Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Our Utah Adventure: Day Three: Part III: Bryce Canyon "Queen's Garden Trail"


 This is a continuation of a travel series to Utah.  To start at the beginning, go  HERE.  The rest of the posts in chronological order are HERE,  HEREHEREHEREHEREHEREHERE, and HERE!

In last week's travel post I shared all our excitement and emotions as we walked the rim of Bryce Canyon amphitheater.  In this week's post, and in the week's to come, I will share our adventures as we hike deep down into the canyon.

The most popular hike in Bryce Canyon is the Queen's/Navajo Combination Loop.  This hike combines Queen's Garden and Navajo Loop to form a 2.9 mile loop.  To keep the posts from getting too long, I'm only going to cover Queen's Garden in today's post and I will do the Navajo Loop next week.

The loop connect the two most famous scenic overlooks in the park,  Sunrise Point and Sunset Point. It is recommend that you start the trail in a clockwise direction for safety reasons (which is Sunrise Point).  A lot of visitors want to start at Sunset Point so that they don't have to hike the steepest part up.  However, the gravel can be slippery and dangerous falls can occur if you hike it that way. You also get better views (especially when you reach the famous Wall Street area) if you hike it clockwise.

To take you down as safely as possible into the canyon, the trail is a series of switchbacks.


As impressive as it was to see the amphitheater from the rim, it's even more impressive as you descend down into it for you get a real idea of the size of these unique formations called "Hoodoos".



My husband got such a kick out of the shapes of some of these monuments.  He came up with a lot of creative nicknames.  The most famous hoodoo on this trail is called "Queen Victoria" because the shape looks very similar to the Queen.  You will have to google that to see it, I'm not sure if we got a picture of it.  How that happened, I have no idea. 😠


We had so much fun exploring all the nooks and crannies on this trail.  There were so many interesting tunnels and door ways.


Can you tell how hot I am in the picture?  I think it was in the upper 90's this day.  It actually didn't feel that bad because the air is so dry.  The park service recommends that you drink at least one liter of water for every two hours you plan to hike.  I definitely did that and more!


We were constantly "oohing" and "ah hing" on this trail because around every bend was something else unique and interesting.



I loved this beautiful formation of hoodoos.


You still get a lot of gorgeous panoramic shots like this one even when you start walking deep into the canyon.


It's fun to look down as well as up, and all around to get all the different viewpoints of the hoodoos.




Next week I will cover the second half of this trail:  Navajo Loop!

Have a Great Day!  Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!

28 comments:

  1. What a great hike! Nature is so beautiful, these are stunning rock formations and it's so nice you got to get up close with them! :)

    Hope that your week is going well! It's a busy one here with lots of fun Christmas events :)

    Away From Blue | Handbag Gift Guide

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  2. That is so beautiful! I don't think I could hike it when it was so hot though; I am awful about staying hydrated (as we have discovered on a few of our trips!). I can't wait to see even more photos.

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    1. I think because it's a dry heat, it didn't bother me. Here in Wisconsin we always have such high humidity that anything above 80 is unbearable.

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  3. Amy! I'm a hiker and I can't wait to get to Bryce Canyon! I went when I was 12 on a family trip and COMPLETELY fell in love with it! I have a dog that hikes with me so I'll need to check on the trail accessibility for her.

    Thank you for sharing your adventures!

    Allison

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    1. Thanks Allison. I can see why you fell in love with Bryce Canyon at 12, it's such a fun park for kids to explore!

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  4. I'd love to do these hikes that you've just done! What gorgeous structures! It's like being in Carlsbad Caverns except the inverse. And the one with the darker blue sky against the terra cotta - what a beautiful picture!

    Ruth
    https://voguefauxreal.com/2019/12/09

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  5. I just cannot even believe these photos!! So amazing!

    Amy Ann
    Straight A Style

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    1. I know, right? It's even more unbelievable in person.

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  6. Another gorgeous hike and such beautiful pictures! The rock formations look amazing!

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  7. I'm back. I went ahead and googled the queen and think I spotted it on your second photo on the right side. Maybe I'm wrong but it sure looks a lot like what I saw googling. Such fun formations!

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    1. Thanks. Yea, I just don't see it. I'm mad we may have missed it on our hike. I've searched through all our photos and can't seem to find the image, HOWEVER, I do know it depends on the angle you see the hoodoo. It only looks like Queen Victoria from a certain angle. Maybe that's why we didn't see it.

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  8. Such an amazing place Amy - I can see why it's taken you several posts to cover it all. Those rock formations are so majestic and other-worldy aren't they? They dwarf you all in comparison!
    Thanks for linking up with us at MLSTL and I've shared on my SM ☺️

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    1. Yes it is, I just have so many pictures and I can't cover every hike in one post. I know people who are going to these places have to make a decision on which hikes to take, and covering the parks hike by hike helps make them decide which hike to take. I do the same research before I start any hiking adventures.

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  9. The rock formations at Bryce remind me of silly sand that we used to play with when I was kid. The sand was wet and we would dribble it into formations that look just like those in your photos. Gorgeous. Bryce Canyon, not silly sand!!

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    1. You know, that is a great comparison! They look exactly like that!

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  10. Bryce Canyon is one of my favorite places! It feels like a magical kingdom and is easy to fall in love with. Your photos are fabulous. Thank you for sharing!

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  11. Enjoyed seeing your pics! Looks like you all managed to find some shade here and there! Thanks so much for linking up at the #UnlimitedMonthlyLinkParty 7. Shared.

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    1. Thanks Dee! There sure wasn't much shade, but we took advantage of it when we did find it.

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  12. This looks so fun indeed! Love photos dear!

    Jessica | notjessfashion.com

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  13. What a fun adventure, Amy! Bryce Canyon is on my list, I hope I can visit some day.

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  14. I went on a solo camping trip to Bryce back in the 90s between jobs. It was very beautiful. I wanted to go on the horse ride but I have a pretty strong fear of heights. I asked the man at the stables if there were any steep parts and he said no. It started out okay but then got so overwhelming I was in full panic mode, and that didn't help my horse's calmness. I don't know how I made it through, but I will never forget the horrible experience in such a beautiful place. - Margy

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    1. Oh my goodness! I wonder why he said "no" because there certainly are. Maybe "steep" is just relative.

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