Surrounding Areas

Little is known about the life and history of the Native tribes who walked among the lonely shadows of Bryce Canyon’s hoodoos. Natives populating the area primarily hunted throughout the range while living under the stars in the river valleys below, seasonally harvesting the forest resources and wild game in the plateau. Ancient artifacts suggest the Ancestral Puebloan (Anasazi) lived in the Bryce Canyon vicinity over 2000 years ago.

The Fremont Natives were next to inhabit the Bryce Canyon area, staying until the early 1200s. The Paiute tribe left the most recent native imprint on the canyon’s energy. It was these natives that orally passed down the ancient names of many surrounding rock structures to John Wesley Powell , a United States Army major who led a scientific expedition to the area in 1872. But it was the Mormon pioneers that settled near Bryce Canyon, and the group for whom Bryce Canyon takes its name.

Ebenezer Bryce homesteaded Bryce Canyon in the mid 1870s. Bryce and his family landed in the Paria Valley with his in 1875, sent by the Mormon Church as a skilled carpenter and useful assent for the newly settling town. Building a road to the top of the plateau, Bryce made it possible for the townspeople to gather firewood and timber, and also built an irrigation canal so the pioneers could raise crops and animals. Bryce and his family later founded the town of Bryce in the Gila River Valley in Arizona.
Bryce Canyon was officially declared a National Monument in 1924. After the declaration of the new national monument, interest in the Bryce Canyon area began to grow. In an attempt to upgrade the area, the Union Pacific set out to make improvements in the transportation to Cedar City by creating a shuttle service to the National Monument from the area’s train depot.

In an effort to help safeguard the area, congress passed a bill in 1928 to increased the amount of protected land and to double what was already protected by the new national park. Along with the expansion of land, the name of the park was officially changed to Bryce Canyon National Park on February 25th, 1928.

Today the national monument still maintains the charm of its 1930s beginnings, while attracting thousands of visitors each year. It’s a true Utah landmark.

Named after Ebenezer Bryce, the man who homesteaded the area in 1874, Bryce Canyon National Park is a stunning congregation of large natural amphitheaters. Hardly a “canyon,” these unique and distinctive geological structures are called hoodoos, formed by the frost weathering and stream erosion of lake bed and river sedimentary rocks. Boasting a complexion of hues marbled in wave-like formations of red, orange, and white, these ancient rock formations provide a vibrant, poetic tapestry of color for park visitors.
The Canyon’s famously extraordinary geology is carved from the eastern edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau in horseshoes-shaped patterns, providing primitive back-country for the adventurous travelers who wish to take a journey into Utah’s forgotten past.

These vast canyon lands have seen several formations throughout the eons of the planet’s formation, but most have been eroded away as a result of two major uplifts. Some scientists estimate that around 70 million years ago an uplift called the Laramide orogeny started to rise, affecting the entire western part of what would become North America. This geological shift of the earth’s surface closed the Cretaceous Seaway and helped create the West’s famous Rocky Mountains.

Some of the formations decorating Bryce Canyon’s immense and lonely landscape are part of the Grand Staircase. This super-sequence of rock spreads its magic as far as the Grand Canyon and Zion’s National Park.

Cedar Breaks National Monument: Panguitch city is situated in an expansive stretch of seemingly endless outdoor beauty which has helped Utah earn a reputation as a state rich in natural resources and abundant scenery. One of the most accessible and popular places to visit after a restful night’s sleep in Panguitch is Cedar Breaks National Monument. Those who are familiar with Bryce Canyon will find many similarities in visiting Cedar Breaks with its stunning array of colors in yellow, purple and red. The brilliant colors have earned Cedar Breaks the name of the “Circle of Painted Cliffs” by the Indians who have resided in the region. The breathtaking Cedar Breaks formations are shaped similar to an enormous coliseum which reaches over 2,000 feet from top to bottom and was formed through the strong forces of erosion. By traveling down into the canyons of the Cedar Breaks, one can find meadows of aspens, ponderosa pine trees, and even Bristlecone pine trees, one of the world’s oldest species of tree. Wildflowers bloom in abundance during the summer months and create quite a spectacle.

