Bryce Canyon National Park (photo)

Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah) is a natural geological museum. It is located in America, in the state of Utah. In addition to Bryce Canyon, there are two more national parks. Bryce Canyon is distinguished from them by fantastic remains of ancient rocks, painted in different colors.

History of the park

Bryce Canyon National Park is known since the 18th century. But rare travelers did not always report on its beauty. They were more attracted by the furs they were getting in these parts. In the late 1840s, Mormons began to settle in the park. But the terrain was not suitable for agriculture. Because of early frosts, it was difficult to grow plants.

In the 1870s, Ebenezer Bryce and his family came to this area. His wife was in poor health, and he hoped that climate change would benefit her. Bruce and other settlers built an irrigation canal to provide livestock with water. Ebenezer made a lot for the park, for example, paved the way to the gorge. This allowed us to do logging. After a while he moved with his family to Arizona, but the area is already accustomed to be called by his name - Bryce Canyon Park.

Location of the park

Bryce Park is located in the US, in the southwest of Utah. This canyon is more like a huge natural amphitheater located on the eastern side of the Poundsaugan plateau. Park Bryce is higher than neighboring national parks. Therefore, there are fewer tourists in it. Canyon is at an altitude of 2400-2700 meters above the sea. And its southern edge is located at an altitude of 2100 m.

Description of the park

The main attraction of Bryce Canyon is unusual geological columns. They are called hoodoo. The nature itself has built these unusual rock formations. They appeared due to the effect of erosion. And now this huge park consists of an array of different colors and fantastic shapes.

Shades of rock formations - red, purple, white, yellow. This color is created because of the many oxidized trace elements that form over 60 shades of the colors listed.

The topographer Bailey described the shape of the rock formations as cutting off perpendicularly the surface by hundreds of pounds in depth. And there is a feeling that there is no bottom. But there are a lot of freakish cliffs of different shapes and configurations, as if hanging on the walls. There are secluded depressions, picturesque ruins and deep caves. Many rocks are like teeth and spiers.

Bryce Canyon is a "cold" park because of its geographic location. In winter the temperature is below zero. There is always a lot of snow in the park. But the route routes are constantly being cleared. Along the roads from north to south, the main observation platforms were built. Some sculptural formations have their own separate names. For example, the locks of the "Queen" and "Gulliver", etc.

The Legend of the Park

In the park hundreds of years before the arrival of the first Europeans lived Indians from the Peyut tribe. They have their own legend about the origin of a fantastic career. Indians say that the hudu are ancient people, turned into stone as punishment for misdemeanors before the gods.

Why the picturesque canyon for so long was unknown

Bryce Canyon was unknown for a long time, as there were no roads to it. And there are no big cities nearby either. In the canyon there was only one old dirt road, but it was difficult to drive around it at any time of the year. Protected the park and huge snowdrifts, making it unattainable for travelers for several months.

"Declassified" Beauty

In 1915, Humphrey was appointed the head of the National Reserve of Seviere in Utah. Part of Bryce's canyon belonged to him. After seeing the stunning view of the park, Humphrey began to promote the development of tourism in this area.

But he had a modest budget. Therefore, at first only a dirt road was laid to the plateau and advertising photos were made. In 1916, an article appeared that opened a fantastic landscape to the world. The following year, trails were laid for inspection of the skin. Humphrey personally showed wonderful cliffs to guests. As a result, Bray's Canyon began to gain increasing popularity. Subsequently, it was designated as the National Park.

Development of Bryce Canyon

More active development of the park began in the 1920s. The forest service and the Park Service, railway company Union Pacific and the government of Utah helped in this. All of them had their own reasons, but the common goal coincided. The active construction of roads and the development of caravanning began. Infrastructure was improved.

The railway company invested $ 5 million and created a "Great District Tour", allowing tourists to travel through the park on buses. Thanks to common efforts, the number of routes along the canyon increased. Now the park is visited by almost two million tourists annually.

Attractions of Bryce Canyon

The main feature of Bryce Canyon Park is unique geological natural figures of different shades. The park looks like a huge horseshoe amphitheater. The plateau itself was formed almost 10 million years ago. The pressure was raised by stony beds, caused cracks and faults.

As a result, a high plateau was formed in Utah. Erosion broke up the rock, and limestone, thanks to ice and water, took on bizarre forms. Now this is a huge landscape of labyrinths.

They represent thin high spiers protruding from the arid hollow. In Bryce Canyon, the hoodoo is most concentrated. Their sizes range from human growth to a 10-story building. The erosive network of layers on which they depend is called the Claron Formation, consisting of several species of rock.

Bryce Canyon has on its territory 8 routes in good condition. Some of them intersect, allowing you to make more complex trips around the park. The total length of hiking trails is 80 km. There are several ski runs. The main occupation of tourists is landscape photography. Photos are impressive. The color of the rocks changes with the help of sunlight. Landscapes are more saturated and contrast.

Vegetative and animal world of the canyon

On the edges of the canyon grow spruce-fir forests, Oregon pine and there are alpine meadows. There are 400 species of different plants and 160 species of birds in the park. The canyon abounds in the animal world: snow leopards, moose, antelopes, foxes, etc. Mountain lion - the largest among the felines in the North. America. He has other names - the North American lynx or the red cat. This is the most dangerous predator in the park.

Catch in the canyon small cute marmots - furry, fat, with long claws. But in the park everywhere hang warning signs "Do not iron and do not approach!". On these animals was found a bacterium that causes bubonic plague. Therefore, tourists are asked to stay away from these animals.

Cultural events

The plateau offers a panorama of the three states of the USA. Bryce Canyon is one of the best parks that has the best air quality. The survey points offer views of the Keibab Plateau, the eastern part of Arizona, New Mexico and the Navajo Mountains.

There are no large light sources in the park, so it is an ideal place for astronomers to observe the stars. Due to the magnitude of the night sky, many stars can be seen even with the naked eye. The park hosts astronomical programs and many others to protect night animals and the sky.

In the Bryce Park, an astronomical festival is held every June. In honor of this event, Asteroid No. 49282 is named after Bryce's career. Most visitors visit the park in cars. There are 13 observation platforms on the territory, located above the amphitheater. There are also several restaurants. Prices in them are small.

Bryce Canyon is open around the clock, from 8am. But in the winter there may be some delays due to snowfalls. The park is closed only for three holidays: New Year, Thanksgiving and Christmas.