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Grand Canyon, Arizona

Sianok canyon in Bukittinggi, Indonesia

Kali Gandaki Gorge near Ghassa village, Nepal

Noravank Monastery complex and canyon in Armenia.

Aerial view of canyons in western United States.

Sapadere Canyon, Antalya, Turkey.

A canyon (occasionally spelled cañon) or gorge is a deep ravine between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Rivers have a natural tendency to reach a baseline elevation, which is the same elevation as the body of water it will eventually drain into. This forms a canyon.^[1] Most canyons were formed by a process of long-time erosion from a plateau level. The cliffs form because harder rock strata that are resistant to erosion and weathering remain exposed on the valley walls. Canyons are much more common in arid areas than in wet areas because physical weathering has a greater effect in arid zones. The wind and water from the river combine to erode and cut away less resistant materials such as shales. The freezing and expansion of water also serves to help form canyons. Water seeps into cracks between the rocks and freezes, pushing the rocks apart and eventually causing large chunks to break off the canyon walls which are also known as frost wedging.^[2] Canyon walls are often formed of resistant sandstones or granite. Submarine canyons form underwater, generally at the mouths of rivers. The word canyon is Spanish in origin (cañón, pronounced: [kaˈɲon]). The word canyon is generally used in the United States, while the word gorge is more common in Europe and Oceania, though it is also used in some parts of the United States and Canada. The military derived word defile is occasionally used in the United Kingdom.

A famous example, and the largest gorge in the world,^[3] is the Grand Canyon in Arizona with an average depth of one mile and a volume of 4.17 trillion cubic metres.^[4] In the southwestern United States, canyons are important archeologically because of the many cliff-dwellings built there, largely by the earlier inhabitants, Ancient Pueblo Peoples. The second largest canyon, and the largest in Africa, is Fish River Canyon in Namibia.^[5]

The Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon (or Tsangpo Canyon), along the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet, is regarded by some as the deepest canyon in the world at 5,500 m (18,000 ft), and is slightly longer than Grand Canyon making it one of the world's largest.^[6] The Kali Gandaki Gorge in midwest Nepal is seen by others to be the deepest canyon, with a 6400 m (21,000 ft) difference between the level of the river and the peaks surrounding it.

Sometimes large rivers run through canyons as the result of gradual geological uplift. These are called entrenched rivers, because they are unable to easily alter their course. The Colorado River in the Southwest and the Snake River in the Northwest are two examples of tectonic uplift.

Canyons often form in areas of limestone rock. Limestone is to a certain extent soluble, so cave systems form in the rock. When these collapse a canyon is left, for example in the Mendip Hills in Somerset and Yorkshire Dales in Yorkshire, England.

A canyon may also refer to a rift between two mountain peaks such as those in ranges such as the Rocky Mountains, the Alps, the Himalayas or the Andes. Usually a river or stream and erosion carve out such splits between mountains. Examples of mountain type canyons are Provo Canyon in Utah or Yosemite National Park in California's Sierra Nevada. Canyons within mountains or gorges that only have an opening on one side are called box canyons. Slot canyons are very narrow canyons, often with smooth walls.

Largest canyons[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

View of Grand Canyon from Space Shuttle Challenger.

• Tsangpo Canyon in Tibet.
• Grand Canyon in Arizona, United States
• Copper Canyon in Chihuahua, Mexico

The definition of "largest canyon" is rather imprecise, as a canyon can be large by its depth, length, or the total area of the canyon system. Also the inaccessibility of the major canyons in the Himalaya contributes to their not being regarded as candidates for the biggest canyon. The definition of "deepest canyon" is similarly imprecise, especially if one includes mountain canyons as well as canyons cut through relatively flat plateaus (which have a somewhat well-defined rim elevation).

Lists[link]

This article is in a list format that may be better presented using prose. You can help by converting this article to prose, if appropriate. Editing help is available. (October 2011)

List of canyons[link]

Gorges of Ak-Shur.

