OCR Text |
Show Outdoor & Travel Page 11 Ml May 2002 sis Scenic is hardly an adequate ade-quate word to describe the awe inspiring beauty of Bryce Canyon and the 122-mile 122-mile stretch of road known as Utah Highway 12. The western end of Highway 12 begins just south of Panquitch on Highway 89. Shortly after beginning the eastern trek on the Scenic Byway, you come to Red Canyon, part of the Dixie National Forest. With several hiking and horseback riding trails available, you can find many magnificent views for photography opportunities. opportuni-ties. Leaving Red Canyon and continuing east, you come to the best known, and most spectacular, attraction on Highway 12-Bryce 12-Bryce Canyon National Park. The cool pine forests of the canyon rim makes for a lovely stroll, particularly if you choose to take the Park Ranger-guided walk. The 15 minute tour teaches you many interesting facts and gives you a chance to become acquainted with the flora and fauna of the high southern Utah plateau. At the end of the walk, visitors are treated to their if of?--- first view of the sweeping vista of multi-hued "hoodoos." There are many ways to appreciate Bryce. For a quick trip, driving the rim road, with stops at eh over looks for pictures gives you an appreciation of the diverse shapes of the hoodoos (there are explanations explana-tions and outlines that show some of the famous shapes others have spotted, but each visitor is welcome to see whatever or she wants to see) and ever changing colors of the canyon walls. . But the best way to truly appreciate the Park is to get down into the bowl itself Whether on foot or on horseback, the view from below is even more spectacular than that from above. There are more than 50 miles of trails in the park. The trail between Sunrise and Sunset Points is wheelchair accessible and the horse trail intersects several of the most popular foot trails. If you don't have several days in which to explore the Park on foot, horseback is a fun option. In just over four hours, you can reach the bottom of the canyon along one trail and go back up along a circular cir-cular rout that takes you back to where you began. The contrast of Bryce from pine clad rim where there is an almost constant cool breeze, to the hot, dusty lower trails, with the mile of colorful limestone formations in between makes this national park a must-see on Highway 12. Further east, there are several small communities rich in the heritage of the early Mormon Pioneer settlers. set-tlers. Places like Tropic, Cannonville and Henrieville offer a glimpse into the past. Some of the scenic attractions along the way included the Escalante Petrified Forest State Park, where you can see trees so old they have turned to stone, and Calf Creek Falls Recreation Area, where a five-mile round-trip hike takes you to the cascading 1126-foot Lower Calf Creek Falls. The drive also takes you through parts of the nation's newest national monument- The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument-which Monument-which offers great hiking opportunities throughout its rugged wilderness. The road turns north shortly after Escalante and leads you to Boulder, home of the prehistoric Indian village at Anasazi State Park. The museum and park take you back in time over 1000 years to a time Queens Garden In Bryce Canyon National Park. Motel and Restaurant Heated Pool. Spa. HBO. Non Smoking Rooms Free Coffee. Excellent Restaurant Mt 8 East Center St. r(hm tU &Lm Kanab. UT 84741 &LyS I-8OO-748-4104 f ' ' ( M 10 y -1 r,n ttm, oestivesteiu nuDY's Your Bryce Canyon Headquarters Horse Trips Rodeo Scenic Flights Hiking Mountain Biking ATV& Van Tours Convenient Bryce Canyon Shuttle Stop 368 Guest Rooms Campground Restaurants Shopping Swimming Pools Spas & Hot Tub Bs:t Western Ruty'i Inn Hwy 63 Bryce. Utah 84764 000-4G0-C0G0 3 Ctoeest Accommodations to tNtntranoe to Bfyce Canyon National Parte when the Anasazi tribe made the area its home. Continue north, the Byway climbs to the summit sum-mit of Boulder Mountain. Along the way there are pullouts where you can enjoy the vistas of Capitol Reef National Park. The road ends at U-24, the -gateway to Capitol Reef and other Utah Parks. The Best Accommodations for the Price in Town Nice, Clean Rooms Low Rates Friendly Service 29 Rooms (13 Nevj Cable TV Phone Individual Heating & Air Conditioning it: if .s" 3 f t : "St" -s:lfs t rk lb "It Tttft rt5 jaggy IlfrH w -fw i ... -mf ' Bryce Canyon Jfmes 1a .1 x r T . . . rvoici r.u- fxestiiurnnt (Zhevron f-ood Piatt Only 6 Minutes From Bryce Canyon National Park On Utah's Scenic Byway 12 P.O. Box 43, Hwy. 12 Bryce. Utah 84764 435-834-5411 800-89-BRYCE www.brycecanyonmotel.com 15aaV |