Bryce Canyon (Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah)

My friend Nick and I had decided to take a weekend camping trip to see some more of the national parks in Southern Utah. Two years ago, we visited Arches, but this time we aimed for the area around Zion National Park, with Bryce Canyon as our first stop. The drive was a long, but after driving to the park early to catch the sunrise over the Bryce Canyon Amphitheater, none of the minor hardships really seemed to matter.

As we walked from the parking lot to a small vista point overlooking the entire amphitheater, I wondered what to expect. It was cold, bitterly cold up there, and with each step I began to question the wisdom of arriving so early. However, each step also revealed a slightly better view of Bryce Canyon's main attraction than the previous step. We joined a few more adventurers as the sun began to rise over the eastern edge of the canyon, and its glory highlight each and every one of the thousands of hoodoos that make up this magnificent feature. A hoodoo is the name given to the sandstone pillars left after erosion has washed away the remaining mass. Much like Monument Valley, but far more populace and extremely more spear like. The early morning sunlight bouncing off of these incredible features gave rise to thoughts of the divine. I must consider this one of the most glorious sunrises my eyes have ever witnessed - truly majestic.

The amphitheater itself is the main draw, but the park has much more to offer. The canyon itself contains the amphitheater, but also a myriad of other side canyons and more amazing geologic formations. While we didn't spend a great deal of time in the park, the time we did spend was well worth it. We did have time for a good hike through an area adjoining to the northern end of the amphitheater.