The Visitor's Center has a film presentation, a good selection of books, maps and postcards, and knowledgeable rangers to answer all your questions.
Sooner or later, everyone starts imagining what the hoodoos look like - castles, animals and human figures. Give in and join the search for the Sinking Ship, The Poodle and Thor's Hammer.
Drive to Rainbow Point
The road into the park is only 18 miles long, and it ends at Rainbow Point. From some of its vista points, you can see more than 100 miles on a clear day, and in winter visibility may be limited only by the curvature of the earth. All the overlooks are east of the road, and if you drive directly to Rainbow Point, you can turn into them all on the way back without crossing traffic.Don't miss Fairyland Point Drive. It's off the main road (and therefore usually less crowded).
Sunset and Night Skies
I don't know who named Sunset Point, but the view from it is enchanting any time of day: red hoodoos below, beyond them the gray canyon lands of Aquarius Plateau and distant Navajo Mountain, trees providing a counterpoint and complementing the red rock with their green foliage.For the best photographs, stop in the afternoon when the skies are bluer. The canyon fills with shadows almost an hour before the sun sets, so don't dash up to Sunset Point five minutes before the event expecting glamorous photos. If a full moon is expected, hang around until moonrise.
At night, get away from all the lights and enjoy the stars. If you are a city-dweller. you may have forgotten they exist, and the skies here are so dark that you can easily see the Milky Way.
Going Below the Rim
Don't leave Bryce Canyon without going below the rim. While the views over the hoodoos and amphitheaters are beautiful, they pale in comparison to being among the rocks and surrounded by their color.If you don't want to hike into the canyon, try a trail ride. Bryce-Zion-Grand Canyon Trail Rides have take visitors into southeast Utah's canyons on horses and mules. At Bryce, two-hour and half-day rides are available on a trail dedicated to horses only. Visitors coming out of the canyon from a ride are it best advertisements. Many talk to their horses, or about them. "This is Pete. He's new, but he's a good horse," and "C'mon Zeke, let's go." Riders must be in good health, weigh less than 220 pounds (100 kg) and be over 7 years old. Reserve in advance to avoid disappointment.
Many thanks to The World Outdoors for their assistance in preparing this article
