{"id":2400,"date":"2014-11-29T01:03:05","date_gmt":"2014-11-29T01:03:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.backroadswest.com\/blog\/titus-canyon-road-trip-copy\/"},"modified":"2022-09-21T19:18:31","modified_gmt":"2022-09-21T19:18:31","slug":"bryce-canyon-in-the-snow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.backroadswest.com\/blog\/bryce-canyon-in-the-snow\/","title":{"rendered":"Bryce Canyon in the Snow"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah has some of the most unique natural geologic formations on Earth. \u00a0<\/strong>Gazing down at the thousands of oddly shaped hoodoos from above is simply mesmerizing and an experience like no other. \u00a0Descending into the maze of hoodoos on a hike is an even more amazing experience.<\/p>

The snow of winter brings an added dimension to Bryce Canyon. \u00a0Along with the seemingly endless shapes and patterns formed by those geologic formations, there is now snow mixed in with all the pinnacles and crevices. \u00a0The brilliant yellows, oranges and reds of the mudstones that make up the hoodoos are now contrasted with the bright white of the snow, making for even more dazzling views from the park\u2019s viewpoints.<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Snowy, Stunning Beauty<\/h3>

Hiking down into Bryce Canyon after an accumulation of snow can be challenging but the reward is worth it as you get to be in the middle of all the stunning beauty you saw from the canyon rim. Seeing, up close, how the snow highlights the thousands of little ridges and details of those colorful formations is almost surreal. It was like walking through a maze of small, sparkling fairytale castles in a wintery wonderland.<\/p>

A visit to Bryce Canyon in the winter can easily be done because many of the paved roads leading to the park are frequently plowed and kept open. Bryce makes for a great day trip if you are visiting lower-elevation places such as St. George or Zion Canyon National Park or higher-elevation places like Cedar City or skiing at Brianhead. Ruby\u2019s Inn, located just at the entrance to Bryce, is a great place to stay if you can stay a day or more. We\u2019ve stayed at the historic Ruby\u2019s Inn several times and there is a lot to see and do at the inn itself.<\/p>

Bryce Canyon is at an altitude of around 8,000 feet, making it more likely to have snow on the ground when there is no snow at the lower elevations. The best way to check on snow conditions at Bryce is to call the park\u2019s visitor center or Ruby\u2019s Inn. Both are open year-round but keep in mind that in the winter their roads are often closed just beyond the good viewpoints so you can\u2019t see the entire park.<\/p>

On our last winter visit, we decided to take that challenging hike down into the hoodoos with some of our \u201crental kids\u201d (our term of endearment for our nieces and nephews). Our route started at the parking lot for Sunset Point and is a combination of about four separately named trails. It was a loop hike with a total distance of 3 miles and an elevation loss and gain of about 600 feet. Be sure to get a map at the visitor\u2019s center and ask the staff about the condition of the trails before you start. With our slow-to-moderate walking pace in the snowy conditions, it took us about 3-4 hours to complete the hike and there is no reason to hurry. Take your time and really soak in all that natural beauty! See our virtual video tour (details below) that includes an animated map of our hike and, of course, visions of that serene beauty.<\/p>

We first did the normal \u201ctourist thing\u201d by taking in the view that is due south from the parking lot. You can easily spend an hour right there being dazzled by all the visually absorbing formations below.<\/p>

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Pictures<\/h3>

Below are some pictures of what you will see along the way.<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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