Bicaz Canyon, Romania

• Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Colorado, United States
• Blyde River Canyon, Mpumalanga, South Africa
• Canyon de Chelly, Arizona, United States
• Canyon Sainte-Anne, Quebec, Canada
• Charyn Canyon, Kazakhstan
• Harmanköy Canyon, Bilecik Turkey
• Chicamocha Canyon, Santander, Colombia
• Colca Canyon, Arequipa, Peru
• Copper Canyon, Chihuahua, Mexico
• Cotahuasi Canyon, Arequipa, Peru
• Fish River Canyon, Namibia
• Fraser Canyon, British Columbia, Canada
• Grand Canyon of Torotoro, Torotoro, Potosi Department, Bolivia
• Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Wyoming, United States
• Guartelá Canyon, Paraná, Brazil
• Hells Canyon, Idaho and Oregon, United States
• Horseshoe Canyon, Alberta, Canada
• Huasteca Canyon, Monterrey, Mexico
• Itaimbezinho, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
• Kanionet e Skraparit, Albania
• Kings Canyon (Northern Territory), Australia
• Little River Canyon, Alabama, United States
• Logan Canyon, Utah, United States
• Matka Canyon, Republic of Macedonia
• Nfeye Canyon, Portugal
• Nine Mile Canyon, Utah, United States
• Ouimet Canyon, Ontario, Canada
• Palo Duro Canyon, Texas, United States
• Rugova Canyon, Kosovo, Europe
• Saturban canyon, Santander, Colombia
• Somoto Canyon, Somoto, Madriz, Nicaragua
• Shnizow Canyon, Uşak, Turkey
• St. Christopher's Canyon (Cañon de San Cristobal), Barranquitas/Aibonito, Puerto Rico
• Sumidero Canyon, Chiapas, Mexico
• Tara River Canyon, Montenegro, Europe
• Valla Canyon, Kure,Turkey
• Waimea Canyon, Hawaii, United States
• Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon, Tibet Autonomous Region, China
• Tara River Canyon, Montenegro, Europe

List of gorges[link]

Swaan gorge

Aragvi River Gorge

Cataract Gorge, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia

Mossman river and Gorge, Daintree National Park, Australia

• Aragvi River Gorge, Georgia (country)
• Avon Gorge, Bristol, England
• Bog Walk Gorge, Saint Catherine Parish, Jamaica
• Bued Gorge, Benguet, Philippines
• Buller Gorge, Buller, New Zealand
• Cataract Gorge, Launceston, Australia
• Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, England
• Chovar Gorge, Kathmandu, Nepal
• Columbia River Gorge, Oregon/Washington, United States
• Corrieshalloch Gorge, Ullapool, Scotland
• Ebbor Gorge, Somerset, England
• Galston Gorge, NSW, Australia
• Gorropu, Sardinia, Italy
• Ironbridge Gorge, Shropshire, England
• Kali Gandaki Gorge, Gandaki, Nepal
• Kloof, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (The word Kloof means 'gorge' in Afrikaans)
• Komati Gorge, South Africa
• Lanner Gorge, South Africa
• Letchworth State Park (Genesee River Gorge), New York, United States
• Liechtensteinklamm, Salzburg (state), Austria
• Linville Gorge Wilderness, North Carolina, United States
• Manawatu Gorge, Manawatu, North Island, New Zealand
• Montalban Gorge, Philippines
• New River Gorge, West Virginia, United States
• Niagara Gorge, Canada/United States
• North and South Gorges of North Stradbroke Island, QLD, Australia
• Katherine Gorge of Nitmiluk National Park in Australia
• Pankisi Gorge, Georgia (country)
• Pine Creek Gorge, Pennsylvania, United States
• Quechee Gorge, Vermont, United States
• Red River Gorge, Kentucky, United States
• Richtis Gorge, Crete, Greece
• Rio Grande Gorge, New Mexico, United States
• Royal Gorge, Colorado, United States
• Samaria Gorge, Crete, Greece
• Siq, Petra, Jordan
• Talari Gorges, Mali
• Tallulah Gorge, Georgia, United States
• Gorges du Tarn, France
• Taroko Gorge of Taroko National Park, Taiwan
• Three Gorges, Chongqing, China
• Tiger Leaping Gorge, Yunnan, China
• Verdon Gorge, Provence, France
• Viamala, Graubünden, Switzerland
• Vikos Gorge, Vikos–Aoös National Park, Greece

List of other features causing gorges or canyons[link]

• Ardèche River, France
• Bued River, Philippines
• Danube River, Europe, including the Iron Gate
• Ruinaulta, cutting Flims Rockslide, Switzerland
• Kings River of the Kings Canyon National Park, California, United States
• South Nahanni River in Canada [1]
• Steall Waterfall of Glen Nevis, Lochaber, Scotland
• Gorges de Hérault, France
• Sierra y Cañones de Guara, Alquezar, Spain

Canyons on other planetary bodies[link]

• Valles Marineris on Mars, the largest known canyon in the solar system
• Ithaca Chasma on Saturn's moon Tethys

Venus has many craters and canyons on its surface. The troughs on the planet are part of a system of canyons that is more than 6 400 km long.

