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First, typing your starting point and final destination into Google Maps will help anyone get to your destination with the fastest route or alternatives, but having driven all of these routes before during all the seasons, I can see my insight giving you much more than just a map. I have lived in Utah and specifically Southern Utah my entire life so I have explored just about every road, highway, interstate of dirt road. There are several great options as shown below. Some are more of a short cut, but you will need to take into consideration the time of year and weather. Other options are a solid choice and safer but will add some time on to your travels.
Bryce Canyon is known for its incredible geology and sweeping vistas, but equally impressive are the plants and animals that make the uplifted plateaus of Utah such a unique environment. Surrounded by deserts, these highlands get much more rain than the lowlands below and stay cooler during hot summers. The relatively lush ecosystems that result are like fertile islands towering above a vast arid landscape.
To see animals of the Bryce Canyon Area, Click Here!
What is a mammal? Webster’s Dictionary defines a mammal as…”any of a class of higher vertebrates comprising man and all other animals that nourish their young with milk secreted by the mammary glands and have the skin usually more or less covered with hair.”
What mammals can be seen in Bryce Canyon National Park? We have chipmunks, squirrels, prairie dogs, mountain lions, pronghorn sheep, coyotes, gray foxes, bats, mice, and many more animals classified as mammals.
The three most common birds found in the park are the Peregrine Falcon, California Condor and the Clark’s Nutcracker.
Ants are some of the most fascinating creatures on the planet. Something like ten thousand trillion ants control vast stretches of territory on planet earth. Their success lies in cooperation. They are a social insect, living in often enormous colonies, coordinating their activities to an exceptional degree to achieve domination.
These are aggressive and capable critters, ones whose existence is characterized by continuous work and conflict. In many places they are the dominate insect, and usually displace solitary insects (those that live and forage alone and not in social groups) to less favorable habitat or eat them.
What are conifers?…The name “conifer” is derived from the Latin word which means “to bear cones.” Cones, the fruiting body which produces the seeds of the tree, are common features of most conifers, with the exception of junipers and yews which produce berry-like fruit.
How do I identify a conifer?…The best way is to look at the leaves. Does the tree have linear, needle-like or scale-like leaves? Conifers are usually evergreens although they still shed their older foliage on various annual cycles. The larch and cypress are deciduous, shedding their leaves annually in the fall.
Are there many conifer species (types)?…More than 500 conifer species have been identified worldwide.
Do all conifers look about the same? Are they the same size and color?…Among the conifers can be found some of the largest, smallest and oldest living woody plants known to mankind. There is an astounding amount of diversity in the conifer world. Some conifers grow into huge forests which are harvested for their timber and others are admired for their adaptability and color variations for the household garden. Overall, they vary in textures from soft and fluffy to rigid or majestic. The wide range of greens, blues and golden yellows paint a colorful landscape wherever conifers grow.
What are the names of the different conifers found in Bryce Canyon National Park?…In the Park you can find pines, junipers, firs, spruces, cedars and Douglas fir.
Biological soil crusts, or more commonly called Cryptobiotic soil or Cryptogamic soil, occur on every continent and in nearly every environment. However, they are most commonly found in arid or desert environments. In the high deserts of the Colorado plateau (i.e. the Four Corners region), biological soil crusts can cover up to 70-80% of the ground cover.
Every time you go to a National Park, you probably hear the same thing: “Don’t feed the animals.” Why do we say that? What harm could a pretzel or apple slice do to a deer or a chipmunk? Too often, it is not an apple slice, but salted peanuts or chips whose high sodium content is poisonous to an animal’s system. Those kinds of food are not healthy for people, how much less for an animal whose diet is supposed to consist of berries, flowers, and insects? Also, the animals become dependent on people as a food source and lose their ability to successfully forage when they have been raised begging for human food.
Although human food can and does harm the animals for a variety of reasons, the reason we ask you not to feed them is for the safety of humans as much as of the animals. In Bryce Canyon, there are two major hazards to humans associated with feeding the animals, specifically ground squirrels, chipmunks, and prairie dogs. First, the animals frequently bite people when they are hand feeding them, or especially when they try to touch the animal without food in their hand. Hantavirus is a disease which has received considerable publicity in southern Utah because several people have died from it recently. One of the ways it is transmitted is through the infected animal’s saliva–by being bitten. It is also transmitted by inhaling or touching dust in which infected animals have urinated or defecated, as the virus is viable in that matter for about three days. Since that dust could be on the animal’s fur, touching the animal is another potential way to obtain the disease. Currently there is no cure for Hantavirus, but if extreme flu like symptoms develop after association with these animals, contact a physician for the available treatment.
Rabies is another disease which is transmitted through an animal bite, which many more animals than just small rodents could carry. Beware of any ringtail cat, rodents, foxes, or other animals who appear extremely sluggish or have strange secretions from their mouth or eyes. Report any abnormal behavior to a ranger.
