telescope tours bryce canyon

Dark Ranger Telescope Tours

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Dark Ranger Telescope Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024) - Tripadvisor

Dark Ranger Telescope Tours

Review Highlights

“ Kevin puts a ton of warnings about this on his site, but it really does get very, very cold in the evenings. ” in 33 reviews

“ They also showed us Nebulas, star clusters, a comet, constellations and different visuals on the moon . ” in 18 reviews

“ My husband and I were very excited to see the night sky but didn't know what to expect with Dark Rangers. ” in 10 reviews

Location & Hours

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1 Miles South East Fork Rd

Bryce Canyon City, UT 84764

Serving Bryce Canyon City Area

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Amenities and More

About the business.

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Business Owner

Dark Ranger Telescope Tours is a small family business dedicated to increasing science literacy thru astronomy, building enthusiasm for humanity to become a space faring civilization, and heightening awareness about the importance of protecting natural darkness, for its myriad of values, against the malignancy of light pollution. We further these goals through public presentations and K-12 educational outreach. Our observatory, The Dark Ranger Observatory, is located in Tropic, Utah on the boundary of beautiful Bryce Canyon National Park. Not only do we have one of the largest collections of telescopes in the 4-corners region (Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado), we also have nearly a century of collective stargazing experience among our staff. Above all, we pride ourselves in being entertaining, educational, and energetic hosts. …

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If you do anything while your in Bryce Canyon, it should most definitely be night sky viewing with Dark Ranger Tours! This was by far our favorite activity on our trip. Ray was our guide was very knowledgeable and excited to share all kinds of stars, constellations, planets and the moon with us. We did the private viewing tour and it was so worth it! I was anxious about clouds because the weather didn't cooperate the whole day with us, but we managed to get a few hours during our tour without clouds getting in the way, and got some amazing views. Another great thing is that these guys were so good about communication! They even gave us updates throughout the day on potential cloud cover and what to expect. All in all it was a great night! You are at 8000 feet elevation so even in the summer time, you will need long pants and a jacket. Thank you Dark Ranger tours!

We were excited to see the stars. We got to look at Jupiter, Saturn and the moon. The clarity was awesome. We also looked at other things like constellations, stars in the Big Dipper and various other stars. The presentation was generally over my head and difficult to focus since it was so cold outside. I would have rather talked about stars we could see with the naked eye and possibly how stars related to astrology, Overall, this was a great addition to our hiking vacation. If it was warmer, I would have enjoyed taking more time to ask questions and see more. The guys helping were willing to stay as long as we wanted. Dress warm!!

Awesome experience! Even if you aren't into Astronomy it's an amazing experience. Try to go on a night without full moon, but even then they have amazing stuff to show. It begins with a 30-45 min presentation, then they line up the telescopes to see different deep space objects. They supply coffee, Cider, tea. 10/10 experience.

Dark Ranger Tours had the potential to be awesome, but we ended up disappointed. Our "tour" started an hour and a half late, an email going out 20 minutes before it was supposed to start. First annoyance since we were so far out of town. When it did start, we were told we'd look at some stars, get hot drinks, watch a presentation and look at more stars. We only did the first part. There were no cups provided for the hot drinks (if you've gotta bring your own, put it in the email) and the presentation never happened. We ended up leaving after a little over an hour. It had potential to be incredible, and it was to see the moon up close... but over promised, under delivered.

Kevin The Dark Ranger P.

