I’m ashamed to admit it, but I hadn’t heard of Bryce Canyon until a couple of years ago. It was one of the first locations we saved when planning our road trip though. The views from the canyon rim are incredible, and so different from the type of erosion and formations at Grand Canyon.  Technically, Bryce isn’t a canyon at all, but a collection of natural amphitheaters. After I learned that, I couldn’t help but picturing the hoodoos as people crowding in for a concert.

Girl in a pink shirt hugging a stuffed animal while sitting on a wooden fence by the dangerous cliffs warning sign at Bryce Canyon
Even Lammy put on her hiking boots to hit the trails with us.
View from the rim of Bryce Canyon National Park with red rock formations and pinyon pines stretching to the horizon
Orange and white hoodoos rising from the slopes of a natural amphitheater at Bryce Canyon National Park
A small tree growing on top of an orange rock fin against a clear blue sky at Bryce Canyon National Park
Grow where you’re planted.
A tall hoodoo with a rounded cap against a blue sky, more hoodoos filling the amphitheater behind at Bryce Canyon
Hello Mr. Hoodoo.
A trail winding between orange rock fins and white hoodoos with hikers walking at Bryce Canyon National Park
A rock squirrel standing upright with front paws folded on a rocky trail at Bryce Canyon National Park
Cuteness scurrying around the trails.
Tall orange and white hoodoo formations rising against a vivid blue sky at Bryce Canyon National Park
This looks like a fantastical cathedral or castle straight out of LOTR.
Looking up at orange rock spires beneath a bright sun and deep blue sky at Bryce Canyon National Park
Hoodoos and cliffs seen through the tunnel carved in a rock fin on the Queen's Garden trail at Bryce Canyon
A tunnel carved through a large fin on the Queen’s Garden trail.
A white hoodoo with a dark capstone against a deep blue sky with sandy slopes and the canyon beyond at Bryce Canyon
Mule deer grazing on a sunlit meadow among pinyon pines at Bryce Canyon National Park in black and white
A natural amphitheater at Bryce Canyon National Park filled with thousands of orange and white hoodoos to the horizon
Beautiful erosion.
Layered orange rock walls with small windows carved by erosion along the rim of a natural amphitheater at Bryce Canyon
A young girl holding a stuffed animal and a boy posing at a viewpoint overlooking the hoodoo amphitheater at Bryce Canyon
Two children sitting together on a fallen log overlooking the hoodoo amphitheater at Bryce Canyon National Park
Orange hoodoos rising among pinyon pines on the slopes of Bryce Canyon National Park with a trail winding nearby
Wide view of the rim of Bryce Canyon National Park with hoodoos in front and pine-covered slopes to distant mountains
Orange amphitheater rocks at Bryce Canyon National Park under a cloudy sky with layered mountains and forested valley beyond
An orange slope topped with pines under a dark stormy sky overlooking distant mesas at Bryce Canyon National Park
Natural Bridge, a natural arch weathered into red rock at Bryce Canyon, with forested slopes and mountains seen through it
Another misleading name: Natural Bridge is actually a natural arch. True bridges are formed from stream/river erosion, not weathering as this arch has been formed.
A father photographing two smiling children at a stone railing overlook above the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon National Park
A girl balancing in flip flops on a low stone wall while her brother reaches out to steady her at Natural Bridge in Bryce Canyon
Don’t worry mom, we didn’t actually hike that trail in flip flops!

We loved Bryce Canyon. In fact, it was one of my favorite parks in Utah. We definitely recommend it, and would suggest spending a couple of days in the park to explore. We found a wonderful boondocking spot in the Dixie National Forest, just a few minutes from the park entrance. I’ll share photos of it in another post.