Our second day in Bryce dawned bright and sunny. We decided to do a couple of shorter hikes to the most popular formations and view points in the park. We started at Sunrise Point where we had a great view down into an area known as Bryce Amphitheatre.
We started with a 1 mile hike down into the canyon on the Queens Garden Trail.
The trail took us close to some interesting hoodoos...
... and through small tunnels in the narrow sandstone fins...
... into the area known as the Queens Garden.
As the sign explains, many of the formations in the park have been named for their perceived resemblance to people or objects.
It took us a while but eventually we "found" the hoodoo named after Queen Victoria. (Didn't think to look UP to find her sitting on top of a rock spire.) So there she sits on her high throne looking down on a "garden" of smaller hoodoos.
We then joined the 2 mile Navajo Loop Trail which took down us down into the canyon floor and along a dry stream bed, before climbing back towards the canyon rim.
The ascent took us into a narrow slot canyon where we were startled to come across these towering Douglas Fir trees, believed to be about 450 years old.
We took a short rest at the base of the trees...
... before continuing the 500ft climb up through the narrow slot canyon known as "Wall Street".
Looking back down into Wall Street from higher up the trail you can see how hikers are dwarfed by the height of canyon walls. (You may need to click on the pic to enlarge it to make the hikers out!)
After our hike we headed to Rainbow Point at the far southern end of the park where we stopped for a picnic lunch and to take in the view back along the canyon rim. Rainbow Point is the highest point in the park at 9,115ft (2778m)
We then took the 18 mile scenic drive back through the park, stopping at many viewpoints on the way. Here at Ponderosa Point Mark made friends with large black raven.
At Natural Bridge viewpoint a large natural arch provides a glimpse through to a thick forest of Ponderosa Pine in the valley below.
Our second day in Bryce dawned bright and sunny. We decided to do a couple of shorter hikes to the most popular formations and view points in the park. We started at Sunrise Point where we had a great view down into an area known as Bryce Amphitheatre.
We started with a 1 mile hike down into the canyon on the Queens Garden Trail.
The trail took us close to some interesting hoodoos...
... and through small tunnels in the narrow sandstone fins...
... into the area known as the Queens Garden.
As the sign explains, many of the formations in the park have been named for their perceived resemblance to people or objects.
It took us a while but eventually we "found" the hoodoo named after Queen Victoria. (Didn't think to look UP to find her sitting on top of a rock spire.) So there she sits on her high throne looking down on a "garden" of smaller hoodoos.
We then joined the 2 mile Navajo Loop Trail which took down us down into the canyon floor and along a dry stream bed, before climbing back towards the canyon rim.
The ascent took us into a narrow slot canyon where we were startled to come across these towering Douglas Fir trees, believed to be about 450 years old.
We took a short rest at the base of the trees...
... before continuing the 500ft climb up through the narrow slot canyon known as "Wall Street".
Looking back down into Wall Street from higher up the trail you can see how hikers are dwarfed by the height of canyon walls. (You may need to click on the pic to enlarge it to make the hikers out!)
After our hike we headed to Rainbow Point at the far southern end of the park where we stopped for a picnic lunch and to take in the view back along the canyon rim. Rainbow Point is the highest point in the park at 9,115ft (2778m)
We then took the 18 mile scenic drive back through the park, stopping at many viewpoints on the way. Here at Ponderosa Point Mark made friends with large black raven.
At Natural Bridge viewpoint a large natural arch provides a glimpse through to a thick forest of Ponderosa Pine in the valley below.
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