Finally, the Paiute people entered the region and stayed until the twentieth century. The Bryce Canyon region was next inhabited by the Fremont culture, which lived in the area up until about 1200 AD. Then approximately 2,000 years ago, the area became inhabited by the Ancestral Puebloans or the Anasazi who used the area to harvest pine nuts and also to hunt wildlife. As early as 10,000 years ago, Paleo-Indians hunted large mammals in the region. Over thousands of years, various cultures have inhabited the region surrounding Bryce Canyon National Park. The frozen water then expands and fractures the rock formations creating a cycle of continuing erosion. With freezing night temperatures in winter, water which has seeped into the rock’s crevices turns to ice. These pinnacles have been colored by iron oxide, limonite, and magnesium oxide. As these fins erode, they create impressive individual tower formations, at Bryce Canyon, known as hoodoos. As streams of water flow from the plateau, they have created thin ridges in the rock contours of the cliffs, known as fins. The last layers called the Claron Formation, are part of the famous Pink Cliffs which form the upper portions of the Grand Staircase. The park’s amphitheaters have formed, over millennia, as layers of sandstone and shale and iron-rich sandstone and conglomerates were deposited in layers. East of the plateau is the Paria River Valley and in the distance, various formations can be seen such as Powell Point, Navajo Mountain, and the Kaiparowitz Plateau. On top of the plateau, Bryce Canyon begins in elevation at approximately 8,000 feet and rises to just over 9,000 feet. The largest of the rock amphitheaters, Bryce Amphitheater, is 12 miles long, 3 miles wide, and 800 feet deep. Learn more about the Capitol Reef area.Įncompassing approximately 36,000 acres Bryce Canyon is actually a series of fourteen amphitheaters that run in a north-south direction along the southeastern edge of the Paunsagunt Plateau for a distance of approximately 20 miles. This road from Capitol Reef to Bryce Canyon is spectacular with many scenic views and side attractions to enjoy. Bryce Canyon is accessible from Capitol Reef via All-American Scenic Byway 12. To the south of Capitol Reef National Park is Bryce Canyon, one of the most unique national parks in the United States. Visitors to this region will appreciate their ability to stay in one place and experience great adventure and scenery in all directions. Bryce Canyon National Park EXPERIENCE THIS REGION FROM ONE LOCATION
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