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 Main Amphitheater (Courtesy NPS) |
Bryce Canyon National Park is a National Park located in southwestern Utah, United States. Contained within the park is Bryce Canyon'. Despite its name, this is not actually a canyon but rather a giant natural amphitheatre created by erosion.
The area around Bryce Canyon became a United States National Monument in 1924 and was designated National Park in 1928.
Bryce is distinctive due to its unique geological structures, called hoodoos, formed from wind, water, and ice erosion on the sandstone landscape. The red, orange and white colours of the rocks provide a spectacular view.
Bryce is at a much higher elevation than Zion National Park and Grand Canyon, (Bryce Canyon rim varies from 8,000 to 9,000 feet, whereas the south rim of the Grand Canyon sits at 7,000ft above sea level) and thus has a very different ecology and climate, and therefore offers an enjoyable contrast for visitors to the region.
The canyon was named after pioneer Ebenezer Bryce, who settled in the area in 1875.
