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Bryce National Park Facts

Bryce National Park Facts
Bryce Canyon National Park is a 55,992 square mile park located in Utah's southwest region. Prior to settlement by Mormon pioneers in the 1800s the region had been inhabited by Native Americans. A Scottish immigrant named Ebenezer Bryce settled the area below Bryce Canyon (the amphitheater) in the 1870s and it became known as 'Bryce's Canyon'. By 1880 drought, flooding, and overgrazing prompted the settlers in the area to leave. In the early 1900s interest in the amphitheater and its surrounding region led to conservation efforts. In 1923 Bryce Canyon was designated a national monument. It was designated Bryce Canyon National Park in 1928.
Interesting Bryce National Park Facts:
Although referred to as a canyon, Bryce Canyon is actually a group of natural rock formation amphitheater.
Bryce Canyon National Park is famous for its hoodoos. These are tall rock protruding from the ground, often formed in dry and hot regions from sedimentary and volcanic rock. These hoodoos make up the amphitheaters.
The largest collection of hoodoos in the world is found in Bryce Canyon National Park.
The rocks of Bryce Canyon National Park's amphitheaters are red, orange, and sometimes even white.
The hoodoos as Bryce Canyon National Park were formed by the effects of water, ice and gravity on rock.
The rocks at Bryce Canyon, despite being older than 65 million years, are believed to be the youngest on Colorado Plateau.
Native Americans believed that the hoodoos were actually people called 'Legend People' that had been turned into stone by Coyote-a god that liked to play tricks.
It is possible to see 7500 visible stars from Bryce Canyon National Park on a clear night. In most other places in the United States this number is only 2500.
On clear days it is possible to see more than 100 miles from Bryce Canyon.
Despite being a high desert area, there are more than 400 plant species in Bryce Canyon National Park.
The most popular sites to visit in Bryce Canyon National Park are Bryce Amphitheater, the Rim Trail, Mossy Cave Trail, and Thor's Hammer.
Animals that can be found in Bryce Canyon National Park include mule deer, elk, pronghorn, the Utah prairie dog, marmots, foxes, badgers, black bears, bobcats, porcupines, cougars, and coyotes.
Reptiles and amphibians found in Bryce Canyon National Park include the tiger salamander, stiped whipsnake, short-horned lizard, Great Basin rattler, and side-blotched lizard.
Trees and forests within Bryce Canyon National Park include water birch, willow, aspen, cottonwood, juniper, pine, Douglas fir, and blue spruce.
Sightseeing is one of the most popular activities in Bryce Canyon National Park but other activities visitors enjoy include camping, hiking, horseback riding, biking, tours on ATVs, sleigh rides, and cross-country skiing.
Three endangered wildlife species that live in Bryce Canyon include the California Condor, the Utah Prairie Dog, and the southwestern willow flycatcher.
Because Bryce Canyon National Park is fairly remote it does not get as many visitors each year as other national parks in the area. In 2014 it had 1.435 million visitors to the park.


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