Posted by Paul DeCesare on October 5, 2012 at 5:29 PM
I've got a (gulp) software convention in SLC in two weeks and I'll be driving up from AZ. This trip's photography-on-the-drive-up target is Bryce for a quick Stop n Shoot, wish I had more time but better than zero. I'll be arriving there about 1-2 hours before sunset and I've not been there before. Is there a secret "fishin' hole" of photography where I can get a good POV facing west for end of day? Park and light hike is fine if necessary.
Thanks!
Posted by Doug Koepsel on October 5, 2012 at 6:10 PM
Paul, you might try the Queens Garden trail starting at Sunrise Point. That would get you east a ways to look back west.
Not really. Not to be a jerk, but the best views (almost all views, really) of the park open to the east.
If you're on a super-tight schedule and looking for something at the end of the day, you'll probably have better luck at Cedar Breaks. It's about an hour south, but opens to the west. If you can spare a night along the way, make a reservation for one of the hotels near Bryce, shoot Cedar Breaks for sunset, drive to your hotel, shoot sunrise at Bryce, and drive the rest of the way that morning. That would get you into SLC around noon.
If you're hard-set on Bryce, "Bryce Point" is the farthest out and will give the most expansive view back over the hoodoos, but it's really more of a northerly view.
I'd recommend deciding whether you're more interested in exploring or shooting. If it's exploring, come on out to Bryce and enjoy it; you might get lucky with some good clouds. If it's shooting, I'd go for [1] Cedar Breaks, [2] Kolob Canyons in Zion, or [3] the Little Sahara dunes.
I hope that helps. I mean that last part sincerely; Bryce is awesome and you should totally go at some point, but 98% of the time, sunset isn't the right light for Bryce.
Posted by Paul DeCesare on October 6, 2012 at 12:58 AM
the best views (almost all views, really) of the park open to the east.
Mark, thank you, this is exactly the info I was hoping for. Sounds like planning a Bryce trip at sunset would have been a waste of time. Funny you should mention Kolob Canyons, I found this on another photog's site:
The Kolob Canyons viewpoint (sunset). Late afternoon is a great time to visit drive to the end of the Kolob Canyons Road in the Kolob Canyons section of Zion National Park for a glorious panoramic view of the Kolob Finger Canyons. The view from the parking lot is one of the best in the park; no hiking is required.
I was hoping someone would say "here's a better place for that time of day", and you did. Huge thanks.
Posted by Karl Buiter on October 8, 2012 at 9:01 PM
I have to agree - Bryce is not much of a sunset park, despite the interesting location "Sunset Point" Everything goes east, except for local peninsula points like Bryce Point, which only encircles a small area. I ran for Yavimpa Point, the most southerly spot, and while I did get a cool shot of Mollies Nipple some twenty miles away under sunset rainbow, it was otherwise not much of a sunset location (of course there has to be that one shot).
With limited time, I'd choose Zion for the sunsets in the lower main canyon (or the Kolob area). You stay closer to the I-15 on your SLC journey. But if you must, keep a note that route 14 near Cedar City (to Cedar Breaks) has several one lane construction zones - and must be traveled carefully at night for the numerous deer -on-the-road. And the I-15 through the Virgin River has a major repaving project underway. The good news is the 80+ zones near Beaver.
Posted by Paul DeCesare on October 8, 2012 at 10:55 PM
Discussion
5 repliesThanks!
If you're on a super-tight schedule and looking for something at the end of the day, you'll probably have better luck at Cedar Breaks. It's about an hour south, but opens to the west. If you can spare a night along the way, make a reservation for one of the hotels near Bryce, shoot Cedar Breaks for sunset, drive to your hotel, shoot sunrise at Bryce, and drive the rest of the way that morning. That would get you into SLC around noon.
If you're hard-set on Bryce, "Bryce Point" is the farthest out and will give the most expansive view back over the hoodoos, but it's really more of a northerly view.
I'd recommend deciding whether you're more interested in exploring or shooting. If it's exploring, come on out to Bryce and enjoy it; you might get lucky with some good clouds. If it's shooting, I'd go for [1] Cedar Breaks, [2] Kolob Canyons in Zion, or [3] the Little Sahara dunes.
I hope that helps. I mean that last part sincerely; Bryce is awesome and you should totally go at some point, but 98% of the time, sunset isn't the right light for Bryce.
Mark, thank you, this is exactly the info I was hoping for. Sounds like planning a Bryce trip at sunset would have been a waste of time. Funny you should mention Kolob Canyons, I found this on another photog's site:
I was hoping someone would say "here's a better place for that time of day", and you did. Huge thanks.
With limited time, I'd choose Zion for the sunsets in the lower main canyon (or the Kolob area). You stay closer to the I-15 on your SLC journey. But if you must, keep a note that route 14 near Cedar City (to Cedar Breaks) has several one lane construction zones - and must be traveled carefully at night for the numerous deer -on-the-road. And the I-15 through the Virgin River has a major repaving project underway. The good news is the 80+ zones near Beaver.