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     One of the favorite national parks on Grand Circle tour, Bryce Canyon continues to enthrall its guests with thousands, if not tens of thousands of hoodoos, the colorful rock spires that earn Bryce the nickname fairyland. This captivating landscape, entertaining over two million guests a year, can be seen over an eighteen mile park road. Here along the rim the access road ushers visitors passed a series of huge horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters, dotted with numerous overlooks and pullouts. On a clear day, some views of the valley stretch well into southern Utah and as far away as New Mexico. Close up views look down into each section of the canyon, highlighting the delicately sculpted spires, natural arches, bridges and peepholes. Still quoted today, it was rancher Ebenezer Bryce that exclaimed, "a helluva place to lose a cow". Today, visitors are able to trace the old cattle trails and footpaths down below the rim, a grand way to thoroughly enjoy this natural wonder.
     In 1924, legislation established Utah National Park, protecting 36,000 acres on enchanting beauty. Continuing with just a change in name, Bryce Canyon National Park is perhaps one of the most photogenic settings in the Southwest. Here nature provides a beautiful contrasting backdrop, made up of the distant Boat Mesa, Aquarius Plateau and Canaan Mountain.
     While photographs can be entertaining and offer one of the best ways to exhibit the beauty of Bryce, none will compare to seeing this grand landscape in person. The labyrinth of hoodoos, found throughout the canyon, is composed of highly eroded sandstone layers. Displaying an unusual palette of ochre, pink, salmon and coral hues, these rock spires were once carved by the Paria River and its tributaries. Continuing to weather today, these hoodoos are said to cast a spell on all that visit.

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