Jun 3, 2023

Hi Shelby, I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. From what you have written it sounds like there was a communication breakdown. And you missed all the good stuff by leaving before we had barely started. During El Nino years we often do a rain delay. On the night of your tour it was only a 15-minute delay, so the start time was 9:30pm instead of usual 9:15pm. Unfortunately it seems like you trusted old Yelp information (Spring start time of 8:00pm which should have struck you as odd because Sun doesn't set until 8:45pm), instead of the email confirmation you received, the same day reminder message, and both the text and email message sent to you after 7:00pm, all of which had the correct start time. Pro Tip: Don't trust unofficial social media about a business (We don't even advertise with Yelp because we don't like their business model). Instead trust the actual information the business sends you, their paying customers. We care about your experience. Yelp just wants your clicks. Who should you trust? Our Free hot drinks are not available to guests until after our first session at the telescopes is complete. We don't want liquids anywhere near our $10k-$25k telescopes. So we don't set out any cups until we are done with the first telescope session. Language barriers, bad listeners, etc. means the only way we can trust inattentive guests to NOT accidentally damage our equipment is by withholding cups. They are unlikely to pour boiling water into their hands. LOL! But you left too early. Had you carefully read either of the 7pm text and email message you said you received, you would have read that when doing a rain delay we prefer to show you more with the telescopes in the first session. That way if people need to leave early cuz of early bedtimes, they still get the full experience we are known for, namely "Telescopes" (it's literally in the business title, right?). Those who don't require early bedtimes and thus don't want to cheat themselves of the full experience can then see the presentation (which is the only time hot drinks are made available for the obvious reasons already explained) and even stick around for a 2nd telescope session, green laser constellation tour, etc. If you didn't read carefully I can understand why you might feel you didn't get the full experience. It doesn't make sense that you seem to think this is a valid review when you denied yourself half of the experience, and yet criticize us for... what? Not sending more messages that you might also not have read well enough? Us not abandoning those who understood the format to chase you down if we noticed you leaving early, and then pleading with you to stay longer? Certainly if you had bothered to ask a single question of any of our staff or even another patron, anybody could have cleared up your confusion. Did you see any other guests bringing their own cups? Tragic that instead of that simple human interaction, you would be so certain your understanding was flawless, and that a business with our ratings and reputation must instead have "over promised" and "under delivered"; that you chose to leave early in an ignorant huff. Weird that you'd later write this review, apparently without double-checking all the information you received from us, to see if you could have possibly made a bad assumption... or two... or three...

It was cold, muddy and a bit cloudy but still an amazing experience. Listen to their suggestions regarding dressing warm. Seth was a great guide and very knowledgeable. My 8 and 10 year olds enjoyed it and I would do it again.

Excellent except my boobs and toes should never, never be allowed to get that cold. It was 32 degrees as we left. Three sweatshirts and a jacket, still bloody cold. Do yourself a favor and wear two pairs of socks, and sandwich in a hand warmer over each set of toes. Also have handwarmers in your gloves. All the cold aside, dang that was a great presentation. He's one serious geek. You get to see all kinds of astronomical stuff. It's fascinating. And amazing... and dark. Very dark, so you really see the stars.

Great location not far off the main road. Amazing views of the night sky and I am from Northern Tucson, AZ area where I thought we had great views already. Truly amazing. I never saw so many satellites in one night which is an indication of how dark it really is; you pick up these moving objects easily. Not only do you get an education on stars and constellations, folks are funny, and a great atmosphere to learn about the stars and telescopes. The telescopes are moved frequently to keep you engaged. They educated us on the parade of planets that happened to be occurring and I woke up early the next AM and saw four planets together with the moon. Once in a life-time event and never would of done it without their education and outreach to help folks learn. My two teenagers [15 and 16] were not bored at all. My 16 year old son is an amateur enthusiast with his one telescope and couldn't of been happier. He actually said, "This is so beautiful". We stayed until 11:30PM and only left because we had to get up early for hiking. Staff are very responsive from booking, keeping you posted for the event in case weather does not play nice. It does cool off quickly so bring extra jackets and no shorts [check the temps :)]. They were nice enough to have extra blankets and some jackets for folks who forgot to bring anything. Keep up the great work. Amazing night time event that everyone should do.

Unfortunately there were clouds so our viewing was limited but the presentation was interesting and kept my 7 year old engaged. All over their site they warn how cold the evenings are and it was COLD! Hot drinks are provided which helps.

I would highly recommend making this part of your trip to the area. This is much more than just seeing the sky (which is truly amazing in this area of the country). The team is extremely knowledgeable and ensured that we not only saw cool stuff but also spent the time to explain exactly what we're seeing. They also went out of their way to address and reschedule a smokey night that obstructed the sky on the actual night we were scheduled for. We would 100% do this again next time we are in the area.

Came here not exactly knowing what to expect but was blown away! Learned so much cool stuff about space and the planets! Saw Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune, and so many other amazing things through high school quality telescopes. People running the place were very knowledgeable and a great overall experience!

