The halfway point between Bryce and Moab is Goblin Valley State Park. There are more hoodoos here, but the formation of these includes flowing water as well as the ice cracking. They’re much smaller and in reach for climbing on.
They’re so funny to be amongst! I feel like a kid playing in here.
They’re such funny shapes, like mushrooms, but also comically phallic. Hahaha
We‘re driving from Bryce Canyon to Moab today, stopping at Capitol Reef.
And again this smaller park is spectacular. It is a huge fold of layers and layers of rock that has eroded so you can see all the layers opened right up in ridges high above you. The road and walks are all along the fold, which really highlights it length
The name comes of its two prominent features: the white layer of rock at the top resembles the Capitol building (the White House); and its imposing, impenetrable nature that stopped early explorers made it a reef to navigate.
It was cold overnight brrrrrrr.
And the sunrise that we planned to see seemed like a dumb idea. We snoozed briefly and then resolved to get up. How disappointed would we have been if we’d sleep in!
We went back to Inspiration Point, fully rugged up, the clouds were gorgeous, and the sun was just about to peak up over the horizon.
And as we watched one, two, three little snowflakes came down. And then more and more started fluttering around us, catching the light and sparkling weightlessly in the breeze. How amazing!
The hairs on my arms and neck stood up as the scene really struck me (I’m sure the cold helped too!)
That was a very very wonderful way to say goodbye to Bryce Canyon!
Like mother like son, some trees of Bryce Canyon:
Wow!!
Okay so we arrived in Bryce at about 7:30 am after an early start. We decide to go to some lookouts until the info centre opens.
Inspiration Point is a surprisingly good first impression. Then sunset point for breakfast
At the info centre we decide to do the figure 8 loop and then some of the Fairyland Trail, at least as far as the Tower Bridge, maybe a little further based on the ranger’s recommendation
Inspiration point:
The park is full of hoodoos. They are funny shaped spikes or towers of rock formed when water seeps into cracks in the rock, then freezes in cold temperatures, which cracks the rock. As the water melts and subsequent rains flows the cracks open further and the debris is carried away. Stronger and more balanced rocks stay upright, others fall and turn to clay. They remaining rocks are these hoodoos.
The figure 8 track is two loops combined: the Peekaboo Loop and the Queens Loop. If you wanted to shorten the walk, my recommendation would be to skip the Queens Loop.
There are these fun switchbacks on the way down to the two loops that are a lot of fun. And then the Peekaboo Loop has lots of ups and downs going around hoodoos from every angle, and looking through windows too.
Queens just has a hoodoo that looks like Queen Victoria, funny but not much else to see otherwise.
In the afternoon we walk some of the Fairylands trail.
It’s a lot more hoodoo sparse but offers better views of the valley below. The tower bridge looks like Tower Bridge, which is neat, but the larger views are the best part of this trail.
We finish the day with a drive to some more lookouts
This park is one of the more curious places I’ve been. It’s just a whole lot of fun to be in and around the hoodoos, they have a kind of zany energy.