Bryce Canyon Rim Run and Walk this Saturday

One of Ruby’s Inn’s most anticipated annual events, the Bryce Canyon Rim Run and Walk, will take place this Saturday, August 29. The race, which begins at 9 a.m., is incredibly scenic, traversing ponderosa pine forests and offering views of Bryce Canyon. A T-shirt, a western lunch, random prizes and refreshments are included with the entry fee. For more information about this fun, family event, click here . We hope to see you this weekend!

Bryce Canyon is heaven for photographers

In a recent travel column , Sid Kaplan of Troy Media said that Bryce Canyon National Park makes anyone a good photographer because its colorful rock hoodoos of every shape and size are so photogenic. He has a point. Bryce Canyon’s hoodoos are photogenic, especially early in the morning and just before dusk because the way the sunlight hits them. If you would like to hone your photography skills in Bryce Canyon’s picturesque landscape, book your accommodations at Ruby’s Inn today. In addition to exploring Bryce Canyon, you can also explore other fantastic southern Utah scenic destinations during your stay at Ruby’s Inn, including Kodachrome Basin State Park, Red Canyon and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. We look forward to see you soon!

Ruby’s Inn Opens Best Western Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel!

Ruby’s Inn now has a partner across Utah Highway 63. Last Thursday, Ruby’s Inn held the grand opening of the Best Western Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel, a 164-room hotel that includes the eatery Ebenezer’s Barn and Grill. The two four-story towers also include a large lobby, exercise facilities, a guest laundry and an enclosed courtyard with a pool, whirlpool and patio. For more information about the hotel or to make reservations, visit its website .

Bryce Canyon Astronomy Festival begins Wednesday

Bryce Canyon National Park will hold its 9th Annual Astronomy Festival this week, from Wednesday, June 17, to Saturday, June 20. The event kicks off Wednesday evening at Panguitch’s Triple-C Arena (50 East 900 North) with a keynote address from John Stoke, a former member of NASA’a Hubble mission. His presentation, “Hubble and Beyond, Far Beyond,” focuses on the best of the Hubble and provides a look at the next generation of telescopes. After the presentation, there will be a free stargazing session with provided telescopes outside the arena.

In addition to Stoke’s address, the festival will include daily rocket building and launching workshops, guided walks along a scale model of the solar system, and various ranger programs by Bryce Canyon’s “Dark Rangers” and other expert guest speakers.

Utah residents will enjoy free admission to the park during the event.

For more information on the Bryce Canyon Astronomy Festival, visit its website by clicking here .

Bryce Canyon Winter Festival this weekend, Feb. 14-16

As it has every Presidents Day weekend for more than two decades, Ruby’s Inn will host the Bryce Canyon Winter Festival this Saturday, Sunday and Monday, Feb. 14-16. The festival gives its participants a different perspective on the park’s colorful hoodoos – with a light dusting of snow. The event boasts a variety of activities, including guided snowshoe tours, photography clinics, children's activities, a snow sculpture contest, and more. All activities except for the archery biathlon and cross-country ski races are free. Reece Stein, host of “At Your Leisure,” will do a presentation on a recent trip to Antarctica and a Bryce Canyon ranger will host a multimedia astronomy program at the visitor center. For more information about the festival, visit the Ruby’s Inn winter festival page or read this recent Deseret News article .

Bryce Canyon National Park in winter offers different perspective

Most tourists might not put Bryce Canyon National Park on their list of top winter destinations, but they should. Bryce Canyon in winter offers a much less-crowded experience, crisp, cool air and views of the park’s colorful hoodoos in an entirely different perspective – with a light dusting of snow on them. Favorite activities for winter visitors are cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Bryce Canyon should not be the only place on your winter national park vacation itinerary. The main highway that provides access to the park, Scenic Byway 12, is worth driving as well. Forbes.com recently named Highway 12 as one of North America’s best winter drives . Along highway 12, you will find other scenic treasures such as Red Canyon and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. For more information about winter activities in the Bryce Canyon area, read this recent article .

Bryce Canyon inspires awe

Julie McKinnon, a staff writer for the Toledo Blade in Toledo, Ohio, recently visited Bryce Canyon National Park and was amazed, especially by “Wall Street” along the Navajo Trail, which she said, “inspires more awe than anything I’ve ever seen in the Big Apple’s financial district, even in the best of economic times.” She said she enjoyed the feeling of being dwarfed by hoodoos instead of by skyscrapers. Her trip was the first time she had seen Bryce Canyon. She cancelled a trip to Bryce Canyon 12 years ago and said she would not go that long before returning. She also talked about the incredible vistas of hoodoos mixed with mountains at Rainbow Point and Yovimpa Point at the south end of the park, which many visitors miss. Click here for the full text of her article.

If you would like to experience the same spectacular views McKinnon did, plan a trip to Bryce Canyon and plan to stay at Ruby’s Inn, the closest accommodations to the entrance of the park. Any time of the year is a good time to enjoy the park’s stunning beauty.