Many of those who stay in Panguitch do so because of the many recreational outdoor activities that are nearby. Visitors to Panguitch can easily reach Cedar Breaks National Monument and enjoy a wide variety of outdoor adventures such as photography, sightseeing, picnicking in some of the most beautiful scenery in the entire nation, hiking miles of memorable trails, bird watching, and nature study. During the winter months there are multiple resources for snowmobiling and skiing on the mountains and at the Brian Head Resort which is a mere three miles distance from Cedar Breaks. Summer months in Cedar Breaks provide a mild and pleasant atmosphere with temperatures ranging in the mid sixties to low seventies; a perfect climate for enjoying long walks while observing miles of splendor. After spending an exciting day at Cedar Breaks National Monument and a pleasant evening in Panguitch, Utah enjoying dinner at local dining establishments.

A vast connection between some of Southern Utah’s most famous canyon landmarks, the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument stretches across 1.7 million acres of the ancient and prehistoric west. A vast sequence of sedimentary rock layers reaching from Bryce Canyon National Park through Zion National Park and into the Grand Canyon, this immense stretch of land dominates the lonely wilderness of Utah’s rural south. Relatively new on the world scene of ancient discoveries, this oasis of historical treasures brims with geological, biological, paleontological, and archeological wonders. The landscape is primitive, decorated with wandering desert streams, slot canyons, and monoliths. The pristine Grand Staircase preserves a prehistoric past, full of original flora, fauna, species of dinosaurs newly discovered, and ancient Anasazi artifacts.

Paleontologists and archeologist have been calling southern Utah a “climatological sweet spot” for years. The strong and wet storms in Southern Utah cause “episodic rapid erosion” which expose fossils, while the scarce appearance of rain protects the remains from destroying the deep rooted plant life. These factors create the perfect conditions for exposing fossil remnants for collection and observation on the canyon’s surface. Fossil records around the Grand Staircase date back to nearly 70 million years ago. Large dinosaur skeletons were excavated in the 1880s in northern regions of the Grand Staircase, and in the late 20th and 21st centuries a new collection of fossils emerged on unexplored strata, and researches predict a high probability of the further discovery of new species in the near future.

Just outside of the historic town of Panguitch, Utah lays the Dixie National Forest which encompasses over 170 miles and roughly 2 million acres of Southern Utah’s beautiful landscape. As the very largest national forest in all of Utah, the scenery ranges between four different geographic areas providing every desirable view from colored cliffs to lush green forests, as well as vast climate changes including snowy fields, lush rainfall, and wildflower filled fields. Temperatures range drastically depending on the time of year and may reach highs of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit and lows dropping to below zero.

While staying in Panguitch, a town rich in pioneer and Native American history, one day-trip into a section of the Dixie National Forest is a beautiful drive along Scenic Byway 143. The drive itself is spectacular and provides countless photo opportunities regardless of the time of year. The forest is covered in high desert plants at lower elevations and great pine, spruce, fir and aspen trees in the upper reaches.

The Dixie National Forest is broken up into four large sections, each of which include a major plateau and significant elevations which range anywhere from 6,000 to over 11,000 feet. The highest of these plateaus is the Aquarius Plateau which is actually a part of the even larger Colorado Plateau.

The Dixie National Forest has many recreational activities available with options for diverse tastes and skill levels. Families, couples, and individuals can enjoy hunting, breathtaking scenery, fishing, horseback riding and photography. For those who want to enjoy more athletic endeavors there are winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding adventures to be had, and snowmobiles to rent. For summer months you’ll find, ATV rentals, horseback riding, mountain biking, hiking, canoeing, swimming, and fishing.

Nature enthusiasts and photographers will find plenty to see with over 83,000 acres of wilderness available and hiking trails for beginners to more advanced. Wildlife is abundant for those who wish to catch a glimpse or snap a picture of elk, deer, eagles, hawks, and more.

In fall season, hunters will find elk and mule deer available, while year-round photographers enjoy the quest of spotting these wild animals in their natural habitat.