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Stargazing with Dark Ranger Telescope Tours at Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon National Park is one of the darkest places on Earth, making it the perfect spot to learn about and enjoy the splendor of the night sky. It is so far from the light pollution that you can see the milky way with your naked eye. Cool right? 

Keep reading the post, if you are passionate about observing millions of stars. As I will share details about my breathtaking stargazing expedition. You are in for a real treat!

Table of Contents

About Dark Ranger Telescope Tour

During my recent visit to the Bryce Canyon National Park, I stumbled upon  Dark Ranger Telescope Tours  and decided to book a tour with them. This family-owned business is dedicated to fostering science literacy and igniting a passion for space exploration and is merely 7 minutes from the park entrance. 

Pro tip:  Dark Ranger Telescope Tour offers public and private tours, which you can book on their  official website . 

Our Stargazing Experience

From the moment we arrived at the  Dark Ranger Observatory , I knew we were in for a treat. They had red lights everywhere because it helps in maintaining night vision.

They provided us with lounge chairs, ensuring we were comfortable. Moreover, Bryce Canyon is a desert, and no matter how hot it is during the day, it does get quite cold at night. Therefore, they had plenty of extra blankets and jackets for those who weren’t dressed warmly. Here’s a short vlog of our stargazing experience. 

Round 1 of stargazing

Our three knowledgeable tour guides and astronomers,  Kincaid ,  McKenna , and  Lukas , skillfully set up four massive telescopes, preparing us for a close encounter with the cosmos. Our stargazing journey began by admiring the brilliance of Venus, the fiery red glow of Mars, the captivating radiance of Vega (the fifth brightest star), the famous double star Mizar from the Big Dipper, and the Pole star. It was a delightful introduction to the celestial playground above us.

Hot drinks & presentation

As we marveled at the celestial bodies, the tour guides set up two tables with hot cocoa and apple cider, adding a comforting touch to the cold night. While we sipped our warm drinks, one of the guides delivered a fascinating and informative presentation on the birth, life, and death of stars. Several interesting questions came up throughout the presentation, and our guide did a fantastic job breaking down complex astronomy into easy-to-understand nuggets.

Round 2 of stargazing

Now it was time to put this newly acquired knowledge to the test as we stepped away from our seats for another round of stargazing. It was very dark by now, and our eyes had adapted to the darkness. 

We were treated to a breathtaking sight—a colossal milky band stretched across the night sky. It was my first encounter with the magnificent Milky Way, truly a sight to remember!

The tour continued with interesting chats between the participants and the tour guides. We geeked out together, discussing everything from the incredible telescopes in the Dark Ranger’s collection (each with its name!) to the intricacies of celestial objects. Moreover, I was impressed by the guides’ efficiency in programming the telescopes to swiftly navigate from one object to another. They explained to me how this works. It is a bit like triangulation in GPS.

Some spectacular astronomical objects we saw

• Swan Nebula : A graceful nebula resembling a celestial swan. This was my favorite and the highlight of the night, besides seeing the Milky Way.
• Ring Nebula : A doughnut-shaped cloud of glowing gas showcasing the cycles of stellar life and death.
• Hercules Cluster : A dazzling congregation of stars, forming a tightly knit celestial family in the constellation Hercules.
• Sunflower Cluster : Radiant clusters of stars that illuminate the night sky, resembling blossoming flowers.
• Owl Cluster : An intriguing arrangement of stars, evoking the image of wise and watchful eyes in the cosmic expanse.
• Dumbbell Nebula : A unique and elongated nebula, resembling a cosmic dumbbell suspended in the vastness of space.
• Whirlpool Galaxy : A grand spiral galaxy, displaying a swirling beauty.
• Dark Eye Galaxy : An enigmatic galaxy with a mysterious dark center.
• Sagittarius Cluster : A cluster of stars located in the constellation Sagittarius.

Overall experience

All three tour guides were exceptionally knowledgeable and friendly. Although the tour starts promptly at the start time, it ends only when all guests have had their fill of stargazing and have left. McKenna mentioned to me that the longest a tour has lasted is 3 am! 

