Bryce Canyon National Park (Episode 13)

Send us Fan MailBryce Canyon is not a canyon. It's a series of natural amphitheaters carved into the edge of a plateau — filled with the greatest concentration of hoodoos on Earth, capped by some of the darkest accessible night skies in the country, and sitting at the top of the Grand Staircase, a geological record spanning 200 million years.Peter Densmore, Visual Information Specialist at Bryce Canyon National Park, joins The Parks Podcast to explain what makes this place unlike anywhere else on Earth — and how to experience it in every season. Missy also shares her own winter visit during COVID, when she stood at the overlooks with snow on the hoodoos and had a peanut butter and jelly picnic at the rim of the plateau.In this episode: — What a hoodoo actually is and how it forms — Why Bryce Canyon is not a canyon — and what it really is — 12,000 years of human history and the Southern Paiute's sacred connection to this land — How plants and wildlife survive at 8,000 feet — The darkest accessible night skies in the country — and how to plan around the moon cycle — Winter at Bryce Canyon — snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and what to prepare for — Lodging, camping, accessibility, and planning tips for every season — Why the Junior Ranger program is open to all agesLinks mentioned: — Plan your visitCamping reservationsAnnual Astronomy FestivalMerlin Bird ID AppUtah road conditionsSupport the show