Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
Markus sitting on a bench on the path between Sunset Point and Sunrise Point at the Bryce Canyon National Park
So far in the series, we've covered our start from Vancouver driving down to Los Angeles with stops in Eugene, Oregon and Sacramento, California. After a few days in LA, we drove east to visit Joshua Tree National Park on the way to Las Vegas. From Las Vegas, we went further east past the Grand Canyon along the border of Arizona and Utah to the city of Page where we spent time in the surrounding areas visiting the beautiful landscapes and rock formations.
A couple of updates ago, we started our return trip home with a stop on the edge of Zion National Park by Springdale in Utah. After spending some time in Zion National Park, this update begins a couple of hours north at Bryce Canyon National Park.
About Bryce Canyon National Park
Panoramic shot of the Bryce Canyon National Park
Of all the big name national parks we've been able to visit during this trip (with the likes of the Joshua Tree National Park, Grand Canyon National Park and having just come from Zion National Park), Bryce Canyon National Park was one of our favourites by far. The park is known for their hoodoos, which are spires of rock formations.
The expanse of the park reminded us of the Grand Canyon, though the bright-orangey and red rock formations here are one of a kind. When we were there in early March, there was still snow in the area so certain trails were closed off. While there was still plenty to do and admire at Bryce Canyon National Park with the snow, we definitely recommend checking the weather out beforehand if you're hoping to do more trails.
What can you do with a dog?
Markus thinking he’s part of the view at the Bryce Canyon National Park
As it is with most of the national parks we've visited on this road trip, Bryce Canyon National Park only allows dogs on paved surfaces of the park including the campgrounds, parking lots, paved roads and viewpoints. With Markus, we got to visit Sunset Point and Sunrise Point, which was enough for us to enjoy the park and soak in its beauty (most of the trails were closed due to snow anyways).
With a dog, you're likely to spend most of your time at these two points and the path in between. The two points are about 10 minutes from each other, but you'll likely want to stop in between to take some breathtaking pictures of the canyon!
Throughout the park, there are other viewpoints that you'll be able to drive up to with your dog. As long as you stay within the paved roads or parking lots, you’re allowed to visit it with your dog, though there’s a good chance they’ll just stay in the car for the bulk of it.
What we liked
The spire-shaped rock formations are unlike other rock formations that we normally get to see, especially coming from Canada.
The colours with the snow were really stunning. There are good locations for taking photographs of the canyon.
We were pleasantly surprised at how much we were able to do with Markus. Visiting the Sunset and Sunrise Points were enough for us to get a taste of Bryce Canyon National Park!
What we didn't like
There was still plenty of snow in the area, so certain paths and trails were closed (though we wouldn't have been able to do them with Markus anyways).
Our Recommendation for Reactive Dogs
Whether it was because it was still cold with the snow out or just a slower season, the park was surprisingly not very busy. We did come across a few other dogs while we were here, but since it's not the safest place for dogs to be running off-leash, they were all leashed. The path between the two viewpoints is also very wide, so it wasn't a problem for us to step aside whenever we passed another dog. Since it is a touristy location, I would imagine that the park would be busier during peak days, so if your dog's not comfortable with the crowds, just keep that in mind.
Aside from that, just make sure your dog's on a leash since there’s not much separating you, your dog and the edge of the canyon.
Disclaimer
Markus is a reactive, but not aggressive dog. His instinct is to avoid other dogs and he may growl, bark or lunge if provoked, but will not attack. We normally do not have issues with leashed dogs when both sides are controlled, but we will be on guard when an oncoming dog is not leashed. There are varying levels to a dog’s reactivity and only you can decide if this park, trail or hotel is appropriate for your dog. Our visits generally will not include off-leash areas; most experiences shared on The Markus Project are within leashed or undefined areas.
Please remember that our past experience visiting a park, trail or hotel may not be the same as your experience at the same park, trail or hotel. We have no control of who visits the park and whether they adhere to park rules - like leashing their dogs on leash-required paths - or not. Please use your discretion with the information provided and with your personal knowledge of your dog’s reactivity when visiting these parks, trails or hotels.
