Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce is not really a canyon but a series of natural amphitheatres carved into the edge of a high plateau, filled with thousands of hoodoos, slender spires of orange and pink rock left as the softer stone eroded away. Standing on the rim at sunrise as the light sets the stone forest glowing is one of the great sights of the American West.

What you actually see

• Sunrise and Sunset Points - the classic rim views over the hoodoo amphitheatres.
• The Queen's Garden and Navajo loops - the trails winding down among the spires.
• Sunrise light - the hoodoos glowing orange as the sun rises.
• The high plateau - the cool, forested rim over eight thousand feet up.

When to go

Late spring to autumn for mild days; summer is busy but the altitude keeps it cooler than the desert below. Winter brings snow that dusts the orange hoodoos beautifully, with quiet trails.

Honest expectations

It is high and cool even in summer, so nights are cold and snow lingers, which surprises desert-bound visitors. The rim views are easy, but descending among the hoodoos means a real climb back up at altitude. It is remote, best combined with Zion and the other Utah parks.

Nearby

Zion is a couple of hours west; Capitol Reef and the wider Utah park loop lie to the east.