See also[link]

Environment portal

• Antecedent drainage stream
• Canyoning
• Dalles
• Draw (terrain)
• Geomorphology
• Gully
• List of landforms
• Ravine

Notes[link]

External links[link]

Media related to Canyon at Wikimedia Commons

George Canyon (born Frederick George Lays on August 22, 1970) is a Canadian country music singer. He was runner up Nashville Star 2 in 2004. He grew up in Fox Brook, Pictou County, Nova Scotia and later lived in Hopewell, Nova Scotia (where he still owns land) before he moved west. He currently lives in High River, Alberta. He also holds an appointment in the Canadian Forces as the Colonel Commandant of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets.^[1]

Biography[link]

He was born to Fred Lays Sr. and Cheryl Lays in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia.

George Canyon has held many jobs: he spent time working as a law enforcement officer, a slaughterhouse beef inspector, and the owner/operator of his own recording studio. He always dreamed of becoming a professional musician.^[2]

Canyon is the father of two children. His wife, Jennifer, worked three jobs during the day so that he could sing at night. In 2004, George Canyon competed in Nashville Star 2. He was the runner-up in the competition, but became very well known in Canada and garnered much support, being the only Canadian to make the cut for the competition. After the competition ended, he received many accolades from fans and the industry alike. These include the top 5 hit "My Name", a Juno Award for Best Country Recording of the Year (for his album One Good Friend), and, four Canadian Country Music Awards Nominations (CCMAs) including Male Vocalist of the Year and the Fan Choice Award.

He played a U.S. Forest Ranger in the last two episodes of the 7th season of Trailer Park Boys.

On September 22, 2007, Canyon performed at China-Canada: Hand in Hand;^[3] a joint concert held in Vancouver between CCTV (China Central Television) and CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) to commemorate the one-year countdown of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. One of the songs performed by Canyon was "What a Fine Jasmine Blossom". Sung entirely in Mandarin, Canyon performed the duet with Mandarin singer Tang Can.^[4]

On 9 January 2008, Canadian defence minister Peter MacKay appointed the Nova Scotia–born Canyon to the position of honorary colonel at 14 Wing Greenwood, the largest air base on the east coast.^[5] After this appointment expired in December 2011, Canyon was appointed colonel commandant of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets.^[6]

Canyon was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 14 and has given talks to children about diabetes.^[7]

Band[link]

• Jay Buettner (Guitar)
• Chris Byrne (Bass)
• Ed Ringwald (Pedal Steel Guitar)
• Shane Guse (Fiddle & Mandolin)
• Adam Dowling (Drums)
• Mike Little (Keyboard & Accordion)

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

1990s[link]

2000s[link]

2010s[link]

Holiday albums[link]

Singles[link]

1990s[link]

2000s[link]

2010s[link]

• ^A Current single.

Music videos[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

Parts of this article (those related to awards and nominations) are outdated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. Please see the talk page for more information. (May 2010)

• 2004 – winner, CCMA, Chevy Trucks Rising Star Award
• 2004 – winner, Music Industry of Nova Scotia, New Artist Recording of the Year – for the album George Canyon
• 2004 – winner, Music Industry of Nova Scotia, Country Recording of the Year – for the album George Canyon
• 2005 – winner, The East Coast Music Awards, Galaxie Rising Star
• 2005 – winner, The East Coast Music Awards, Country Recording of the Year – for the album One Good Friend
• 2005 – winner, The East Coast Music Awards, Entertainer of the Year
• 2005 – winner, Canadian Radio Music Awards, Best New Group or Solo Artist (Country) for his single Good Day To Ride
• 2005 – winner, Juno Award, Country Recording of the Year for One Good Friend
• 2005 – winner, CCMA, Fans' Choice Award
• 2005 – winner, CCMA, Male Artist of the Year
• 2005 – winner, CCMA, SOCAN Song of the Year, for the single "My Name"
• 2005 – winner, CCMA, Single of the Year, for the single "My Name"
• 2005 – winner, Music Box Awards (Paris, France), New Artist Male US/Canada
• 2005 – winner, 2005 Nova Scotia Crystal Tourism Awards of Excellence, Ambassador Award
• 2006 – winner, ECMA, Entertainer of the Year
• 2006 – winner, CCMA, Male Artist of the Year
• 2006 – winner, CCMA, Single of the Year, for the single "Somebody Wrote Love"
• 2007 – winner, ECMA, Entertainer of the Year
• 2007 – winner, ECMA, Country Recording of the Year
• 2007 – winner, ECMA, Video of the Year, for the video Drinkin' Thinkin'
• 2007 – nominee, ECMA, Best Album of the Year, for the album Somebody Wrote Love.
• 2007 – winner, Juno Award, Country Recording of the Year for Somebody Wrote Love^[16]
• 2008 – winner, ECMA, Entertainer of the Year
• 2008 – winner, CCMA, Humanitarian Award
• 2011 – winner, CCMA, Record Producer(s) of the Year with Richard Marx, for the album Better Be Home Soon

