Lees Ferry, ), White (which surround ), Gray and Pink. Most of the is now contained within the BLM-managed Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument. The rocks that give Bryce Canyon its distinctive colors are members of the Claron Formation, a mixed Highlights limestone/sandstone layer, and are also found exposed, with similarly intricate forms, in other nearly locations such as Red Canyon and Cedar Breaks. Erosion: Water is responsible for creating the rock shapes in Bryce Canyon National Park. Rain and melting snow flowing down the towards the form ridges, or fins, which subsequently erode into the spires, pinnacles and other shapes (collectively known as ‘hoodoos’) which are left standing. In time these too erode, and the whole process moves very gradually westwards as more of the cliff is slowly worn away. During the long, cold winters, the cliffs are further weakened by freezing water Bryce Canyon National Park expanding in cracks, resulting in more erosion when the ice Bryce Canyon National Park does not contain one main thaws in spring. canyon, but rather a dozen smaller ravines eroded into the east side of a ridge running approximately north-south at Bryce Canyon Trails: As with most national parks, the best the edge of the in southwest Utah. This way to appreciate Bryce Canyon is to explore away from erosion has resulted in thousands of bizarre and fragile rock the main roads. There are various trails both along the rim formations, large and small, in many subtle shades of pink, and down through the formations, but probably the best white, yellow, orange and red, extending in quite a narrow is the Fairyland Loop Trail, an 8 mile, little-used route which band for over 25 miles along the plateau rim. The national descends 900 feet from the ridge road and winds through park is named after Ebenezer Bryce, a Mormon farmer who many of the fins and spires giving a more intimate view of was the first modern-day settler in the region, and was the park. Hiking just part of the route is enough for nice established in 1924. views; the other most popular paths nearby are the Navajo, Peekaboo and Queens Garden trails. Many of the The Grand Staircase: The main ridge forms formations in this part of Bryce Canyon have part of the Pink Cliffs, which are the highest received official names, like Tower Bridge, and most geologically recent of a series reached via a short side-track, which of escarpments known as the Grand resembles one of the Thames bridges Staircase that stretches across much in London. There are more features of south Utah, formed by erosion of interest besides the rocks, such as and uplift of differently colored along the one mile Bristlecone Trail, at sandstone rock layers. The cliffs are the far south end of the park, which named according to the dominant rock color: (running northwards, from the ) - Chocolate, Vermilion (visible most spectacularly around

TSA Tours, Inc., 6965 S. Priest Dr. Suite 6, Tempe, AZ 85283 www.tsatours.com, 1-800-444-8885, [email protected] passes several 1,600 year old bristlecone pines; 23 miles through the sculptured red rocks these are the longest lived species of trees in and sandy desert passing close to many the world. Other short paths include the of the major features, although much Hat Shop Trail to a group of unusual can only be seen by walking along pinnacles, and the Mossy Cave Trail to various short trails. There are four a waterfall and a sheltered alcove. main locations along the scenic Arches National Park drive, plus the famous Delicate Arch reached by a side road; Arches National Park is of course these are Courthouse Towers, the famous for the red arches of Entrada Windows Section, Fiery Furnace sandstone that occur there in great and Devils Garden. profusion, and the visitor center sells a map showing the location of over 1,000, Canyonlands National Park ranging in size from Landscape Arch with an 290 Canyonlands National Park covers a vast area foot (89 meter) span to small cavities 3 feet across, which of rock wilderness in southeast Utah, centered around is the minimum dimension for an opening to be officially the confluence of the Green and Colorado rivers. Over classified as an arch. But there are also many other striking millions of years, the rivers and their small tributaries have rock formations scattered over the park’s 73,000 scenic acres, carved the flat sandstone rock layers into many amazing and to see the whole area would take several days. As with forms with a wide range of colors. The 530 square miles of the most other low lying regions in south Utah, temperatures park contain countless canyons, arches, spires, buttes, mesas in Arches National Park may reach 110°F which restricts and a myriad of other spectacular rock formations. The Grand hiking activities, although summer brings frequent cooling Canyon may be deeper and more dramatic at first sight, but afternoon thunderstorms. The winter weather is not too Canyonlands National Park has greater variety, both in the extreme, and any snowfall is usually quite light. types of geological formations and the possibilities to explore them. It is certainly much easier to find solitude and isolation. Location: The entrance to Arches National Park is on US 191, The Canyonlands area was only designated a national park 26 miles south of I-70 and just north of Moab, the biggest in 1964; before this most of the terrain was unvisited, and town in southeast Utah. This settlement, once a base for the also largely unvisitable. Much still is, since although there are uranium mining industry, is now a major center for recreation paved roads, the only satisfactory way to see most of the park and is close to several National Park Service areas including is by overnight hikes or by 4WD vehicle and even then the Canyonlands NP and Colorado NM as well as Arches, and tracks are often very rough, and huge areas have no roads is a starting point for many boat trips down the Colorado at all. As a result, far fewer tourists come to this national park River. Past the entrance station, the park road climbs up a than to others in Utah. steep cliff with several sharp switchbacks and then winds for

TSA Tours, Inc., 6965 S. Priest Dr. Suite 6, Tempe, AZ 85283 www.tsatours.com, 1-800-444-8885, [email protected]