Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [75]
Many birds live in the park. You're bound to hear the rather obnoxious call of the Steller's jay. Other birds often seen include violet-green swallows, common ravens, Clark's nutcrackers, American robins, red-shafted flickers, dark-eyed juncos, and chipping sparrows. Watch for white-throated swifts as they perform their exotic acrobatics along cliff faces. The park is also home, at least part of the year, to peregrine falcons, red-tailed hawks, golden eagles, bald eagles, and great horned owls.
The Great Basin rattlesnake, although pretty, should be given a wide berth. Sometimes growing to more than 5 feet long, this rattler is the park's only poisonous reptile. Fortunately, like most rattlesnakes, it is just as anxious as you are to avoid a confrontation. Other reptiles you may see in the park are the mountain short-horned lizard, the tree lizard, the side-blotched lizard, and the northern sagebrush lizard.
Winter Sports & Activities
Bryce is beautiful in the winter, when the white snow settles over the red, pink, orange, and brown hoodoos.
Snowshoes may be used anywhere in the park except on cross-country ski tracks. Cross-country skiers will find several marked, ungroomed trails (all above the rim). They include the Fairyland Loop Trail, which leads 1 mile through a pine and juniper forest to the Fairyland Point Overlook. From here you can take the 1-mile Forest Trail back to the road, or continue north along the rim for another 1.2 miles to the park boundary. There are also connections to ski trails in the adjacent national forest.
Although the entire park is open to cross-country skiers, rangers warn that it's impossible to safely ski the steep trails leading down into the canyon. Stop at the visitor center for additional trail information, and go to Best Western Ruby's Inn, just north of the park entrance (☎ 866/866-6616 or 435/834-5341; www.rubysinn.com), for information on cross-country ski trails and snowmobiling opportunities outside the park. Ruby's grooms over 30 miles of ski trails and rents cross-country ski equipment.
Camping
INSIDE THE PARK
Typical of many of the West's national park campgrounds, the two facilities at Bryce offer plenty of trees with a genuine "forest camping" experience and easy access to trails, but limited facilities. North Campground is our top choice— it's closer to the Rim Trail, making it easier to rush over to catch those amazing sunrise and sunset colors, and you can reserve a spot ($9 booking fee) during the warmer months through the National Recreation Reservation Service (☎ 877/444-6777; www.reserveusa.com). And we wouldn't turn down a site at Sunset Campground. Try to get to the park early (usually by 2pm in the summer) to claim a site. Showers ($2) are at a general store in the park, although it's a healthy walk from either campground. The Park Service also operates an RV dump station ($2 fee) in the summer.
The general store near the Sunrise Point parking area has a coin-operated laundry and a snack bar, plus bundles of firewood, food and camping supplies, and souvenirs. There are tables on a covered porch along one side of the building.
NEAR THE PARK
Just north of the entrance to the park is Ruby's Inn RV Park & Campground, 1280 S. Utah 63, Bryce, UT 84764 (☎ 866/866-6616 or 435/834-5301; www.rubysinn.com; credit cards accepted), which is on the park's shuttle bus route. The RV and tent sites are mostly shady and attractive. The campground contains a game room, horseshoes, a swimming pool, barbecue grills, two coin-op laundries, and a store with groceries and RV supplies. A lake and a horse pasture are nearby. Also on the grounds are several camping cabins ($45 double) and tipis ($26 double), which share the campground's bathhouse and other facilities.
Bryce Canyon Pines, milepost 10, Utah 12 (P.O. Box 64000-43, Bryce, UT