Bryce Canyon National Park in the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area

Discovery Road – Winner of Best In State 2022 – Best Documentary

Since its debut in 2012, Discovery Road has produced over 60 episodes, taking viewers on immersive journeys down U.S. Highway 89 through six historic counties in central and southern Utah.

 

Each 30-minute episode blends history, mystery, heritage, and natural beauty into family-friendly storytelling that educates as much as it entertains.

 

Broadcast locally on KUED-TV and across the country through the National Educational Television Association, or NETA, the series has become a public media touchstone for anyone seeking a deeper connection to the region’s past. It is also used in classrooms across the state as part of Utah’s history curriculum.

Mormon Pioneers traveling to the west Covered Wagons Courtesy of Shaun Messick

The Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area is the only National Heritage Area designated and named for a specific people, the Mormon Pioneers – as they forged to the west. Their remarkable story of dedication, fortitude, and extraordinary efforts offers one of the best features of the Mormon colonization experience in the United States. The Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area has been identified by Congress as a factor in the expansion of the United States and contributing to the United States.

Districts

travel planner for the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area

Cowboys, Outlaws, and the Movies 

The unique landscape features a geological wonderland that has been the backdrop for feature films including; “Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid,” and “Jeremiah Johnson.” While traveling through the picturesque scenery, you might recognize a scene or two. Included in the heritage area is the birthplace of Utah outlaws, Butch Cassidy and Matt Warner. Matt was a lifelong friend and a gang member alongside of Butch.  Many movies were filmed in the scenic Under the Rim District of the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area.

Mormon Colonization 

In the later part of the 1800s the Mormon pioneers began their great relocation to the west. They trekked 1,400 miles from Illinois to the Great Salt Lake. This mass-Exodus brought about colonization in Utah, Nevada, the southwest corner of Wyoming, the southeast corner of Idaho, southeast Oregon, and a large portion of southern and eastern California.

log cabin with Mormon Pioneer Family Echo City Utah
Family Portrait of Mormon Pioneers in Echo City, Utah

Bryce Canyon National Park

Even the world-renowned Piano Guys find inspiration in the beauty of Bryce Canyon.

At Bryce Canyon National Park, erosion has shaped colorful Claron limestones, sandstones, and mudstones into thousands of spires, fins, pinnacles, and mazes. Collectively called “hoodoos,” these colorful and whimsical formations stand in horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters along the eastern edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau in Southern Utah.

History of Bryce Canyon National Park

DESIGNATIONS

  • Bryce Canyon National Monument – June 8, 1923
  • Bryce Canyon National Park – September 15, 1928

Call 435-834-5322 for more information.

Operating Hours, Seasons:
The park is open 24 hours per day throughout the year. There may be temporary road closures during and shortly after winter snow storms until plowing is completed and conditions are safe for visitor traffic. Road maintenance may require brief closures of individual areas at other times.

More Information

Cost to visit Bryce Canyon National Park:

  • Private vehicle: $20 for 7 days includes entry into the park for one private vehicle and all of its occupants.
  • Shuttle Riders: FREE! There is no extra fee to use the shuttle system.
  • Entering the park and paying the $20 entrance fee gives full and unlimited use of the Bryce Canyon Shuttles.

Annual Passes like the National Park Pass ($50), Golden Age ($10) & Golden Access (free) waive the entrance fee to not only this park but all other National Park Service Areas across the entire country.  Annual passes can be purchased at the Shuttle Parking and Boarding Area and Ruby’s Inn.

Permits:
Backcountry: $5 for 14 Days. This permit is required for anyone planning to stay overnight in the Backcountry.

Local Passport: Bryce Canyon Annual Pass, $30, Annually. This pass allows one private vehicle and its occupants into the park for one full year. This pass can also be used on the Bryce Canyon Shuttle.

(All prices listed are subject to change without notice. For exact current rates call the numbers listed above.)

utah-map-mormon-pioneer-national-heritage

 

Follow Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area’s board Bryce Canyon National Park on Pinterest.

This program receives Federal financial assistance for identification and protection of historic properties. Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, the U.S. Department of the Interior prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability or age in its federally assisted programs. If you believe you have been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility as described above, or if you desire further information, please write to: Office for Equal Opportunity, National Park Service, 849 C Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20240.

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