If you are ever in Bryce Canyon National Park, don’t miss the opportunity to join a Dark Ranger Telescope Tour. Thanks to their passionate guides and amazing telescopes, you will leave with a newfound appreciation for the wonders of the universe. Keep watching this space or subscribe to our newsletter to get latest info about new travel guides and ideas.  

Meet Abhishek, my dear husband and an avid foodie and traveller by heart. He loves to binge Highway on my Plate (Rocky and Mayur's travel show) and pretend to be on the show while exploring a new restaurant. Here's him sharing his thoughts about the places he visits and everything that comes in between.

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Bryce Canyon Country

Registration confirmation will be emailed to you.

Discover the glimmering field of stars that appear after a radiant-colored sunset on the hoodoo horizon of Bryce Canyon Country. Visitors are often stunned by the number of shining stars and the swirling Milky Way that can be seen stretching from one end of the sky to the other.

About one-third of the world’s population misses out on the beauty of the night sky’s glow because they live surrounded by city lights and light pollution that fills towns and urban areas. As a low-populated area far from cities, Bryce Canyon Country offers an ideal scenic view both day and night filled with stars.

Bryce Canyon Country has some of the best stargazing locations anywhere in the world! The following areas provide some of the best stargazing experiences in Utah.

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Bryce Canyon National Park

In Bryce Canyon National Park , visitors can see up to 7,500 stars on a moonless night. As stargazers look at the sky, the Milky Way stretches from horizon to horizon. Among the stars, some planets, including Venus and Jupiter, can be seen and are shining brightly enough to cast a shadow.

On August 13, 2019, Bryce Canyon National Park received certification as an International Dark Sky Park (IDSP) from the International Dark-Sky Association and National Park Service. 

This certification recognizes Bryce Canyon as a Gold Tier Dark-Sky Park indicating the exceptional quality of the park’s night skies. With this award, the park becomes one of over 120 certified IDSPs in the world. As one of the first parks to offer night sky programs 50 years ago, this achievement took decades to achieve and continues a long tradition of dark sky advocacy, education, and conservation.

Kodachrome Basin State Park

Kodachrome Basin State Park has clear, beautiful night skies. “The night skies over here are some of the best I’ve seen,” said Prajit Ravindran, who has a passion for astrophotography. Night photography along with wildlife watching, camping, and hiking are perfect activities in the park, with the sandstone, sandpipe columns as a backdrop.

Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument

Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument is a large, remote monument, making it a great place for campers to experience the night sky. Visitors have an opportunity to stay in campgrounds or primitive camping locations and sleep under the stars.

Capitol Reef National Park

Capitol Reef National Park is the seventh unit of the National Park Service to become an International Dark Sky Park designated by the International Dark-Sky Association. Being labeled a “Gold Tier” park signifies the highest-quality night skies.

Stargazing Tours And Programs

Observe the nighttime scene with hoodoo silhouetted by the Milky Way when you participate in Bryce Canyon Country’s stargazing tours and programs. 

Private Tour Companies help you explore the sky with big telescopes in the darkest places. Watch live multimedia presentations, learn constellations in laser sky tours or join a full moon hike. 

Bryce Canyon National Park has staff, rangers, and volunteers qualified for detailed presentations that occur on Wednesday and Friday evenings from May through September. These astronomy programs are usually a short presentation followed by stargazing with telescopes. No reservations are required, but it is advised to arrive 15-30 minutes early. Ranger-guided full moon hikes are an exciting way to experience the park and its stunning sky. Full moon hiking spots are limited and last 1-2 miles or 2-3 hours.

Another highlight during the summer in Bryce Canyon is the Astronomy Festival, which celebrates the new moon in late June or early July each year. During the festival, rangers conduct more nightly presentations and night hikes. Experts also lead telescope-viewing sessions throughout the festival. Other star-related events in the park are programs and workshops focusing on topics including selecting and operating telescopes and involving the entire family in astronomy.

Kodachrome Basin State Park hosts star parties throughout the summer where the park manager guides you through a constellation tour. In the tour, learn about the planets, stars, galaxies and other celestial phenomena. For updated information, please check the park’s website.  Dark Ranger Telescope Tours will take you on a tour of the wonders of the Universe through their BIG telescopes in the darkest/best stargazing location in the USA. Watch live multimedia presentations about astronomy and nocturnal animals. Learn constellation stories during laser sky tours. Build and launch model rockets. Join a full moon hike.

