Bryce Canyon National Park Information	Grand Canyon National Park Information
Cedar Breaks National Monument Information

Bryce Canyon National Park

While you are staying at Pioneer Lodge you can also take a day or two to visit Bryce Canyon National Park. Bryce Canyon is open all year and is located on Scenic Byway 12 and U-63. Bryce Canyon is made up of a series of giant amphitheaters with millions of pink rock pinnacles called "hoodoos" that are particularly spectacular at sunrise and sunset. While you take the beautiful drive through the park be sure to take time to pull off at overlooks into the canyon amphitheaters below. You will be given a map of the Park at the gate, which will lead you to the best lookout points. Just beyond the main gate is the Bryce Canyon Visitors Center, be sure to stop and check out the various displays about the geology of the park. You may also want to hike into the amphitheaters on one of the many trails. There is an extensive system of trail in the main amphitheater near the visitor center. You may choose to ride horseback into the park or along the canyon rim with one of several different outfitters. Riding horseback is an easier way to come back up to the rim. For those of you who want a thrill a helicopter ride is a great way to see more of the park and to get close to some of the large hoodoo formations in the outer regions of the park.  Maps Bryce Canyon Whole Park 1.1 MB Main Bryce Amphitheater 747 KB Regional Driving Map 427 KB Download a free version of Adobe Reader, click here...

Grand Canyon National Park

A couple hours south of Pioneer Lodge you can enjoy an isolated paradise of canyons along the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is an exceptionally deep, steep-walled canyon formed by the Colorado River. The Grand Canyon is 446 km (277 mi) long, up to 29 km (18 mi) wide, and more than 1500 m (5000 ft) deep. The Grand Canyon is extraordinarily beautiful with its towering buttes, mesas, and valleys. When you visit Zion National Park you stand at the bottom of the canyon and look up, however, when you visit the North Rim of the Grand Canyon you will find yourself standing on top and looking down at the immense canyon below. While there, you will want to visit at least one of the developed viewpoints along the North Rim. Point Imperial and Cape Royal view points are reached via a winding scenic drive. The trip to both points, with short walks at each and several stops at pullouts along the way, can easily take half a day. Point Imperial, the highest point on the North Rim at 8,803 feet and overlooks the Painted Desert and the eastern end of the Grand Canyon. Cape Royal is accessible via a paved, level trail and provides a beautiful panorama across the canyon. With seemingly unlimited vistas to the east and west, Cape Royal is popular for both sunrise and sunset. You will also want to make a stop at Bright Angel Point, at the southern end of the entrance road. From the parking area it is a short, easy walk to Grand Canyon Lodge and a classic view of the canyon. This facility is wheelchair accessible. A paved, half-mile (round-trip) trail leads from the lodge, out the spine of the ridge, to the point. This trail is steep in places, with drop-offs and stairs, but provides dramatic views into Roaring Springs and Bright Angel Canyons.  Maps of Grand Canyon Area Map 376 KB Backcountry Use Area Map 557 KB Getting to South Rim 274 KB North Rim Maps 290 KB South Rim Maps 306 KB Download a free version of Adobe Reader, click here...

Cedar Breaks National Monument

Another great place to visit during your stay at the Pioneer Lodge is Cedar Breaks National Monument. Located a couple hours north of the Lodge, Cedar Breaks is a steep, amphitheater carved into the west side of the Markagunt Plateau. The formations at Cedar Breaks are similar to those found at Bryce Canyon National Park and many argue that the colorful rock surpasses the red, orange, and pink hues found at Bryce Canyon. Your first stop while you are there should be the visitor center and museum where you will learn more about how the amphitheater was formed as well as obtain important information about trailheads and lookout points. Cedar Breaks is a great place for a picnic, there is also a beautiful five mile scenic drive that includes three developed overlook points. Hiking within the park is limited but there are a few trails that follow the rim of the plateau to some incredible viewpoints overlooking the monument.