When visiting Bryce Canyon the first day was spent hitting all the overlooks, like regular tourons, starting at Rainbow Point.
Rainbow Point offers an expansive view of southern Utah and is the same point to start the Bristlecone Loop Trail.
About 60 million years ago, a large freshwater lake began to fill the low basin that covered most of southern Utah. Over a period of millions of years, rivers and streams from surrounding mountains gradually filled this lake with clays, silts and sands. Calcium carbonate cemented these sediments together, forming the limestone layer from which the canyon has been carved.
About 16 million years ago the land in southern Utah began to rise. A series of plateaus were uplifted along large faults and rose from near sea level up 8000 to 10000 feet (2438 m to 3048 m).
As the plateaus rose erosion wore them away leaving the many colored hoodoos. The limestone is white yet stained red, yellow, orange and brown by iron, and blue and purple by manganese.
What magical rocky places have you visited?
Sure was cool standing next to them grandpa trees!
Sure was fun although we missed the meals in the EDR… 🙂 Worth it, every last stomach growl…
Stunning colors in those rocks Gaelyn. I have never seen anything like this anywhere else.
Beautiful…blows me away to hear '16 million years ago….' The Earth goes on and on and we pass through.
I love your bits of history! That must be the Ranger in you talking, hehe. Thats an amazing viewpoint, you really can see so far, I don't remember that from my visit, I will just have to go back!!
I am just always in awe when I see all the sights around there. No wonder so many tourists visit you part of the world.
I think southern Utah is so spectacular. Great pics.
Several of my acquaintances have assured me that the earth (and the entire universe for that matter) is only about 6000 years old.
What beautiful rocks. Diane
Great pics!
You managed to capture the wonderful color of the canyon, Gaelyn. The rock formations are awesome.
Did you get out to the Bristlecone Loop? We did.. that was great, had to watch out for lightning and rain though. I'll post something from this spot too, soon:)
Geology is fascinating, especially in southern Utah, where the effects of geologic forces are so clearly seen. Beautiful photos. Bryce is an amazing place.
You're doing something that I've always wanted to do. Complete travel and staying at all the camp grounds for the summer in the US. And take many years to do it. How fun!