Zion and Bryce Canyon:
Zion Canyon is one of the most beautiful places on the planet, said Bob Showler, Zion National Park supervisory park ranger with the Division of Interpretation.
Bryce Canyon National Park provides visitors with spectacular views of hoodoos, the park’s upright red and orange-hued limestone formations, said Bryce Canyon Management Specialist Cheryl Schrier.
These two national parks in Utah’s Southwestern corner are inextricably linked. According to Schrier, most tourists visiting Bryce Canyon will move on to Zion later in their trip, and vice versus.
The two parks are also linked historically. When the parks opened, the Union Pacific Railroad operated the concessions within each park and a railroad line connecting them to Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. Concessions were turned over to other interests in the 1970s, but the lodge the UP built in Bryce Canyon is still in operation today, and Schrier said she considers the building one of the park’s greatest assets.
Zion and Bryce offer one-of-a-kind scenery. It’s up to each visitor to decide what he or she wants to see.
Showler said the first thing guests in Zion should do is traverse the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive by shuttle during the peak season and in their own cars during the winter months and hike at least one of the trails along the road.
The road “winds its way up Zion Canyon, framed by magnificent red and white sandstone cliffs and peaks,” he said.
For an easy hike, Showler recommends the Riverside Walk (2 miles round-trip), which starts at the end of the Scenic Drive. The walk sits at the bottom of the popular Zion Narrows hike.
“The canyon is especially narrow and dramatic along this walk,” he said.
More adventurous park patrons should attempt the Angel’s Landing Trail (5 miles, round-trip), Showler said. Angel’s Landing rises more than 1,500 feet in 2.5 miles; the last portion is very steep, with major drop-offs to the canyon floor and a chain railing for hikers to hang on to. Angel’s Landing is definitely not a trail for people fearful of heights or physically unconditioned, he said.
In Bryce Canyon, Schrieir said the “must-see” hikes are the Navajo Loop and Queen’s Garden trails in the park’s “Main Ampitheater,” which are the most accessible trails from the rim and only take one to one-and-a-half hours to complete. Hikers may traverse both trails at the same time because they’re linked, she said. The rewarding part of these two hikes is being able to get up close to the hoodoos you are seeing from the rim, Schrieir said.
When asked what he thought Zion’s main gem was, Showler had a hard time deciding.
“Everything in Zion is extraordinarily beautiful,” he said. “Choosing a ‘best’ place is like going into a five-star restaurant and trying to decide between filet mignon, lobster or prime rib. Personally, my favorite place that’s relatively easy to get to is the viewpoint from the Lava Point picnic area about an hour’s drive from park headquarters.”
Lava Point, one of the parks’ highest points, sits at about 8,000 feet above sea level and can be reached by driving the Kolob Terrace Road, which begins in the town of Virgin. From Lava Point, the trailhead of the park’s 14-mile West Rim Trail, visitors can see toward Zion Canyon from above, Showler explained.
“It’s an especially majestic view,” he said.
For Schrieir, one of Bryce Canyon’s gems doesn’t have anything to do with the spectacular views she speaks of.
“We have a wonderful night sky,” she said. “We have little light pollution.”
Visitors interested in stargazing can see the Milky Way from Bryce Canyon – impossible in an urban setting, Schrieir said.
Wildlife also makes Bryce Canyon noticeable. Schrieir said the park is home to threatened Utah prairie dogs as well as numerous birds, including everything from ravens to peregrine falcons.
Another distinct aspect of Bryce that separates itself from Zion specifically is the angle of its views, Schrier said. In Zion, visitors travel through canyons and see most monoliths from the bottom looking up, while in Bryce the visitor is on top looking down at its hoodoos.
“The most obvious and striking feature of Zion, which distinguishes it from most other areas, is its high sandstone cliffs, some nearly 2,000 feet from base to rim,” Showler said. “We believe Zion has the highest sandstone walls in the world.”
According to both park rangers, potential visitors should be aware of a few things before making a trip to either park.
Tourists who visit Zion during the summer months will find it hot and crowded, Showler said. He suggested hikers carry plenty of water and wear sun protection, like a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. Summer temperatures in Zion can exceed 105 degrees.
“Some of the trails are rocky and rough, so always take your time and watch your step,” Showler said.
Hikers should wear hiking boots or any shoe with ankle support because ankle and foot injuries are common on Bryce Canyon trails, Schrieir said.
Schrieir said visitors should also be aware Bryce Canyon’s elevation is relatively high – 8,000 feet – and people should plan accordingly. Currently, 2 feet of snow still blankets most areas of the park, and those wishing to hike should wait three to four more weeks until trails are completely passable, she said.
One way to enhance any park visit is to spend more time, Schrier said. Many visitors are “windshield” tourists and only allow one day or less to visit a park when in reality at least two days are required to really enjoy the scenery, she said.