One heck of a place to loose a  cow, that’s how Ebenezer Bryce described the canyon when he settled here in 1874. Though it is called a canyon, it is not really a canyon at all, Bryce was carved by freeze-thaw cycles, not a river. The rock formations, called “Hoodoos” are what the park is famous for, but it is also considered one of the best places in the United States to star gaze because of the lack of light pollution form nearby cities. Ponderosa pines, high elevation meadows, and fir-spruce forests border the rim of the plateau which abounds with wildlife. This area boasts some of the world’s best air quality, offering panoramic views of three states and approaching 200 miles of visibility. Even though it was cloudy/partly cloudy when I visited, as you will see in the photos, you can still see for miles.  A recent archaeological survey of Bryce and the Paunsaugunt Plateau shows that people have been marveling at Bryce’s hoodoos for at least 10,000 years. The park abounds with wildlife, I spotted Pronghorn Antelope, Mule Deer, Eagles, Hawks, Sage Grouse, and Ravens, but the big thing to watch out for are Mountain Lions, though I didn’t see any, I would have loved the chance to photograph one. They say some photographers have been photographing here for years and have never seem a Mountain Lion, but they are here, probably watching you without you even knowing.

The lodge that is pictured is the Bryce Canyon Lodge located in the park itself, but I stayed at the Historic Ruby Inn just outside the parks main entrance. In 1916, Reuben C. (Ruby) Syrett brought his family to the wilds of Southern Utah, establishing a ranch near the present site of Ruby’s Inn. A few weeks after his arrival, another nearby rancher told Ruby of the canyon called Bryce. Ruby and his family made a Sunday visit to the canyon rim. They were so impressed by what they saw that they not only took full advantage to tell people of the canyon’s beauties, but they also became hosts to its visitors. By1919 they had obtained permission from the state to build a lodge, the “Tourist Rest”, near the brink of the canyon. Ruby’s Inn at Bryce Canyon is also a destination in and of itself, Horseback Riding, Mountain Biking, Guided ATV Rides and Helicopter Tours, along with western experiences such as Rodeos are some of the activities enjoyed by guests. As soon as you walk into the lobby you will be caught up in the Inn’s rich history, if you ever visit, I personally recommend that you stay here. I hope you enjoyed the history lesson on Bryce Canyon National Park and the photos I shot while there, you owe it to yourself to plan a visit someday, photos just don’t do justice to beauty of this grand park!

This is follow up to my earlier post on Archs National Park in Utah. This series of photos covers Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument, Badlands National Park, Custer State Park, Wind Cave National Park, and Deadwood , all in the great State of South Dakota. My trip was based in Spearfish and Custer, South Dakota, within easy driving distance to all the attractions the western part of the State is famous for.

Mount Rushmore- Without question, Rushmore, located just South of Rapid City, is the most popular Western South Dakota attraction, receiving millions of visitors each year. Considered America’s shrine of Democracy it features 60ft high faces of four of America’s most famous Presidents. Thomas Jefferson, the President who became the principal author of one of history’s most famous adventures when he sent Lewis and Clark on their expedition is one of the faces featured. Also featured, but no less famous, are Teddy Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, and George Washington.

Crazy Horse Monument- Located just South and West of Mount Rushmore is a work in progress, Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski and Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear officially started Crazy Horse Memorial June 3, 1948. The Memorial’s mission is to honor the culture, tradition and living heritage of North American Indians. One of the photos you will see shows a statue of Crazy Horse, this is what the mountain will look like when finished, another shows the mountain as it was in 2006 when I visited. The Indian Museum of North America, also located here, is home to an extraordinary collection of art and artifacts reflecting the diverse histories and cultures of the American Indian people.

Custer State Park- Located just east of Custer, South Dakota. Many movies used Custer State Park and it’s wildlife as a backdrop, most notably, Dances with Wolves, the Buffalo scenes were filmed here. Every Year park staff and visitors have a Big Buffalo round up, from five spared animals that in the late 1800s, nearly made extinct, to a substantial herd of 1,300 head today. The heard of buffalo at Custer State Park  has swelled to one of the largest publicly owned herds in the world, each year they thin the heard in the Big Buffalo Round round up to maintain the populations to a number the park can support.  Though I saw quite a bit of wildlife at the park, I wasn’t able to find the Big Horn Sheep, or the Mountain Goats, I did however find plenty of Bison, Pronghorn Antelope, Prairie Dogs, and most peoples favorite, the wild Burros. These guys are not shy of people, they will come right up to your car looking for handouts. I also met a man that was displaying his collection of old guns and knifes used by the people living here in the 1870′s, it was a very fascinating display, of note is the Sharps rifle, used by the Buffalo hunters for it’s power and range. The State Game Lodge was the “Summer White House” of Calvin Coolidge, I enjoyed a lunch here of Bison Stew, very delicious! If you ever make it to South Dakota, Custer State Park is a “Must See”.

Wind Cave National Park- Located just South of Custer State Park, boasts  one of the world’s longest and most complex caves. American Indian stories dating back centuries speak of a “hole that breathes cool air” in the Black Hills. Cowboys came across a breathing hole in 1881 and the exploration of Wind Cave began. In 1903 Wind Cave became the first cave anywhere in the world to be designated a national park. Cave explorers are still finding new rooms and passages in Wind Cave, the fourth longest cave in the world.

Badlands National Park- Located in southwestern South Dakota, was formed by the geologic forces of deposition and erosion. Deposition of sediments began 69 million years ago when an ancient sea stretched across what is now the Great Plains. My visit here was short, I had about 2 hours before I had to start back to Indy, someday I plan to return to the Badlands and spend several days photographing the incredible colors this park has to offer.

Deadwood- Things of interest in Deadwood are an old gold mine where you can try “panning for gold”, several historical museums, a cemetery containing the graves of Wild Bill Hickok (killed here in 1876) and Calamity Jane, and many historic hotels and saloons. The city was founded following the discovery of gold here in 1876, discovered by General George Custer.

Hope you enjoyed the tour from my trip, I have many more National Parks that I will be posting in the future, so please stay tuned. Better yet, sign up to receive my Blog updates through the RSS feed to my site, or watch for us on Facebook, be sure to “LIKE” us while there. Thanks for visiting!!!