Secondly, there is a threat of disease to people who are obeying the rules and not feeding the animals when other people have fed them. Bubonic Plague, or as some know it, the Black Plague, has been known to infect our prairie dog population from time to time. A type of flea that lives on small rodents (i.e. prairie dogs, ground squirrels, chipmunks) transmits this disease. When people have fed the animals and taught them that people are their food source, that it is all right to crawl on a person’s leg because they will be rewarded with food, those people might actually be responsible for killing another person down the road. It is common for people to be mobbed by ground squirrels hoping to be fed when they go to a view point, even if the person has no intention of feeding them. If those animals have the fleas infected with Bubonic Plague, the fleas could potentially jump on the person and give them the disease. Fortunately, Bubonic Plague can be cured if caught soon enough, but it is a painful experience.
Even with the potential for all these diseases, you can still come to Bryce Canyon and enjoy a safe visit. The old saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” should be remembered. You can prevent coming in contact with diseases if you do not feed or touch the animals, and make sure that your children stay away from them also. If the animals approach you begging for food, simply ignore them, or chase them off if they get too close. Remember, the animals would never beg for people food if people did not teach them to. So please do your part to ensure the health of the animals, yourself, and other visitors down the road by not feeding the animals.
For more area information on Bryce Canyon National Park please check the following sites:
Open All Year 8am – 8pm (seasonally variable)
Phone – 435/834-5322
Closures – Only on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day
Special Programs – Short informational Video shown on the 1/2 hour and on the hour. Short Geology talks are also available in the Visitor Center Museum during the winter months.
Exhibits – A museum with displays on local Geology, Wildlife, Star Gazing, Historic and Prehistoric Culture.
Available Facilities – Restrooms, Bookstore, and a Ranger staffed Information Desk. Obtain Backcountry Permits at this desk.
Also see Maps for Bryce Canyon
Looking for some winter fun in Bryce Canyon? Ruby’s Inn has a wide variety of winter activities. Visit Ruby’s Inn Winter Activities page for a full list.
In winter this high plateau offers the most reliable snow and longest season in the southwest United States. Its hills and valleys provide the ultimate in diverse terrain and scenic beauty.
Bryce Canyon National Park and the surrounding areas are often forgotten about during the winter months. This is actually one of the best times of year to several things including photography, Snowmobiling, Cross Country Skiing, Ice Skating, and Ice Fishing. There is a long list of very exciting and enjoyable activities that take place all winter long in the City of Bryce.
With the Paunsuagunt Plateau reaching up to 9,000 feet (2,800 m) the average snowfall is around 200”s. This gives way to Great Snowmobiling and other winter activities. There is a lot of open snow covered ground, groomed trails just outside of the Bryce Canyon National Park gate, to where you can take off on Skis, Snowshoes or snowmobiles.
Ruby’s Inn Ice Skating is another great winter activity to think about when visiting Bryce Canyon in the winter months. Their skating ring (in the City of Bryce) is maintained for guests and people visiting the area. It is always a great time with the family and fun activity in the outdoors. Where its one of your past times or you have never been on skates everyone is welcome to give it a try!
Ice Fishing is another great opportunity to get out and enjoy the beauty of Bryce and the surrounding areas. There are many lakes close by that give opportunity for great ice fishing including; Panguitch Lake, Otter Creek, Tropic Reservoir, and many more. These lake are generally stalked all spring summer and fall with different kinds of trout.
For more information on the Bryce Canyon Marathon, the 5K Run and Walk, and the Color Me Fun Run click here: BCHM
With the rugged, rugged and vast red rock canyons of Bryce Canyon and Zion within just an hour drive of each other, you are in the heart of Rock Climbing and Rappelling country! In fact, these two are considered some of the best places in the U.S. to Rappel and Rock Climb with the best majestic scenery as just icing on the cake. With the diversity and extreme nature of both Bryce and Zion Canyons at your fingertips, why not give it a try?
Canyoneering is something that people come to Southern Utah and specifically Bryce Canyon for. It is a passion for the outdoors and a true feeling of being part of something much bigger than you that propels avid Climbers forward. It is a personal challenge to achieve goals and climbs that keeps people coming back to the area and with so many to choose from where do you start? With so much country to climb and all of this in the beauty of these National Parks, where does this amazing journey start! If you would like good advice from local guides and climbing shops please contact Zion Mountain Rock Guides: ://www.zionrockguides.com These guides have the best knowledge and experience around, and will take care of you and you rappelling and rock climbing needs. No matter your experience level these guides can take care of you and help your accomplish your goals. If it permits you need, they can help you out with that.
When even thinking about coming to these areas for Canyoneering no matter your experience level it is always a great idea to check with the parks as well local climbing shops for area info. Please remember that even when the slots canyons of Southern Utah are open they are extremely dangerous. There is flash flood through Southern Utah during summer monsoons that take lives every year. It always the best idea to check out all local weather forecasts, including areas within 30-45 miles of your destination. Having the correct gear for Rappelling and Rock Climbing in Bryce Canyon is just one part of it. Making sure that Mother Nature is on your side is a bigger factor in having a great experience in these national parks.
Zion Rock & Mountain Guides
Offering “the most comprehensive guide service in Southern Utah,” Zion Rock & Mountain Guides provides great guided tours and other resources created and run by experienced outdoor professionals who are passionate about Zion National Park.
Zion Rappelling
Rappelling and Rock Climbing near Zion National Park.