Various fishing opportunities exist in the way of streams, lakes, and reservoirs, with brown, rainbow, cutthroat and brook trout in large numbers.

Many people enjoy lunch at a forest picnic site before heading back to Panguitch for comfortable accommodations, and a variety of restaurants and shops.

Only an hour’s drive from Panguitch, Kodachrome Basin State Park brims with 67 towering sedimentary chimney rocks. Ranging from six feet to 170 feet, these multi-hued sandstone layers expose over 180 million years of geological time. Upon discovering the staggering depth of color and beauty in this park, a 1948 National Geographic Society Expedition named the area “Kodachrome,” after the famous Kodak color film.

Believed to have been pieces of solidified sediment filling the ancient geysers that once presided over the landscape, researchers speculate the area once closely resembled the geological formations of Yellowstone National Park. Overtime, however, the Entrada sandstone eroded, exposing the staggering array of chromatism displayed on the sandstone surface. The colors are remarkable: red, white, brown and yellow layers of sediment shift and transform with the movement the sun, the shadows of valley, the brilliance of the night stars.

A unique array of hardy trees, flowering plants, grasses and shrubary thrive in the hash semi-arid climate of this Southern Utah wilderness. Visitors surveying the landscape will glimpse the fauna and flora of the Wild West, including Utah juniper, big sage, Mormon tea (ephedra), Indian Paintbrush, evening primrose, yellow flax, locoweed, thread grass, locoweed, and pinion pines.

Wildlife still roams the area’s abandoned canyon lands: Mule deer, mountain lions, coyotes, bobcats, and gray fox hunt jack rabbits and rock squirrel in the shadows of valley’s hovering sandstone towers, while rattlesnakes, mice, and lizards lurk beneath rocks and make their homes under the dessert’s arid surface. Ravens and golden eagles are native to the primitive lands, while rock wren, pinion and scrub jays, chukar partridge, and chipping sparrow patrol the endless silence of the canyon’s skies.

You’ll enjoy spending the night in Panguitch with the intention of rising early for a quality fishing experience at Panguitch Lake, or catching photographs of the sun rising over the mountains and canyons. Panguitch Lake is a mere half an hour drive from Panguitch itself and is also within close proximity to many rivers and streams. Some of the biggest trout in all of Utah call Panguitch Lake their home which makes it a popular spot both in summer months as well as for ice fishing during the winter. The fishing remains the most popular reason for the visit drawing in enthusiastic fishermen in boats, floater tubes, or along the shore in the warmer months or eagerly huddled around holes in the lake during the winter.

There are plenty of boats available to rent for the day and lots of other activities for every family member to enjoy while visiting the lake. ATV rentals are also available as are horseback riding trips, and trails for mountain biking.

Panguitch Lake is surrounded by a lush forest which extends down to the shoreline of the lake. There are many biking and hiking trails all around Panguitch Lake in which travelers are likely to come across a variety of wildlife including coyotes, elk, hawks, eagles, foxes and various types of deer.

Even for those who aren’t big on fishing, the scenic lake is a place of complete relaxation and picturesque loveliness where sitting by the shore on a blanket with loved ones makes for a very peaceful day.

Ponderosa pines surround the red sandstone hoodoos populating Red Canyon in abundance. At 7,400 feet elevation, this miniature Bryce Canyon is a prime area for cross country skiing, sledding, horseback riding, ATV off-road adventures, mountain biking, and cool summer hikes. Part of the Dixie National Forest, Red Canyon winds along nearly four miles of Scenic Byway 12 and is located just twelve miles outside of Bryce Canyon National Park.

The landscape’s famous hoodoos (also called tent rocks, fairy chimneys, and earth pyramids – or as the French call them, “ladies with hairdos”) can be explored by many different trails throughout the canyon’s winding, desert roads. Sculpted from Claron limestone from ages of water and wind erosion, the abundance of hoodoos in Southern Utah are a popular attraction for tourists around the world.

The five mile, paved bike trail that runs through Red Canyon takes visitors on a scenic route through ponderosa pine forests to the great Paunsagunt Plateau, with access to the Grand View Trail, and the famous Thunder Mountain Trail.