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Why is Bryce Canyon so dark?

Bryce Canyon's high elevation, clean air, and remote location creates some of the darkest skies in the country.



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Utah has several certified Dark Sky Parks, with Bryce Canyon being Utah's fourth national park, and 13th location altogether, to receive dark sky certification from the International Dark-Sky Association.

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Iron-rich, limy sediments were deposited in the beds of a series of lakes and streams. These became the red rocks of the Claron Formation from which the hoodoos are carved and for which the Pink Cliffs are named.

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Bryce Canyon City, sometimes shown as Bryce on maps, is a town in Garfield County, Utah, United States, adjacent to Bryce Canyon National Park. The town, formerly known as Ruby's Inn, was officially incorporated on July 23, 2007 under a short-lived state law. The population was 198 at the 2010 census.

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Hiking, boating, swimming, and fishing are popular pastimes with the stunning, red-rock canyons as a backdrop in this Southern Utah hotspot. Whether on land or water, over two million travelers gather with family and friends each year to experience the second-largest manmade reservoir in the United States.

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Bryce Canyon offers various night sky programs and activities, including Night Sky Telescope Programs (Memorial Day through Labor Day) and Full Moon Hikes.

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In 2021, Zion National Park became certified as an International Dark Sky Park, a certification granted by the International Dark-Sky Association.

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The Direct Route is safe - that said, you'll face sharp turns in the form of switchbacks. Switchbacks are roads with sharp ascents and descents cutting back one on another, so it's good to be prepared for this before you set off on your trip. If you're scared of heights, there's no need to be concerned.

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YES. If the bear continues to approach, use your bear spray. You should have bear spray with you at all times while hiking and camping and adventuring.

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Quiet hours are from 10 pm to 8 am.

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Drugs and Alcohol Possession of any controlled substance is prohibited. Operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or other intoxicants, or having open containers of alcohol in a vehicle, is prohibited. Help us protect the park resources and other visitors by identifying a designated driver.

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With elevations ranging from 3,000 to 9,000 feet in Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks, altitude sickness is a very real possibility.

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One of the important differences between Bryce Canyon and Zion is that Bryce is at significantly higher elevation than Zion. In fact, Bryce has areas that are as much as 5,000 feet higher in elevation than Zion. This means that Bryce is significantly colder—and snowier—than Zion for a significant portion of the year.

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