Astronomy Tours

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Starstruck by the experience 🤩 Highly... - Dark Ranger Telescope Tours

• United States    
• Utah (UT)    
• Bryce Canyon City    
• Bryce Canyon City - Things to Do    
• Dark Ranger Telescope Tours

We have done stargazing tours before, but this was the first with powerful telescopes ordinary... read more

I love astronomy so I booked this with the whole family. They were not excited about going. The... read more

Starstruck by the experience 🤩 Highly recommend!

This was our first ever stargazing tour and I cannot recommend Dark Ranger Telescope Tours enough! Bryce is the perfect place for stargazing, it’s incredibly dark, and we were able to see the Milky Way with our naked eye. This family-owned business was just 7 minutes from our hotel (Bryce Canyon Pines Lodge). The tour guides were knowledgeable and friendly. They had set up four massive telescopes, giving us an up-close view of Venus, Mars, Vega, Mizar, and the Pole star. To make us comfortable they had lounge chairs, blankets and hot drinks while we were learning about the universe. We had many rounds of stargazing and witnessed the magnificent Milky Way. It was absolutely incredible. We saw stunning objects like the Swan Nebula, Ring Nebula, Hercules Cluster, Sunflower Cluster, Owl Cluster, Dumbbell Nebula, Whirlpool Galaxy, Dark Eye Galaxy, and Sagittarius Cluster. Overall, the experience was fantastic. You can leave once you’re satisfied. However, these guys can go on as long as you wish to see the stars! If you visit Bryce Canyon National Park, I highly recommend joining a Dark Ranger Telescope Tour to gain a newfound appreciation for the universe’s wonders.

Our private stargazing experience with Liam was amazing! He was super knowledgeable and enthusiastic and the time flew by!

Seth and McKenna did a fantastic job of hosting us at Dark Rangers. Kevin was super communicative about the forecast of a great sky for viewing the night sky which was helpful. Seth’s dry yet funny humor was delightful and it was so awesome seeing some of the planets, stars, clusters through the telescopes. My only regret is not being able to stay out to see more later into the night… my doing not theirs. I would absolutely recommend this event to those visiting the area and would do it again. Thanks a ton, Dark Rangers!!

So glad our guide at a previous trip told us about these guys. My granddaughters and I had a great time. They were apprehensive at first, but once they were introduced to the telescopes, they were all in!

Absolutely worth it! The staff were super friendly and knowledgeable. you can tell they really enjoy their work! They had 5 huge telescopes set up and would set them to different areas of interest. About every 20-30 minutes they would find new elements to zoom in on. They provided hot cocoa and cider. The presentation was interesting - about 10 minutes long. We got the anti-gravity chairs, which were nice, but not 100% necessary as we spent much of the time at the telescopes (plus most of the group left around 11pm so plenty of chairs available). On our night we got to see the ISS twice, a Starlink satellite train, Venus, Mars, and Saturn. It was an amazing night. Knowing everyone's definition of *cold* varies, I struggled a bit with packing. While YMMV, our July night was 45-50 degrees with no breeze. We are from the PNW, so we wore jeans, long sleeve Tshirts, packable down jackets, beanie hats. We did not need to double layer our pants or wear gloves (but brought them just in case). The parking lot is easily accessible and you can keep your extra clothes in your car if you need them.

We had a great time learning about space and viewing the stars. The anti-gravity chairs were worth the extra couple bucks. McKenna, one of our Dark Rangers, was very engaging and personable. We saw many cool things with the telescopes and at least 6 shooting stars! Great night for sure!!

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Alerts in effect, night skies.

Last updated: April 17, 2024

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Contact info, mailing address:.

P.O Box 640201 Bryce, UT 84764

435 834-5322 Phones are answered and messages returned as soon as possible as staffing allows.

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Dark skies and light pollution discussed at astronomy festival in Bryce Canyon National Park

Dozens gathered to look up at the stars rather than down to the hoodoos at Bryce Canyon National Park this week with the park’s annual Astronomy Festival.

