Bryce Canyon · Sunset Point in 3D

The amphitheatre of hoodoos

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, USA

Bryce Canyon is not a canyon but a row of amphitheatres in the edge of a plateau, filled with hoodoos: spires of limestone and siltstone laid down in lakes 40 to 55 million years ago. On about 200 days a year the temperature swings across freezing, and ice wedges the rock apart. This walk stands at Sunset Point.

Where: Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, USA
Rock: The Claron Formation, 40 to 55 million years old
Freeze and thaw: About 200 days a year
Shape: A row of amphitheatres, not a canyon

Official site

Walk Bryce Canyon · Sunset Point in 3D

A real-time 3D model, built from open elevation data and published measurements. Loads 2.3 MB when you start.

Works in VR on Meta Quest and other WebXR headsets: open this page in the headset's browser, start the 3D walk, then choose View in VR.

Bryce Canyon · Sunset Point rendered in real-time 3D

Walk it yourself. Works on this phone.

Part of the American Parks II pack: a one-time unlock in this browser.

Terrain from open elevation data · a 3D reconstruction, not a photograph · tags as in the app

Hear the guide

The narrator from the app reads each tour stop. Transcripts below.

Hoodoos
Known0:14

The spires are carved from the Claron Formation, limestone and siltstone laid down in lakes some 40 to 55 million years ago. Iron and manganese give the oranges, pinks and whites.
Frost and rain
Known0:17

On roughly 200 days a year the temperature here swings across freezing. Ice wedges the rock apart, and rain rounds off what is left. Bryce is not a canyon but a row of amphitheatres in the edge of a plateau.
A place to lose a cow
Folklore0:12

Ebenezer Bryce, who settled below the rim in the 1870s, is remembered for calling it "a hell of a place to lose a cow".

How to visit Bryce Canyon · Sunset Point

Sunset Point is on the park's scenic road, with trails down among the hoodoos. The rim is high, about 2,400 m, and cold at night even in summer.

Opening times and tickets change: check the official site. Official site

Open Bryce Canyon · Sunset Point in Farstep

The full site on your phone: a narrated guided tour, passport stamps, offline, and smoother graphics than a browser can give.

Narrated guided tour, stop by stop, in nine languages
Passport stamps for every hotspot and finished tour
Works offline once installed
Stonehenge free; other sites are one-time packs. No ads, no subscription.

Open in Farstep

Get it onGoogle Play Download on theApp Store

On iPhone the button opens the App Store.

Bryce Canyon · Sunset Point: questions and answers

Is Bryce Canyon really a canyon?

No. It is a row of amphitheatres cut into the edge of a plateau, filled with hoodoos.

How were the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon formed?

On about 200 days a year water freezes and thaws in the cracks, wedging the 40-to-55-million-year-old rock apart into spires.

Can I walk around Bryce Canyon · Sunset Point in 3D?

Yes, in your browser. Everything on this page is free to read. Walking Bryce Canyon · Sunset Point in 3D is part of the American Parks II pack: a one-time purchase with no subscription, and signing in with the same account unlocks it in the Farstep app too.

Can I walk Bryce Canyon · Sunset Point in VR?

Yes, on a Meta Quest or another WebXR headset: open this page in the headset's browser, start the 3D walk, then choose View in VR. The left stick walks, the right stick turns and the trigger opens the fact cards.