5 Facts About Bryce Canyon National Park That You Didn’t Know
Bryce Canyon National Park, one of Utah’s Mighty 5, is an amazing place with its otherworldly hoodoos scattered throughout its many amphitheaters. While the awe-inspiring landscape is world renown, there is far more to this little park than meets the eye! Read on to learn some fun facts about this incredible land!
It’s smaller than you think!
Bryce Canyon National Park protects just over 35,000 acres of land in southern Utah. Compare that to the over 8 million acres of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park or the 1.2 million acres of nearby Grand Canyon National Park, and you can easily see that this is a small park. How small is it? Of the current 62 National Parks, Bryce Canyon is number 51 in terms of size. This leaves just 10 national parks that are smaller in size to Bryce! Don’t let the diminutive size of Bryce Canyon National Park fool you as every square acre of land within its boundaries is mesmerizingly beautiful and the expansive views from the rim make the park appear to be nearly endless!
2. It’s more popular than you think!
While all of Utah’s Mighty 5 National Parks are popular destinations, Bryce Canyon National Park is the second most visited park within Utah, and the 12th most visited in America! Remember how we just told you how small it is? Well, that small size combined with the over 2.5 million annual visitors means this place can get a bit crowded at peak season! Plan accordingly, and be sure to check out our guide on how to make your next visit stress-free!
3. They really love their Prairie Dogs!
The adorable little tan guys hanging out along Scenic Drive at Bryce Canyon National Park are basically royalty within the gates! Celebrated every year at the park in May, Utah Prairie Dog Day is a full day celebration of these cute, yet critical species to the Bryce Canyon National Park. The event includes activities throughout the day including Prairie Dog calling and art contests, and even keynote talks discussing the importance of these miraculous mammals. Much like the park itself, don’t underestimate their size as the little Prairie Dog plays an incredibly important role in maintaining the ecosystem of Bryce Canyon National Park.
4. Stargazing is a big deal here!
Home to one of the darkest and clearest skies in America, stargazing at Bryce Canyon National Park is an activity that can’t be missed. As a certified International Dark Sky location, clear nights at Bryce Canyon National Park allow views of over 7,500 stars, and of course spectacular views of the Milky Way. The night sky is so vibrant within the park that the Bryce Canyon Astronomy Festival is held each year in June to allow amateur and experienced stargazers the opportunity to soak in the spectacular night sky!
5. It’s not actually a canyon at all!
Bryce Canyon National Park is comprised of a series of amphitheaters housing the thousands of hoodoos, walls, and sandstone windows which the park is known for. Unlike its neighbor to the south, The Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon National Park was not formed by a flowing river or stream that slowly carved out this spectacular space. Instead, the park was formed through weathering from snow and ice! The park’s high elevation allows the park to see over 170 nights with temperatures below freezing each year. This allows water to seep into the cracks of the rock. It’ll then freeze and “wedge” the surrounding rock away creating the fantastic hoodoos that attract visitors from around the world!
