Bryce Canyon National Park is a magical place. This park has been on my to-do list for … well, too long than I care to admit. And I’ve always wanted a winter visit. There is something about the snow snaking its way in and around the hoodoos. I finally made it happen in February of 2023.

During my visit, winter storms closed off most of Bryce Canyon. The access road to Paria View almost always shuts down in the winter months, yet it’s just a short hike from a parking area to the rim overlooking magnificent hoodoos and the deep valley floor.

If you visit in winter, take the time to hike to Paria View. It is stunning.

I spent the better part of two hours walking back and forth along the Paria View rim. With each turn - sometimes each step - the angles on the hoodoos changed and new patterns in the rocks appeared.

Bryce is much more a sunrise location than a sunset location, photographically speaking. The better light at sunset happens well before the sun is below the horizon. I returned to the entry point at Paria View, where I could frame up a single, predominant hoodoo with the shadowed valley floor as a backdrop. Every few minutes, the light changed, a new mix of bright oranges against deep shadows.

As the light faded, I took several more photos, concentrating on individual sections of the hoodoos. That one, prominent hoodoo kept reaching for the sunlight as all others had fallen into shadow.

If you visit Bryce in the winter, don’t let a short hike over packed snow stop you from witnessing Paria View at sunset. Well … a bit before sunset. The hoodoos will be in shadow and you’ll still have decent light to hike back to your car.