Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

I got to visit three national parks when I was in the US which I'll be blogging about in the coming days but for this entry let me talk about this national park first because it is the place where I stayed the longest in my almost four months in the country. And it is also the most memorable one for me, of course. If you are not familiar with this place, let me tell you a little about it.

Bryce Canyon National Park is a national park located in southwestern Utah in the United States. According to Wikipedia, the feature of the park is a collection of giant amphitheaters and not canyons where the park was named after. Anyway, those red, orange and white colors of rocks are called hoodoos, it is an odd-shaped pillar of rock left standing from the forces of erosion. 

I stayed here in Bryce Canyon, Utah the longest while I was in the US because this is where I took my cultural exchange program. Truthfully, I'm not really familiar with Utah, I've never even heard of that state before until this journey. If it wasn't because of my friend who convinced me to choose this state I'll probably don't have all these experiences now. Well, it's because my original plan was to go with half of my batchmates in Virginia who all work in an amusement park but as you can see, I end up working on the mountain.

I'm glad I made the decision to take my work program in Utah over the others because aside from I really had a great time in Bryce Canyon, I also experienced winter season and see snow for the first time. Of course, I also made new friends here that even though we're raised in different cultures, languages, and race we still get along pretty well. That's one good thing I actually like about being in a place where you don't know anyone around, you need and forced to make new friends!

Anyway, go back to the national park, here are some pieces of information you might need if you want to visit The Lodge at Bryce Canyon.

How to get to Bryce Canyon National Park from Las Vegas, Nevada

According to this site, from Las Vegas to Bryce Canyon there are approximately 248 miles. To get to Bryce Canyon from Las Vegas take I-15 north to UT-9 (exit 16) east which takes you through scenic Zion National Park (or you can take UT-14 (exit 59) east as an alternate) to US-89, then go north to UT-12 (Scenic Byway) then go east to UT-63 which is the entrance to Bryce Canyon National Park.

You can also visit Bryce Canyon website to know the other routes. And if you're wondering how I got to the park by myself, I took the bus in Las Vegas Greyhound station to St. George, Utah then from there someone picked me to get to Bryce Canyon. It would take you about 4 to 5 hours drive from Nevada to Utah but as for me, it took me a day to get there with all the waiting and delayed, anyway.

And since I live in a housing provided to employees inside the park and shuttle going to town are very rare, I have a lot of free time to explore the park during my day-offs. Well, after doing laundry and waking up late during off, I usually hike and visit viewpoints where the shuttle bus takes me. In my almost four months in here, I make it a point to give time to see what the park can offer because I know it's a once in a lifetime experience I needed to see.

I'm not sure which viewpoints, trails, and rims I already visited but in case you want to explore Bryce Canyon, here's a list of guides that will be useful to you when you visit the park.

• 9 Things to do in Bryce Canyon National Park
• Tours and Camping in Bryce Canyon National Park
• Things to do in Bryce Canyon National Park
• 100 Things to do at Bryce Canyon

Six years have passed but I can still remember the experience like it was just yesterday. While writing about this and reminiscing the moments it makes me miss the hiking, long walks, the orange hoodoos, rims and the trails more. In just a span of four months in this beautiful place, I already experienced and learned a lot that I know I'll be bringing in my heart forever. Thank you, Bryce Canyon for giving me one of the best experience in life.

So if you wanted to visit something new aside from the famous Grand Canyon, you might want to visit Bryce Canyon, I highly recommend to drive up to Utah to see this beautiful national park. I know it's a long drive but definitely worth it! Just don't forget to bring your sunscreen if you're planning to go there during summer and a good pair of hiking shoes! Okay?!