Bryce Canyon National Park

History:

Bryce Canyon National Park is named for pioneer Ebenezer Bryce who came to the Paria Valley with his family in 1875. He was sent by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints because his skill as a carpenter would be useful in settling this area. Bryce built a road to the plateau top to retrieve firewood and timber. He also built an irrigation canal to raise crops and animals. Local people called the canyon with the strange rock formations near Ebenezer's home "Bryce's Canyon". When the Bryces moved to Arizona in 1880, the name remained.

Bryce Canyon was not widely known, even within the state of Utah, until the 1920s and early 1930s. In 1923 President Harding set aside Bryce Canyon as a national monument. The park was extensively advertised by the Union Pacific Railroad, which acquired a state school section on the rim and began developing campgrounds, cabins, a lodge, and transportation to the area.

In 1928 Bryce Canyon was turned over from the Forest Service to the National Park Service and redesignated as Bryce Canyon National Park. Beginning in 1931, there were several boundary changes. Rim Road was completed in 1934 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. By 1942, the park reached its present size of more than 35,800 acres.

Geological Formations
Information on arches, hoodoos, and other formations.

History of Bryce Canyon Lodge
A national historic landmark theme study of architecture in the national parks.

Bryce Canyon National Park
General Information	Lodging in the Park
Getting to the Park	Photographs and Maps
Camping	Nearby National Parks, Forests & Scenic Roads
Educational Opportunities	Things to Do
History and Geology	Travel & Tourism Offices
Jobs and Volunteering	Weather