Bryce Canyon National Park guide · 1 min read
Driving the Southern Scenic Drive to Rainbow Point
The Southern Scenic Drive is the 15-mile stretch of the main park road beyond the Bryce Amphitheater area, which sits within the first three miles of the 18-mile road from the park entrance.
The drive climbs to the highest elevations in the park and ends at Rainbow Point and Yovimpa Point. Along the way, nine scenic overlooks and vehicle pullouts let you see the park's geology and wildlife.
Rainbow Point sits at 9,115 feet, and it and Yovimpa Point are the highest viewpoints in the park. At Rainbow Point, the road ends among rock spires and forest. From Yovimpa Point, you can look out over layers of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument reaching toward the Grand Canyon. Both viewpoints overlook land that was lifted from sea level over the last 20 million years.
Farview Point earns its name. On all but the worst days, you can see Navajo Mountain, 90 miles away on the border of Utah and Arizona, and you may be able to see the Henry Mountains, 84 miles to the east. Piracy Point offers a different kind of view. With a little imagination, two large buttes look like sailing ships in a naval battle, and the point overlooks the Sheep Creek and Willis Creek drainage systems.
Black Birch Canyon Overlook is one of the places where the name is a misnomer, since the feature is not really a canyon. The view takes in red rock formations rising above green trees.
Plan to drive to the end of the Southern Scenic Drive first, then stop at the viewpoints on your way back north. All of the stops are on your right side on the return trip, which spares you a string of left turns across traffic.