References[link]

This article relies on references to primary sources or sources affiliated with the subject, rather than references from independent authors and third-party publications. Please add citations from reliable sources. (June 2008)

External links[link]

• Official website

Bryce Canyon National Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Location	Garfield County and Kane County, Utah, United States
Nearest city	Tropic, Panguitch
Coordinates	37°37′42″N 112°10′04″W / 37.6283°N 112.16766°W / 37.6283; -112.16766Coordinates: 37°37′42″N 112°10′04″W / 37.6283°N 112.16766°W / 37.6283; -112.16766
Area	35,835 acres (14,502 ha)[1]
Established	September 15, 1928
Visitors	1,296,000 (in 2011)[2]
Governing body	National Park Service

Bryce Canyon National Park ( /ˈbraɪs/) is a national park located in southwestern Utah in the United States. The major feature of the park is Bryce Canyon which, despite its name, is not a canyon but a giant natural amphitheater created by erosion along the eastern side of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. Bryce is distinctive due to geological structures called hoodoos, formed by wind, water, and ice erosion of the river and lake bed sedimentary rocks. The red, orange, and white colors of the rocks provide spectacular views for park visitors. Bryce sits at a much higher elevation than nearby Zion National Park. The rim at Bryce varies from 8,000 to 9,000 feet (2,400 to 2,700 m).

The Bryce area was settled by Mormon pioneers in the 1850s and was named after Ebenezer Bryce, who homesteaded in the area in 1874.^[3] The area around Bryce Canyon became a U.S. National Monument in 1923 and was designated as a national park in 1928. The park covers 35,835 acres (55.99 sq mi; 145.02 km²)^[1] and receives relatively few visitors compared to Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon, largely due to its remote location. The town of Kanab, Utah, is situated at a central point between these three parks.

Geography and climate[link]

Bryce Canyon National Park is located in southwestern Utah about 50 miles (80 km) northeast of—and 1,000 feet (300 m) higher than—Zion National Park.^[4][5] The weather in Bryce Canyon is therefore cooler, and the park receives more precipitation: a total of 15 to 18 inches (38 to 46 cm) per year.^[6][7] Yearly temperatures vary from an average minimum of 9 °F (−13 °C) in January to an average maximum of 83 °F (28 °C) in July, but extreme temperatures can range from −30 °F to 97 °F (−34 °C to 36 °C).^[7] The record high temperature in the park was 98 °F (37 °C) on July 14, 2002. The record low temperature was −28 °F (−33 °C) on December 10, 1972.^[8]

The national park lies within the Colorado Plateau geographic province of North America and straddles the southeastern edge of the Paunsagunt Plateau west of the Paunsagunt Fault (Paunsagunt is Paiute for "home of the beaver").^[9] Park visitors arrive from the plateau part of the park and look over the plateau's edge toward a valley containing the fault and the Paria River just beyond it (Paria is Paiute for "muddy or elk water"). The edge of the Kaiparowits Plateau bounds the opposite side of the valley.

Bryce Point

Bryce Canyon was not formed from erosion initiated from a central stream, meaning it technically is not a canyon. Instead headward erosion has excavated large amphitheater-shaped features in the Cenozoic-aged rocks of the Paunsagunt Plateau.^[9] This erosion exposed delicate and colorful pinnacles called hoodoos that are up to 200 feet (61 m) high. A series of amphitheaters extends more than 20 miles (32 km) north-to-south within the park.^[9] The largest is Bryce Amphitheater, which is 12 miles (19 km) long, 3 miles (4.8 km) wide and 800 feet (240 m) deep.^[9] A nearby example of amphitheaters with hoodoos in the same formation but at a higher elevation, is in Cedar Breaks National Monument, which is 25 miles (40 km) to the west on the Markagunt Plateau.^[5]

Rainbow Point, the highest part of the park at 9,105 feet (2,775 m),^[10] is at the end of the 18-mile (29 km) scenic drive.^[9] From there, Aquarius Plateau, Bryce Amphitheater, the Henry Mountains, the Vermilion Cliffs and the White Cliffs can be seen. Yellow Creek, where it exits the park in the north-east section, is the lowest part of the park at 6,620 feet (2,020 m).^[7]

Human history[link]

Petroglyphs in Bryce Canyon indicate the presence of people in the area several thousand years ago, but little is known about them.

