Bryce Canyon National Park History

Bryce Canyon National Park and the surrounding area of southern Utah are stepped in the history of the wild west and the courageous people who settled it. A trip through the Park takes you back to by gone days and gives you a glimpse of what life may have been like for the early pioneers.

Early History
The Paiute Tribes, who are native to south-central Utah, call Bryce Canyon National Park Unka-timpe-wa-wince-pockich, which means, “red rocks standing like men in bowl shaped canyon.” The red rocks they are referring to are tall spires called hoodoos.

The legend says that a long, long time ago a group of people moved into the area and made a coyote angry about their bad behavior. The coyote put a curse on the people, now called “Legend People” turning them to stone. If you look closely at the hoodoos, you can see the faint images of people, standing, sitting and holding each other.

White Settlers
The early settlers were Mormons, who entered the area in the mid-1850's. The park and area was named in honor of its first settler (1875), Ebenezer Bryce, whose steadfast determination to call it home became reality in a place that must have been very daunting at the time. Reports say that when Bryce was asked about his thoughts on the canyon he replied, “It’s a heck of a place to lose a cow.”

Recognition as a National Park
However, even though many more settlers arrived over the years, it was not until 1923 that the canyon was given national acclaim as a monument. A year later, the US federal government became the land's new owner, and the name was finally immortalized forever. In 1928, it was finally given national park status.

There have been several boundary changes throughout the years increasing the size of the park. Bryce Canyon is currently an impressive 35,835 acres of juniper forests, hoodoos and incredible views.

Present Day
Today Bryce Canyon National Park sees more than 1.5 million visitors annually. The Park is open year-round and has become a destination location for many travelers who want to focus their stay on the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon.