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Add Bryce Canyon National Park to your bucket list for spectacular winter beauty, hiking, skiing, and snowshoeing. We visited in late December.  A blanket of snow brought a peacefulness that was a contrast to the busy summer season.  The crowds had thinned, the air was clear, and views stretched for 100 miles.

Hoodoos

Ancient rivers eroded the edge of Southern Utah’s Table Cliff Plateau forming pinnacles, spires and fins called hoodoos.  They are the “Legend People” of Piute lore, turned to stone by Coyote.  Walk the Rim Trail or drive the park’s road, stopping at overlooks.  The views are breathtaking and ever-changing, a photographers dream.

Hiking

Winter hiking on steep trails can be dangerous, but attaching traction devices to your boots gives you a firm grip on snow or ice.  You can buy them at sporting goods stores or at the park’s visitor center.  We use ICEtrekkers.  Some other brands are Yaktrax, Kahtoola, or STABILicers.   

On a bright, sunny day we descended into Bryce Amphitheater from Sunset Point on popular Navajo Loop Trail.  Reaching the canyon floor, we took the 3.7 mile Peekaboo Loop.  The snow was deep, but others had broken trail.  Hiking through forests of pinyon pines, fancifully shaped hoodoos towered around us.  We only saw only two other hikers on Peekaboo.

We returned to the rim on Queens Garden Trail.  This section has some of the most fantastic and whimsical formations.  We hiked through tunnels carved in the soft rock and assigned names to the hoodoos. “That one looks like a woman on a horse.” “There’s Abraham Lincoln!” A short side trail leads to a spot where if you use your imagination, you can see Queen Victoria overlooking her court.  Many of the courtiers wore tall white hats of snow.

Reaching the rim at Sunrise Point, we strolled the half mile back to our car.  The sun was dipping low in the west, casting long shadows from the hoodoos, such an eerie and beautiful sight, a great way to end our six-mile hike.

Winter Sports

Within the park, there are many cross-country ski routes above the rim.  Just outside the park, Ruby’s Inn offers 30km of groomed trails and ski rentals.

 Ruby’s also rents snowshoes for inside or outside the park.  Day time ranger-led snowshoe hikes start from the visitor center, and full-moon hikes are offered from November to March.  Snowshoes and poles are provided free of charge.  Call the visitor Center, 435-834-4747 for information and reservations.

Ruby’s also has a skating rink and rentals.

Where to Stay

Lodge at Bryce Canyon is the only lodging within the park.  It was built in 1925, but 2015-16 is the first time it will stay open all winter.  Rooms start at $121.

Ruby’s Inn is just outside the park.  Bryce View Lodge is across the street from Ruby’s.  Rooms for both start at $70.

We glide effortlessly, cross-country skiing in Calaveras Big Trees State Park.  Branches sag, heavy with snow.  The air is crisp, and woods quiet.  After leaving the visitor center parking lot, it took only ten minutes before we were alone.  There is solitude and a deep connection with nature that comes easily when you venture into a snowy forest.

Winter Activities

The park is in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  It has two cross-country skiing and snowshoe trails.  The 3.5-mile Parkway Loop Ski Trail climbs though forests of ponderosa pines, sugar pines, and incense cedars dotted with sequoias to an overlook of the Sierra.  The 1.5-mile North Grove Ski Trail loops through a world famous redwood grove.

          It had been three days since the last snowfall when we set out.  The Parkway Trail was a bit chewed up by snowshoes but its long gradual hills were a joy to ski.  The trail through the North Grove was trampled solid by hikers, so we walked.  It is awe-inspiring to traipse among the redwoods, when the forest has a deep blanket of snow.  If you catch it during or soon after a snowfall, you can experience the towering giants on skis.

          Sledding is also popular, and families were frolicking on long runs near the visitor center.  Check on snow conditions by calling the visitor center (209)795-3840 or (209)795-7980.

The Sequoias

California’s giant sequoias are the largest trees on earth, ranging over a narrow, 206-mile band of the western slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains between 4,000-8,400 feet.  There are 75 distinct groves, and two of them reside within the park.

          Early pioneer journals mention sightings of enormous trees, but they first came to the public’s attention in 1852.  Tracking a wounded grizzly, Augustus T Dowd wandered deep into the woods when he came upon a forest of colossal trees, much larger than any he had ever seen.  After the hunt, he brought others to see the giants, and the word spread.  The forest that Augustus stumbled upon is now the North Grove of Calaveras Big Trees State Park.

Equipment and Rentals

You can rent skis and snowshoes in Arnold, just 4 miles west of the park on Highway 4, at Sierra Nevada Adventure Company (209)795-9310 or Ebbetts Pass Sporting Goods (209)795-1686. Walking the park’s trails can be slippery, but attaching traction devices to your boots gives a firm grip on ice and snow.  They can be purchased at sporting goods stores.  We use ICEtrekkers.  Some other brands are Yaktrax, Kahtoola, or STABILicers.  

Places to Stay

There are four cabins for rent within the park starting at $165.  A Google search will turn up several inns in Arnold and lots of VRBO options.  Angels Camp is 25 miles from the park on Highway 4 and also has lots of lodging options.

Directions

To reach Calaveras Big Trees State Park, drive 35 minutes east on Highway 4 from Angels Camp.  The park is four miles beyond Arnold and 2.5 - 3 hours from the Bay Area.  For road conditions, call 1-800-427-7623.