Bryce Canyon

By: Bruce Wilson

The Park
The park itself is lies along the edge of a cliff, the pink cliffs, which are the upper-most step in Utah's Grand Staircase. The canyon is named after Ebenezer Bryce, an early Mormon settler who homesteaded at the mouth of the Canyon in what is now the town of Tropic. Brother Bryce cut a road into the canyon to harvest timber, a road used by other settlers in the area, so they called it Bryce's Road, and the canyon, Bryce's canyon. The settlers didn't seem to say much about the oddity of the canyon's appearance. Being a practical people, they were more concerned with immediate needs. The famous quote from Brother Bryce, "It's a hell of a place to lose a cow" is not just a joke, as you will see when you hike down into the canyon.
Bryce Canyon National Park is located about 15 miles East of Panguitch, Utah, which is the nearest city of any size. Many visitors like to stay at a motel or B&B in Panguitch, or at one of the many motels or tourist ...