Bryce Canyon Scenic Drive

Bryce Canyon National Park offers memorable adventures for people willing to spend several hours or days, hiking through the paths of its amphitheater.  But if you’re not a hiker, not to worry.  You can take in the majesty of this National Park via the Bryce Canyon Scenic Drive that winds through the park.

Exploring By Car

On our final afternoon in Bryce Canyon, we explored a more expansive sampling of the park by taking a drive in our car. Along the way, we stopped at several turnouts. At many of these, signs pointed out key features at each location.

Sunrise and Sunset Points

We’ve already covered the vistas from Sunrise and Sunset points in previous blog posts.  Indeed, if you’re going to stop in only one place, one of these would be a great top choice.  But hey, when you’re in the park already, you surely need to see more.  So, let’s keep on driving down the road.

Farview Point

This turnout’s moniker is Farview Point. The name fits well as the views stretch on and on from this overlook.  

From this overlook, you can see landmarks that include the Grand Staircase, the Aquarius Plateau (Pink Cliffs), the Kaiparowits Plateau (Grey Cliffs), Molly’s Nipple (White Cliffs), and even glimpses of the Kaibab Plateau on which lies the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. 

With generally high air quality, you can see up to 160 miles away.  If you’re lucky, you can catch a glimpse of the Black Mesas in Arizona.  On most days, you can even see Navajo Mountain on the border of Utah and Arizona which is 90 miles away.

Far views indeed will be seen here.

Natural Bridge

It’s called Natural Bridge, but it’s technically an arch.  And a natural one at that.  You can admire this beautiful feature right off the main scenic road.  This arch, sculpted from red rock of the Claron Formation, contrasts nicely against the Ponderosa forest that you can see through the arch in the canyon below.

Sheep Creek and Swamp Canyon

Next on our drive, we stopped at the overlook for Swamp Canyon.  It is bounded on both sides by fins and hoodoos.  

If you have some more time on your hands and are so inclined, you can descend to either side of the prominence on a trail that connects with the “Under the Rim” trail.  The trail here is of moderate difficulty, though preparation is in order (water, snacks, etc.).

Inspiration Point

Back in the car, we came upon one final pullover opportunity.  This was at Inspiration Point.  

As we stepped across the parking lot, the immediate views impressed us.   Turning to our right, we noticed a hill that we would need to climb in order to get the best view.  It had already been several days of hiking for us in the area. Being a bit on the tired side, we talked ourselves into exerting one more burst of energy to get ourselves to the top of the hill.  You know that conversation with the two battling voices in your head (this view is good enough vs. c’mon, you can do it).

We made our way up to the top – step by step. And upon arriving at the top, this was absolutely worth it.  Perhaps the best view of our entire trip at Bryce Canyon National Park.  If you make your way here, by all means, do walk to the highest viewpoint.  It is so worth it.

More to Explore

If you have more time on your hands than we did, you can squeeze in a few more stops along the drive. These would include Agua Canyon, Ponderosa Canyon, Rainbow Point and Yovimpa Point. And of course, let’s not forget Scenic Highway 12 which makes its way through the northeast portion of the landscape. It will also take you to Mossy Cave, which we’ve previously written about on our blog.

Multiple Ways to Explore Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park offers many visual wonders. Some are best experienced by getting yourself into its nooks and crannies as a hiker.  Others can easily be admired from multiple vantage points that are easily accessible by your automobile.  Whichever you choose, you’ll find much to enjoy in this national landmark.