Native American habitation[link]

Little is known about early human habitation in the Bryce Canyon area. Archaeological surveys of Bryce Canyon National Park and the Paunsaugunt Plateau show that people have been in the area for at least 10,000 years. Basketmaker Anasazi artifacts several thousand years old have been found south of the park. Other artifacts from the Pueblo-period Anasazi and the Fremont culture (up to the mid-12th century) have also been found.^[11]

The Paiute Indians moved into the surrounding valleys and plateaus in the area around the same time that the other cultures left.^[11] These Native Americans hunted and gathered for most of their food, but also supplemented their diet with some cultivated products. The Paiute in the area developed a mythology surrounding the hoodoos (pinnacles) in Bryce Canyon. They believed that hoodoos were the Legend People whom the trickster Coyote turned to stone.^[12] At least one older Paiute said his culture called the hoodoos Anka-ku-was-a-wits, which is Paiute for "red painted faces".^[11]

European American exploration and settlement[link]

It was not until the late 18th and the early 19th century that the first European Americans explored the remote and hard-to-reach area.^[11] Mormon scouts visited the area in the 1850s to gauge its potential for agricultural development, use for grazing, and settlement.^[11]

Ebenezer Bryce and his family lived in Bryce Canyon, in this cabin, here photographed c. 1881.

The first major scientific expedition to the area was led by U.S. Army Major John Wesley Powell in 1872.^[11] Powell, along with a team of mapmakers and geologists, surveyed the Sevier and Virgin River area as part of a larger survey of the Colorado Plateaus. His mapmakers kept many of the Paiute place names.^[9]

Small groups of Mormon pioneers followed and attempted to settle east of Bryce Canyon along the Paria River. In 1873, the Kanarra Cattle Company started to use the area for cattle grazing.^[11]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sent Scottish immigrant Ebenezer Bryce and his wife Mary to settle land in the Paria Valley because they thought his carpentry skills would be useful in the area. The Bryce family chose to live right below Bryce Canyon Amphitheater. Bryce grazed his cattle inside what are now park borders, and reputedly thought that the amphitheaters were a "helluva place to lose a cow."^[3] He also built a road to the plateau to retrieve firewood and timber, and a canal to irrigate his crops and water his animals. Other settlers soon started to call the unusual place "Bryce's canyon", which was later formalized into Bryce Canyon.

A combination of drought, overgrazing and flooding eventually drove the remaining Paiutes from the area and prompted the settlers to attempt construction of a water diversion channel from the Sevier River drainage. When that effort failed, most of the settlers, including the Bryce family, left the area.^[9] Bryce moved his family to Arizona in 1880.^[7] The remaining settlers dug a 10 miles (16 km) ditch from the Sevier's east fork into Tropic Valley.^[9]

Creation of the park[link]

Bryce Canyon Lodge was built between 1924 and 1925 from local materials.

These scenic areas were first described for the public in magazine articles published by Union Pacific and Santa Fe railroads in 1916.^[3] People like Forest Supervisor J. W. Humphrey promoted the scenic wonders of Bryce Canyon's amphitheaters, and by 1918 nationally distributed articles also helped to spark interest.^[11] However, poor access to the remote area and the lack of accommodations kept visitation to a bare minimum.

Ruby Syrett, Harold Bowman and the Perry brothers later built modest lodging, and set up "touring services" in the area.^[11] Syrett later served as the first postmaster of Bryce Canyon. Visitation steadily increased, and by the early 1920s the Union Pacific Railroad became interested in expanding rail service into southwestern Utah to accommodate more tourists.^[11]

In 1928 the canyon became a National Park. It now has this visitors' center.

