Bryce Canyon is not a canyon. It is
spectacular edge of
Paunsaugunt Plateau, a place where intricately carved towers and archways of stone shimmer in a dazzling array of colour under
bright sun.The state of Utah in
United States is home to many beautiful National Parks, and Bryce Canyon National Park ranks as one of
most magnificent and awe inspiring.
15 million years ago
earth in this region began to shift, forming a series of plateaus. The Paunsaugunt is an extensive plateau, with
Paria River gradually eroding away
edge to form Bryce Canyon.
The rock in Bryce Canyon is composed of layer after layer of sediment deposits, deposited millions of years ago when
area was at
bottom of a lake. Now
Paria River has exposed
layers, allowing a detailed history of
lake to be determined.
The Park itself was established in 1924, and was named after an early settler in
area, Ebenezer Bryce. He emigrated from Scotland, married a local girl then moved southwards in stages, building sawmills as he went.
In
mid 1870s he reached
Paria River, where he and his family settled for a number of years. It was at this time that Bryce made his immortal comment about Bryce Canyon - he called it "one hell of a place to lose a cow".
The area remained basically undiscovered by European tourists,
first guest houses only being constructed around
time when
park was officially established.
Luckily this has led to Bryce Canyon being an area of largely unspoiled beauty, as well as
enormous scientific value of
historic information trapped in its pinnacles and spires.
The canyon is by no means a stagnant place -
rim recedes by an average of about a foot every 50 years, and in this ever changing scene it is water that plays
most vital role in
shaping and eventual destruction of
magnificent scenery.
Because
rock was laid down in layers, there is a variation in
hardness of
rock formed. When water runoff trickles across
rock, some areas erode rapidly whereas others hold firm.
This variation in erosion speed causes
formation of pinnacles, or "hoodoos" of stable rock. In some places
water seeps down through cracks and eats out holes beneath
surface. When
side rock erodes away, an archway is left behind.
Eventually
arch collapses, leaving two more pillars to join
rest. The ever changing vista of colours, spires, walls and archways is spectacular at any season, and
park is open all year round.