For more than 50 years, Bryce Canyon has held ranger-led astronomy programs, though the park only gained its International Dark Sky designation in 2019. This year’s celebration is the first astronomy festival held since the designation, as last year’s event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year’s festival marks a return to large events after the COVID-19 pandemic for all Utah national parks, though Bryce Canyon has held some events with COVID restrictions through the past year.

“There’s no place quite like Bryce Canyon by day, and no time like a new moon in June to enjoy it by night,” a press release said.

Day programs included family friendly arts and crafts with opportunities to make sundials and paper constellations, and contribute to an artwork which will be unveiled on Saturday.

However, because of the lasting impacts of the pandemic, this year’s festival did not include the usual telescope tours, model rockets or a keynote speaker at Ebenezer’s Barn and Grill – though they will return in the future.

At twilight, park rangers held presentations at the Sunrise Point Amphitheater exploring space, covering everything from planets to black holes to birds.

“We want to, for what we are doing here at this park, encourage stewardship of our night skies,” Ranger Ben Taylor said in his evening program entitled “Looking Back at Bryce, Looking Back at Home.”

Over 50 people showed up for the evening program on Thursday, bundled in blankets and coats as June at this elevation reached 50 degrees.

Bryce Canyon closures: Bryce Canyon is forced to close recreational areas, censure visitors. Here's where and why

Taylor showed how the night sky looks very different from different planets and the constant stars humans have relied on become more obsolete the further from Earth you travel.

As darkness loomed, Taylor asked participants to take home their appreciation of the stars and become stewards of dark skies as all Utah national parks are.

“The first step in stewardship is knowledge, is learning about things, is getting excited about them,” he said.

Immediately after, constellation tours were held at Sunset Point, with red string lights guiding the way along the trail toward the lookout.

Rangers reminded visitors that white light ruins human night vision and to only use red light. Attendees were divided into two groups, each with their own star guide, and using a laser light the rangers pointed out famous and not-so-famous constellations.

Attendees said tickets for the constellation tours held right after the evening programs were gone by 8 a.m., but some found other non-official ways to stargaze.

Even nearing midnight, cars travelled in and out of lookout points to look up at the heavens.

Jeff Romano, 65, of Chicago, attended Thursday night’s program and said it was nothing like what he could see in the city, or even Zion National Park which just earned its dark sky designation.

Park Remarks: We take our dark sky parks for granted. Here's how to stargaze this week

“When we were in Zion before, but we didn’t see much more than I saw north of Chicago,” he said. “So here I’m looking forward to seeing more.”

After the constellation tours, visitors kept gendering upwards, marveling at what they can’t get back home.

“You might see a few dozen where we live but here it’s incredible,” Stuart Engel of Las Vegas said.

Utah has more dark sky designations than any other singular location in the world, with Zion being the fifth and final Utah national park to receive the honor within the past few weeks.

Kevin Poe, a Bryce Canyon ranger and owner of Dark Ranger Telescope Tours in Bryce Canyon City, said in September that astronomy tours are essential for understanding what’s written in the stars as well as an opportunity to capitalize on tourism.

“It’s something that you can celebrate in person rather than just making a pilgrimage that leads you to an overlook and the beauty of the night sky. Having some telescopes and educated professionals who are good at bringing these kinds of connections to the great big universe alive for individuals, that’s why Utah is the place to come stargaze,” Poe said.

However, light pollution even near Bryce Canyon has long been a contested issue with astronomy enthusiasts and local businesses needing to light their parking lots for safety.

While measures have been taken to combat light pollution,

“The enemy of dark skies is basically light pollution, and sometimes coming from a place of ignorance, not appreciating what a rare resource high quality darkness can be,” Poe said.

It's Dark Sky Month!: Here's how Utah national parks, monuments are celebrating with you

Lance Syrett, owner of Ruby’s Inn also in Bryce Canyon City, said that on any given night Ruby’s Inn is a “city” of about 4,000 people and manages their light pollution with new light fixtures.

“We don’t do light pollution to be antagonistic,” Syrett said. “We try to be very sensitive to our light, we have a lot of light here that we have to maintain certain safety thresholds … every time we upgrade our lighting we always keep [light pollution] as a consideration.”

Ranger Taylor said light pollution is a tricky issue to balance, but it can be done.