At the same time, conservationists became alarmed by the damage overgrazing and logging on the plateau, along with unregulated visitation, were having on the fragile features of Bryce Canyon. A movement to have the area protected was soon started, and National Park Service Director Stephen Mather responded by proposing that Bryce Canyon be made into a state park. The governor of Utah and the Utah Legislature, however, lobbied for national protection of the area. Mather relented and sent his recommendation to President Warren G. Harding, who on June 8, 1923 declared Bryce Canyon National Monument into existence.^[11]

A road was built the same year on the plateau to provide easy access to outlooks over the amphitheaters. From 1924 to 1925, Bryce Canyon Lodge was built from local timber and stone.^[13]

Members of U.S. Congress started work in 1924 on upgrading Bryce Canyon's protection status from a U.S. National Monument to a National Park in order to establish Utah National Park.^[13] A process led by the Utah Parks Company for transferring ownership of private and state-held land in the monument to the federal government started in 1923.^[11] The last of the land in the proposed park's borders was sold to the federal government four years later, and on February 25, 1928, the renamed Bryce Canyon National Park was established.^[14]

In 1931, President Herbert Hoover annexed an adjoining area south of the park, and in 1942 an additional 635 acres (2.57 km²) was added.^[11] This brought the park's total area to the current figure of 35,835 acres (145.02 km²).^[14] Rim Road, the scenic drive that is still used today, was completed in 1934 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Administration of the park was conducted from neighboring Zion Canyon National Park until 1956, when Bryce Canyon's first superintendent started work.^[11]

More recent history[link]

The USS Bryce Canyon was named for the park and served as a supply and repair ship in the U.S. Pacific Fleet from September 15, 1950, to June 30, 1981.^[15]

Bryce Canyon Natural History Association (BCNHA) was established in 1961.^[16] It runs the bookstore inside the park visitor center and is a non-profit organization created to aid the interpretive, educational and scientific activities of the National Park Service at Bryce Canyon National Park. A portion of the profits from all bookstore sales are donated to public land units.

Responding to increased visitation and traffic congestion, the National Park Service implemented a voluntary, summer-only, in-park shuttle system in June 2000. In 2004, reconstruction began on the aging and inadequate road system in the park.

Geology[link]

Erosion of sedimentary rocks has created natural arches.

The Bryce Canyon area shows a record of deposition that spans from the last part of the Cretaceous period and the first half of the Cenozoic era. The ancient depositional environment of the region around what is now the park varied. The Dakota Sandstone and the Tropic Shale were deposited in the warm, shallow waters of the advancing and retreating Cretaceous Seaway (outcrops of these rocks are found just outside park borders).^[17] The colorful Claron Formation, from which the park's delicate hoodoos are carved, was laid down as sediments in a system of cool streams and lakes that existed from 63 to about 40 million years ago (from the Paleocene to the Eocene epochs). Different sediment types were laid down as the lakes deepened and became shallow and as the shoreline and river deltas migrated.

Several other formations were also created but were mostly eroded away following two major periods of uplift. The Laramide orogeny affected the entire western part of what would become North America starting about 70 million to 50 million years ago.^[14] This event helped to build the Rocky Mountains and in the process closed the Cretaceous Seaway. The Straight Cliffs, Wahweap, and Kaiparowits formations were victims of this uplift. The Colorado Plateaus were uplifted 16 million years ago and were segmented into different plateaus—each separated from its neighbors by faults and each having its own uplift rate.^[10] The Boat Mesa Conglomerate and the Sevier River Formation were removed by erosion following this uplift.

Vertical joints were created by this uplift, which were eventually (and still are) preferentially eroded. The easily eroded Pink Cliffs of the Claron Formation responded by forming freestanding pinnacles in badlands called hoodoos, while the more resistant White Cliffs formed monoliths.^[9] The brown, pink and red colors are from hematite (iron oxide; Fe₂O₃); the yellows from limonite (FeO(OH)·nH₂O); and the purples are from pyrolusite (MnO₂).^[18] Also created were arches, natural bridges, walls, and windows. Hoodoos are composed of soft sedimentary rock and are topped by a piece of harder, less easily eroded stone that protects the column from the elements. Bryce Canyon has one of the highest concentrations of hoodoos of any place on Earth.

The formations exposed in the area of the park are part of the Grand Staircase. The oldest members of this supersequence of rock units are exposed in the Grand Canyon, the intermediate ones in Zion National Park, and its youngest parts are laid bare in Bryce Canyon area. A small amount of overlap occurs in and around each park.

Biology[link]

Mule deer are the most common large animals found in the park.

More than 400 native plant species live in the park. There are three life zones in the park based on elevation:^[13] The lowest areas of the park are dominated by dwarf forests of pinyon pine and juniper with manzanita, serviceberry, and antelope bitterbrush in between. Aspen, cottonwood, Water Birch, and Willow grow along streams. Ponderosa Pine forests cover the mid-elevations with Blue Spruce and Douglas-fir in water-rich areas and manzanita and bitterbrush as underbrush. Douglas-fir and White Fir, along with Aspen and Engelmann Spruce, make up the forests on the Paunsaugunt Plateau. The harshest areas have Limber Pine and ancient Great Basin Bristlecone Pine—some more than 1,600 years old—holding on.^[12]

Bryce Canyon has extensive fir forests.

