Bryce Canyon and Powell Point

Zoe (left) and Ava Knudsen enjoy the sights along the Queen's Garden Trail in Bryce Canyon National Park.

We had a nice family camping trip at Bryce Canyon National Park over a long July weekend. The Sunset Campground is spacious, quiet, and well-kept. The kids got a kick out of the Queen's Garden-Navajo loop trails. I wanted to complete the loop by hiking up Wall Street, but rain and thunder forced us to take the shorter Navajo Trail out. We also checked out the Geology Festival going on at the Visitor Center, and the kids participated in a Junior Ranger program on fossils.

On one of the mornings, I woke up early and was finally able to cross Powell Point off the bucket list. Powell Point ranks right up there with Muley Point (edge of Cedar Mesa in SE Utah) in terms of big, never-ending views. In fact, these high points are so much higher than the desert below, it's nearly impossible to photograph and convey the immensity of it all.

Here are the pics:

POWELL POINT

Where the Jeep road turns to singletrack near Powell Point. I started my ride to Powell Point at Pine Lake which is about a 45-minute drive north of Bryce Canyon. From the lake, it's a good 2000-foot climb to the top of the Table Cliff Plateau. Then a fun Jeep road to the south, and a short singletrack to the edge of the world. I though I'd heard the singletrack was closed to bikes, but I could not see any trail markers restricting bikes.

Looking east from Powell Point, the morning sun peeks beneath storm clouds. I had off and on rain showers during my ride but it didn't rain enough to make any real mud.

End of the trail at Powell Point.

The sweet, but all-too-short singletrack to Powell Point.

A fresh-looking tension crack parallels a 1000-foot high cliff at Powell Point. You must approach these crumbling cliffs with care.

 Short video clip from Powell Point.

QUEENS GARDEN/NAVAJO LOOP

The Queens Garden with Bryce point in the distance.

Miniature effect at Queen's Garden.

Two small natural bridges near the Navajo Loop.

Navajo Trail.

Ava (left) and Zoe pose in front of the hoodoo known as Thor's Hammer.

Hoodoos fill  the Bryce Canyon Amphitheater. The dark narrow canyon in the lower left part of photo is Wall Street -- we'll have to hit it next time.

A rain storm passes over Bryce Canyon.