“In some senses it’s like an enemy to natural skies, but it doesn’t have to be. It can be something that’s done productively,” Taylor said.

Overall, from Taylor to Poe, all astronomy experts say dark skies offer a rare experience for Utahns and should not be taken for granted.

“Perhaps for things that we took for granted hundreds of years ago as humans, this is not something outside of our grasp just yet. We have this chance here at this national park, but if you think about what you can do at home … for making small change, it can really add up,” Taylor said.

K. Sophie Will is the National Parks Reporter for The Spectrum & Daily News through the Report for America initiative by The GroundTruth Project. Follow her on Twitter at @ksophiewill  or email her at [email protected] . Donate to Report for America here.

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Why is Bryce Canyon so special?

Bryce Canyon National Park, a sprawling expanse of natural beauty located in southern Utah, is a place that defies easy description. Known for its unique geological structures called hoodoos, its breathtaking vistas, and its pristine night skies, Bryce Canyon holds a special place in the hearts of those who visit. But what exactly makes Bryce Canyon so special ? Beyond its obvious visual appeal, there are layers of wonder that make this park a must-visit destination for nature lovers, adventurers, and anyone in between.

A Landscape Like No Other

The most striking feature of Bryce Canyon is undoubtedly its hoodoos. These tall, thin spires of rock are formed by frost weathering and stream erosion of the river and lake bed sedimentary rocks. The hoodoos' vibrant colors, which range from deep reds to bright oranges and whites, are a result of the varying mineral content in the rock. This natural amphitheater of rock formations is not only visually stunning but also offers a glimpse into the earth's geological history.

A Haven for Hikers

Bryce Canyon offers some of the most scenic hiking trails in the American Southwest. From easy strolls along the rim with panoramic views of the canyon to more strenuous hikes that descend into the amphitheater among the hoodoos, there's a trail for every skill level. The Navajo Loop and Queen's Garden Trail are particularly popular, offering an up-close experience with the park's most iconic formations. Each trail presents new perspectives and photo opportunities, making Bryce Canyon a hiker's paradise.

Stargazing Beyond Compare

Bryce Canyon's high elevation and remote location make it one of the best places in the world for stargazing. The park is designated as a Dark Sky Park, a recognition of its commitment to preserving the night sky and offering public astronomy programs. On a clear night, visitors can see thousands of stars, the Milky Way, and even other galaxies with the naked eye. The park regularly hosts astronomy events, providing telescopes and expert guidance to explore the cosmos.

Rich Cultural Heritage

Bryce Canyon is not only special for its natural wonders but also for its rich cultural heritage. The area has been home to Native American peoples for thousands of years, and more recently to Mormon settlers in the 19th century. The park's visitor center and museums offer insights into the human history of the region, from ancient Puebloans to the Paiute tribe and the early European settlers. This blend of natural beauty and cultural history adds depth to the Bryce Canyon experience.

Seasonal Splendor

Bryce Canyon's appeal changes with the seasons, offering a different experience each time you visit. Spring brings wildflowers and rushing streams, summer offers warm days and cool nights perfect for hiking and stargazing, fall colors transform the landscape, and winter covers the hoodoos in a blanket of snow, creating a serene and otherworldly scene. The park's ever-changing beauty means that no two visits are ever quite the same.

Exploring Bryce Canyon with MaxTour

For those looking to explore Bryce Canyon and other natural wonders of the Southwest, MaxTour offers a comprehensive 3-day tour that includes Bryce Canyon, Zion, Antelope Canyon, the Grand Canyon, and Monument Valley. This tour provides an in-depth exploration of the region's most iconic landscapes, with knowledgeable guides to enhance your understanding and appreciation of each site. It's an ideal way to experience the magic of Bryce Canyon and discover firsthand what makes it so special.

Bryce Canyon National Park is special for many reasons: its unique geological formations, its opportunities for adventure and exploration, its dark skies perfect for stargazing, its rich cultural history, and its seasonal beauty. Whether you're standing at the rim gazing out over the hoodoos or hiking among them, Bryce Canyon offers an experience that is both awe-inspiring and deeply grounding. It's a place that reminds us of the beauty and complexity of the natural world, inviting us to explore, learn, and return.

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