The forests and meadows of Bryce Canyon provide the habitat to support diverse animal life, from birds and small mammals to foxes and occasional bobcats, mountain lions, and black bears.^[12] Mule deer are the most common large mammals in the park.^[12] Elk and pronghorn, which have been reintroduced nearby, sometimes venture into the park.^[12]

Bryce Canyon National Park forms part of the habitat of three wildlife species that are listed under the Endangered Species Act: the Utah Prairie Dog, the California Condor, and the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher.^[19] The Utah Prairie Dog is a threatened species that was reintroduced to the park for conservation, and the largest protected population is found within the park's boundaries.^[20]

About 170 species of birds visit the park each year, including swifts and swallows.^[7] Most species migrate to warmer regions in winter, although jays, ravens, nuthatches, eagles, and owls stay.^[12] In winter, the mule deer, mountain lion, and coyotes migrate to lower elevations.^[12] Ground squirrels and marmots pass the winter in hibernation.^[12]

Eleven species of reptiles and four species of amphibians have been found at in the park.^[21] Reptiles include the Great Basin Rattlesnake, Short-horned Lizard, Side-blotched Lizard, Striped Whipsnake, and the Tiger Salamander.^[21]

Also in the park are the black, lumpy, very slow-growing colonies of cryptobiotic soil, which are a mix of lichens, algae, fungi, and cyanobacteria. Together these organisms slow erosion, add nitrogen to soil, and help it to retain moisture.

While humans have greatly reduced the amount of habitat that is available to wildlife in most parts of the United States, the relative scarcity of water in southern Utah restricts human development and helps account for the region's greatly enhanced diversity of wildlife.

Activities[link]

There are marked trails for hiking, for which snowshoes are required in winter.

Navajo Trail. Trees are Pseudotsuga menziesii and Pinus ponderosa.

Most park visitors sightsee using the scenic drive, which provides access to 13 viewpoints over the amphitheaters. Bryce Canyon has eight marked and maintained hiking trails that can be hiked in less than a day (round trip time, trailhead):^[22] Mossy Cave (one hour, State Route 12 northwest of Tropic), Rim Trail (5–6 hours, anywhere on rim), Bristlecone Loop (one hour, Rainbow Point), and Queens Garden (1–2 hours, Sunrise Point) are easy to moderate hikes. Navajo Loop (1–2 hours, Sunset Point) and Tower Bridge (2–3 hours, north of Sunrise Point) are moderate hikes. Fairyland Loop (4–5 hours, Fairyland Point) and Peekaboo Loop (3–4 hours, Bryce Point) are strenuous hikes. Several of these trails intersect, allowing hikers to combine routes for more challenging hikes.

The park also has two trails designated for overnight hiking: the 9-mile (14 km) Riggs Spring Loop Trail and the 23-mile (37 km) Under-the-Rim Trail.^[23] Both require a backcountry camping permit. In total there are 50 miles (80 km) of trails in the park.

Horse riding is available in the park from April through October.

More than 10 miles (16 km) of marked but ungroomed skiing trails are available off of Fairyland, Paria, and Rim trails in the park. Twenty miles (32 km) of connecting groomed ski trails are in nearby Dixie National Forest and Ruby's Inn.

The air in the area is so clear that on most days from Yovimpa and Rainbow points, Navajo Mountain and the Kaibab Plateau can be seen 90 miles (140 km) away in Arizona.^[24] On extremely clear days, the Black Mesas of eastern Arizona and western New Mexico can be seen some 160 miles (260 km) away.^[24]

The park also has a 7.4 magnitude night sky, making it one of the darkest in North America.^[25] Stargazers can therefore see 7,500 stars with the naked eye, while in most places fewer than 2,000 can be seen due to light pollution (in many large cities only a few dozen can be seen). Park rangers host public stargazing events and evening programs on astronomy, nocturnal animals, and night sky protection. The Bryce Canyon Astronomy Festival, typically held in June, attracts thousands of visitors. In honor of this astronomy festival, Asteroid 49272 was named after the national park.^[26]

There are two campgrounds in the park, North Campground and Sunset Campground.^[27] Loop A in North Campground is open year-round. Additional loops and Sunset Campground are open from late spring to early autumn. The 114-room Bryce Canyon Lodge is another way to overnight in the park.^[28]

A favorite activity of most visitors is landscape photography. With Bryce Canyon's high altitude and clean air, the sunrise and sunset photographs can be spectacular.

