Hoodoos at Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Bryce Canyon hoodoos in winter. Bryce Canyon National Park

As the sun rises on Bryce Canyon, its snowcapped red-orange rock formations start to glow. These slender, towering rocks are called hoodoos, and Bryce Canyon National Park is remarkable for having the highest concentration of hoodoos anywhere on Earth. The hoodos here have a soft base of sedimentary rock with a cap of more solid stone on top. The snow and frost of the Utah winter will eventually erode the support of the cap, causing it to fall and expose the remaining rock to easier erosion. Thankfully these formations are standing now, allowing us to take in their natural majesty as the park celebrates its 100th anniversary.