Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

For more information visit these Bryce Canyon National Park information pages.

The Piute Tribes, who are native to south-central Utah, call Bryce Canyon National Park Unka-timpe-wa-wince-pockich, which means “red rocks standing like men in bowl shaped canyon.” The red rocks they are referring to are tall spires called hoodoos that are found in the Bryce Canyon National Park area. The legend that coincides with this unusual name is a fascinating tale.

The legend says that a long, long time ago a group of people moved into the area and made a coyote angry with their bad behavior. The coyote put a curse on the people, now called “Legend People” turning them to stone.

Many visitors to Bryce Canyon that have heard the legend, say they can see the images of people sitting, standing and holding each other, when they look into the amphitheaters though out this captivating national park.

The park was giving it's “American” name when the early Mormon settlers came to the area. A homesteader, named Ebenezer Bryce, built his home in the area where the park’s lodge stands today. His neighbors began refereeing to the area as Bryce’s canyon, and the name stuck. Reports say that when Bryce was asked about his thoughts on the canyon he replied, “It’s a heck of a place to lose a cow.”

The area was set aside as a National Monument by President Harding in 1923. By 1928 Congress had given the area National Park status. There have been several boundary changes throughout the years increasing the size of the park. Bryce Canyon is currently an impressive 35,835 acres of juniper forests, hoodoos and incredible views.

The park was brought to the attention of the citizens of Utah, the United States and the eventually the world, when National Park Director, Stephen Mather, fulfilled his dream of creating tourism circle, which came to be known as the Grand Circle. This was accomplished with the help of the Utah Parks Company, which was a business created by the Union Pacific Railroad when they discovered the potential of the Southern Utah/Arizona area. This train/bus tour gave tourist an economical way to see the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Zion Canyon National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument and Bryce Canyon. As part of this creative new form of vacationing, a lodge was built within the parks boundaries, which is still open to the public. However, reservations are required and should be scheduled no less than one year in advance when a visit is planned during the busy summer season.

As the number of families who own cars increased, so did the number of visitors to the area. Eventually the Utah Parks Company sold their contract and the Grand Circle train/bus tour was discontinued. Today Bryce Canyon National Park sees more than 1.5 million visitors annually. The Park is open year-round and has become a destination location for many travelers who want to focus their stay on Bryce Canyon alone. However, many more travelers still visit Bryce Canyon as part of the Grand Circle Tour.

There are many camping and lodging choices within Bryce Canyon National Park and in the surrounding area. Small communities dot the country side between each of the Grand Circle destinations. In the Bryce Canyon area, visitors will find several restaurants and general stores to choose from as well as numerous activities and adventures to fill their days.