Celebrate 100 years of Bryce Canyon National Park

BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Utah (Good Things Utah) – Now is a wonderful time to plan a visit to beautiful Bryce Canyon National Park. Why? Because, this natural wonder located right in the heart of Utah is celebrating its Centennial this year!

Bryce Canyon showcases one of the largest and most colorful concentrations of erosional geologic features in the world, including hoodoos, fins, windows, fluted cliffs, bridges, arches, and grottoes—altogether what University of Utah Professor Frederick Pack fittingly termed nature’s “most delicate jewel”. This place we call Bryce Canyon is a sacred place with a vibrant human history going back over ten thousand years, and that this place remains the homelands of the Southern Paiute people since time immemorial, and is today affiliated with no less than twenty sovereign tribes.

Bryce Canyon National Monument was originally established by President Harding on June 8, 1923 and first administered by the U.S. Forest Service to preserve the “unusual scenic beauty, scientific interest, and importance.” On June 7, 1924, Congress would establish Utah National Park with the stipulation that all state and private land within its boundaries must first belong to the United States. On February 25, 1928 “Utah National Park” was changed to “Bryce Canyon National Park”. Conditions of the 1924 congressional bill were met later that year, and five years later Bryce Canyon National Park was officially established and transferred to the National Park Service on September 15, 1928.

Special festivities and events are planned throughout the year in honor of the park’s 100th anniversary. Events range from celebrations of the park’s night sky, its geologic wonders, flora and fauna, human culture, and artistic inspiration.

Some of the events planned include:

June 8: Centennial Ceremony and Piano Guys Concert
June 14-17: Annual Astronomy Festival
July 8: Bryce Canyon Butterfly Count
July 14-15: Annual Geology Festival
August 10: Free Utah Symphony Concert
August 24-26: All-Employee Reunion
September 18: Plein Air Paint Out and Art Workshop in collaboration with Escalante Canyons Art Festival
September 28-30: Heritage Days
October 14: Annual Eclipse
December 16: Christmas Bird Count

Visit Bryce Canyon National Park online today to learn more about the Centennial Celebration, visitor information and start plannning your visit to the park.