Notes[link]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bryce Canyon National Park

• Geographic data related to Bryce Canyon National Park on OpenStreetMap
• Bryce Canyon National Park Service Info / US Department of the Interior.
• Bryce Canyon National Park: Hoodoos Cast Their Spell, a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan
• Maps
• Bryce Canyon National Park travel guide from Wikitravel
• Bryce Canyon National Park - slideshow by Life magazine

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Sir David Attenborough
Attenborough in May 2003
Born	(1926-05-08) 8 May 1926 (age 86) Isleworth, London
Nationality	British
Alma mater	Clare College, Cambridge (natural sciences) London School of Economics (social anthropology)
Occupation	Broadcaster Naturalist
Title	Member of the Order of Merit Companion of Honour Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Commander of the Order of the British Empire Fellow of the Royal Society Fellow of Zoological Society of London
Spouse	Jane Elizabeth Ebsworth Oriel (m. 1950–1997, her death)
Children	Robert Attenborough Susan Attenborough

Sir David Frederick Attenborough ( /ˈætənbərə/) OM, CH, CVO, CBE, FRS, FZS, FSA (born 8 May 1926) is a British broadcaster and naturalist.

His career as the face and voice of natural history programmes has endured for more than 50 years. He is best known for writing and presenting the nine Life series, in conjunction with the BBC Natural History Unit, which collectively form a comprehensive survey of all life on the planet. He is also a former senior manager at the BBC, having served as controller of BBC Two and director of programming for BBC Television in the 1960s and 1970s.

Attenborough is widely considered a national treasure in Britain, although he himself does not care for the term.^[1][2][3] He is a younger brother of director, producer and actor Richard Attenborough.^[4]

Early life and family[link]

Attenborough was born in Isleworth, west London, but grew up in College House on the campus of the University College, Leicester, where his father, Frederick, was principal.^[5] He is the middle of three sons (his elder brother, Richard, became an actor and his younger brother, John, an executive at Italian car manufacturer Alfa Romeo).^[6] During World War II his parents also adopted two Jewish refugee girls from Europe.^[7][8]

Attenborough spent his childhood collecting fossils, stones and other natural specimens. He received encouragement in this pursuit at age seven, when a young Jacquetta Hawkes admired his "museum". A few years later, one of his adoptive sisters gave him a piece of amber filled with prehistoric creatures; some 50 years later, it would be the focus of his programme The Amber Time Machine.

Attenborough was educated at Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys in Leicester and then won a scholarship to Clare College, Cambridge in 1945, where he studied geology and zoology and obtained a degree in natural sciences.^[9] In 1947, he was called up for national service in the Royal Navy and spent two years stationed in North Wales and the Firth of Forth.

In 1950, Attenborough married Jane Elizabeth Ebsworth Oriel; the marriage lasted until her death in 1997. The couple had two children, Robert and Susan.^[8] Robert is a senior lecturer in bioanthropology for the School of Archaeology and Anthropology at the Australian National University in Canberra.^[10]

First years at the BBC[link]

After leaving the Navy, Attenborough took a position editing children's science textbooks for a publishing company. He soon became disillusioned with the work, however, and in 1950, he applied for a job as a radio talks producer with the BBC. Although he was rejected for this job, his CV later attracted the interest of Mary Adams, head of the Talks (factual broadcasting) department of the BBC's fledgling television service. Attenborough, like most Britons at that time, did not own a television, and he had seen only one programme in his life.^[11] However, he accepted Adams' offer of a three-month training course, and in 1952 he joined the BBC full-time. Initially discouraged from appearing on camera because Adams thought his teeth were too big,^[12] he became a producer for the Talks department, which handled all non-fiction broadcasts. His early projects included the quiz show Animal, Vegetable, Mineral? and Song Hunter, a series about folk music presented by Alan Lomax.

Attenborough's association with natural history programmes began when he produced and presented the three-part series The Pattern of Animals. The studio-bound programme featured animals from London Zoo, with the naturalist Julian Huxley discussing their use of camouflage, aposematism and courtship displays. Through this programme, Attenborough met Jack Lester, the curator of the zoo's reptile house, and they decided to make a series about an animal-collecting expedition. The result was Zoo Quest, first broadcast in 1954, which Attenborough presented at short notice, due to Lester being taken ill.