Last year, we visited Zion and Canyonlands but skipped Bryce Canyon due to anticipated crowds, so we made a point to visit this summer. This beautiful and special place is sure to mesmerize and inspire even the most hardened of souls.

Bryce Canyon National Park lies on the eastern edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau in south central Utah. The park was established on June 8, 1923 to preserve the “unusual scenic beauty, scientific interest, and importance.”

Bryce is famous for its unique geology, consisting of 12+ horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters. The erosional forces of frost-wedging, wind and rain have shaped the colorful mudstone into unusual shapes, including windows, slot canyons, and spires called “hoodoos.”

The forces of weathering and erosion are always at work, resulting in continually changing rock formations. The landscape is in flux, which is what makes it so fascinating and compelling. The hoodoos (standing rock formations) you see today may not be there when you visit next.

While views of the canyon’s amphitheaters are awe-inspiring, especially with the constantly shifting light and shadows, we really enjoyed experiencing the hoodoos up close from below the rim. We hiked the Queen’s Garden/Navajo Combination Loop into the canyon and out, and took hundreds of photos to both capture the beauty of the landscape but also and especially, to rest! The elevation change on this 3-mile hike was 819 feet, the temps ranged from 55 degrees at the start to 75 degrees at the finish. I was very glad to have taken my hiking sticks!

During our visit to Bryce, we were reminded of how quickly the weather can change at higher elevations. The day started with sunshine and season-appropriate temperatures so we headed out on our bikes for Inspiration Point. Our plan was to hike the Rim Trail from Inspiration Point to Bryce Point and back—a nice 3.15 mile round-trip walk and 5 mile round-trip bike ride. Rain wasn’t forecast until late afternoon so there was plenty of time to hike the trail and get back to camp, or so we thought….

The views along the rim were spectacular and the temps a perfect 75 degrees. The sun was bright and strong—short-sleeve weather—until the clouds started rolling in. As we headed back to Inspiration Point – wait – is that thunder we hear way off to the west? Oh no, it seems to be coming closer but rain wasn’t predicted to arrive until much later in the day. It won’t rain will it?

We hastened our steps knowing that the park recommends taking shelter upon hearing thunder, regardless of distance. The temperature fell with the cloud cover and sure enough, the rain started to fall when we were halfway back to our bikes. It was light at first, giving us undue optimism that we would soon be back to camp. Surely, this would just be a passing storm…then the skies opened up…

Thunder, lightening, cold rain and hail assaulted us for 30 minutes as we ran the rest of the way back to Inspiration Point. Drenched to the bone (possibly TMI: including underwear, too) and colder than we’ve ever been (Joe’s body convulsing with shivers), we huddled for half an hour under the small bus shelter with a handful of cold and wet fellow visitors. Finally, the rain eased enough for us to attempt a ride back to camp. We had no warm jacket or dry clothes and now were faced with a fierce wind chill on our bikes. The breeze was almost too much to bear, truly, and we thought we would never stop shivering or be warm again.

Bryce Canyon taught us that weather in the west can change on a dime and to always have a poncho and long-sleeved shirt with us. A memorable walk that will remain with us always!

We are back home catching up on blog posts and raking leaves. We wish everyone a wonderful fall season.