navajo Loop, is considered “the best 3 mile hike in the world!” And boy was it breathtaking! The hike begins with a descent down into Bryce Amphitheater, walking in and around the hoodoos and finishes with a strenuous set of switchbacks back up through a stunning slot canyon. It was truly the most incredible hike! We did several other hikes scattered throughout the park throughout the week. Each one offering different views but equally as breathtaking.

Tate’s backpack has been such a blessing, allowing all of us to hike together. Charlie enjoys and often asks to take a turn carrying Tate. Tate is a trooper! He loves being outside and in his hiking backpack. Most mornings, after he gets dressed, Tate brings me his shoes and says “On! On! On!” He is ready to head outside for the day!

We also enjoyed a Sunday afternoon drive through the park on the scenic highway enjoying stops at the various overlooks. Lots of snacks and a few lollipops kept a few of the riders engaged in the drive! 😉 The highlight was the herd of elk we saw as we were exiting the scenic drive. As many of you know, Charlie loves animals. He always researches the animals native to the national park we are visiting, but without fail, we rarely see much wildlife. He was delighted when we turned the corner and there grazing in the field were over 30 elk!

One evening the older boys and I enjoyed a dinner theater right outside the entrance to the park. The evening started with a buffet of pulled pork or chicken, mashed potatoes, rolls, beans and apple pie. I think this was Charlie’s favorite part! After dinner, we sat back and enjoyed a country music show that took us through the history of country music as well as the history of Bryce Canyon. We had so much fun!

My favorite memory from Bryce was the early morning sunrise that Charlie and I watched. We woke up early, dressed in layers, and snuck out of the camper in the pitch black. We climbed up to one of the highest points in the park and sat back as we watched God light up the beauty of His creation. It was the most incredible sight to watch the sun slowly illuminate the amphitheater and hoodoos. We just stared in wonder and awe at the beauty before us.

As our time in Bryce Canyon came to a close, Grant and Miles saw snow in the forecast and were beyond excited! Sure enough, on our last morning, we woke up to snow, our first snow in the camper! We also woke up to a power outage but thankfully we were able to heat the camper using our propane tanks! A famous saying in our house is “One more trip around the lake!” And sure enough, with a fresh snowfall, one more trip around Bryce Canyon was in order! We bundled up, stopped for a cup of hot chocolate, and headed up to see the snowcapped hoodoos. Boy, oh boy, were they beautiful! We stopped at each of the overlooks to catch a glimpse of the park covered in snow. Charlie left a little treat for other visitors by building 5 mini snowmen throughout the park! 🙂

On one of our first hikes, I told the boys that my blog for Bryce Canyon was going to be short and sweet. I was going to say, if Bryce Canyon is not on your bucket list, add it! The end! Well, it turns out, I actually had a lot to say about Bryce Canyon. It is truly a remarkable national park. Bryce Canyon is, without a doubt, the most exceptional and unique national park we have seen yet. And, as Grandma Anderson always said, Karen will be back!