Bryce Canyon National Park

The park covers The park is about northeast of and higher than Zion National Park. Bryce Canyon National Park lies within the Colorado Plateau geographic province of North America and straddles the southeastern edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau west of Paunsaugunt Faults (Paunsaugunt is Paiute for "home of the beaver"). Bryce Canyon was not formed from erosion initiated from a central stream, meaning it technically is not a canyon. Instead headward erosion excavated large amphitheater-shaped features in the Cenozoic-aged rocks of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. This erosion resulted in colorful pinnacles called hoodoos that are up to high. A series of amphitheaters extends more than north-to-south within the park. ==Climate==

According to the Köppen climate classification system, the park has a continental climate with warm, dry summers (Dsb). Dsb climates are defined by having their coldest month at a mean temperature below , all months with a mean temperature below , at least four months with a mean temperature above , and three times as much precipitation in the wettest winter month compared to the driest summer month. The plant hardiness zone at the visitor center is 5b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of . The weather in Bryce Canyon is cooler and receives more precipitation than Zion: a total of per year. ==History==

Native American habitation Little is known about early human habitation in the area. Archaeological surveys of the Paunsaugunt Plateau indicate that people have lived in the area for at least 10,000 years. Basketmaker Anasazi artifacts thousands of years old were found south of the park. Other artifacts from the Pueblo-period Anasazi and the Fremont culture (up to the mid-12th century) were found. The Paiute Native Americans moved into the area around the time that the other cultures left. One older Paiute said his culture called the hoodoos Anka-ku-was-a-wits, which is Paiute for "red painted faces". A combination of drought, overgrazing, and flooding eventually drove the remaining Paiutes from the area and prompted the settlers to attempt to build a water diversion channel from the Sevier River drainage. That effort failed, leading most settlers, including the Bryce family, to abandon the area. Members of the United States Congress started work in 1924 on upgrading Bryce Canyon's protection status from national monument to national park to establish Utah National Park. In 1931, President Herbert Hoover annexed an adjoining area south of the park, and in 1942 an additional was added. Post-1950 The USS Bryce Canyon, named for the park, served as a supply and repair ship in the U.S. Pacific Fleet from September 15, 1950, to June 30, 1981. Park administration was conducted from Zion National Park until 1956 when Bryce Canyon's first superintendent started work. It runs the bookstore inside the park visitor center and support interpretive, educational, and scientific activities. Bryce Canyon Lodge achieved National Historic Landmark status in 1987, preserved as an example of National Park Service architecture from the 1920s. Responding to increased visitation and traffic congestion, NPS implemented a voluntary, summer-only, in-park shuttle system in June 2000. The Rim Road was reconstructed between 2002 and 2004. As part of that reconstruction, the roadbed was revegetated with native grasses, to fight invasive species. In 2019, Bryce Canyon was given Dark Sky Park status by the International Dark-Sky Association. ==Geology==

s has created natural arches. The Bryce Canyon area experienced soil deposition that spans from the last part of the Cretaceous period and the first half of the Cenozoic era. The ancient depositional environment varied. Dakota Sandstone and Tropic Shale were deposited in the warm, shallow waters of the advancing and retreating Cretaceous Seaway (outcrops of these rocks are found just outside park borders). Other formations were created, but mostly eroded away following two major periods of uplift. The Laramide orogeny affected the entire western part of what would become North America starting about 70 million to 50 MYA. This uplift created vertical joints, which over time preferentially eroded. The soft Pink Cliffs of the Claron Formation eroded to form freestanding hoodoo pinnacles in badlands, while the more resistant White Cliffs formed monoliths. ==Ecology==

forests. More than 1000 plant species live in the park. The park spans three life zones, depending on elevation. • The highest areas have Douglas fir, blue spruce, and quaking aspen. Mule deer, elk, and grouse eat young fir shoots here. Squirrels and Chipmunks are also found in this area Reptiles include the Great Basin rattlesnake, short-horned lizard, side-blotched lizard, striped whipsnake, and amphibians include the tiger salamander. The Utah prairie dog is a threatened species that was reintroduced to the park. The largest protected population is found in the park. Also in the park are the black, lumpy, very slow-growing colonies of cryptobiotic soil, which are a mix of lichens, algae, fungi, and cyanobacteria. Together these organisms slow erosion, add nitrogen to the soil, and help it to retain moisture. ==Activities==

s are required for winter hiking. Bryce Canyon has eight marked and maintained day hikes: Easy to moderate hikes • Mossy Cave (one hour, State Route 12 northwest of Tropic) • Rim Trail (5–6 hours, anywhere on the rim) • Bristlecone Loop (one hour, Rainbow Point), and Queens Garden (1–2 hours, Sunrise Point) Moderate hikes • Navajo Loop (1–2 hours, Sunset Point) • Tower Bridge (2–3 hours, north of Sunrise Point) Strenuous hikes • Fairyland Loop (4–5 hours, Fairyland Point) • Peekaboo Loop (3–4 hours, Bryce Point) Several of the trails intersect, allowing hikers to arrange routes for more challenging hikes. The park has two trails designated for overnight trips: the Riggs Spring Loop Trail and the Under-the-Rim Trail. The park has a 7.4 magnitude night sky, one of the darkest in North America The two campgrounds are North Campground and Sunset Campground. Loop A in North Campground is open year-round. Additional loops and Sunset Campground are open from late spring to early autumn. ==See also==