Bryce Canyon Amphitheater
Bryce Canyon National Park
The Navajo Loop and Peekaboo Loop join to form the longest contiguous hiking route through the Bryce Canyon Amphitheater, commonly referred to as the Figure 8. Hikers will enjoy varied terrain through a mesmerizing labyrinth of hoodoos, fins and rock formations.
When water freezes it expands by almost 10%, which can pry open cracks in rocks
Looking over Thors Hammer and the Temple of Osiris from Sunset Point
Bryce Canyon sees over 200 freeze/thaw events each year, the primary weathering force on rock
By definition, hoodoos differ from pinnacles or spires by having a variable thickness
The bristlecone pine's short, twisted trunk facilitates nutrient flow and stabilizes the tree in wind
Traces of acid in rainwater dissolve limestone, and round the edges of hoodoos
Aspen can live 40–150 years above ground, but the clonal root system can live much longer
Mule deer antlers are typically shed in February and begin re-growing almost immediately
The Wall of Windows is visible from many high points along the Figure 8 hiking route
Bryce Canyon supports 3 distinct forest types: spruce-fir, ponderosa pine, and pinyon pine-juniper
The Grand Staircase preserves 600 million years of geologic history - more than any place on Earth
Strip-barking enables a small strip of bark to nourish large branches and needle clusters
Millions of years ago, earthquakes along the Paunsaugunt fault exposed joints to accelerated erosion
Manzanita, a common evergreen shrub in Bryce Canyon, is Spanish for Little Apple
Bryce Canyon is more aptly described as an escarpment in the Paunsaugunt Plateau
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