Annual Geology Festival

 
 
A red rock landscape with text for 2023 Geology Festival
2023 Geology Festival Poster

NPS/Peter Densmore

Bryce Canyon Geology Festival

Bryce Canyon's Geology Festival (Geo Fest) is scheduled for Friday, July 14 and Saturday, July 15, 2023. Join park rangers for guided hikes, family-friendly geology programs, evening programs as well as exhibits and family oriented activities at the Visitor Center.

Day 1: Friday, July 14 2023

10 a.m. - Guided Hike (Ages 8+, Free Ticket Required)

Join a geologist for a moderate 3-mile hike to discover the intriguing history behind the rocks at Bryce Canyon.

12 p.m. to 4 p.m. - Visitor Center Plaza Activities

Geology booths from nearby public lands and parks will be set up at the Visitor Center. Stop by and learn something new!

Booths include Dixie National Forest Lake Powell District, Escalante Petrified Forest State Park, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Southern Utah University’s Geology Club, St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site, USU Eastern Prehistoric Museum, Utah Geological Survey and Zion National Park.

11 a.m. - Sunset Point Hoodoo Geology Talk

What’s a hoodoo? How do they form? Why does Bryce Canyon have so many? Attend a Geology Talk and learn more!

2 p.m. - Sunset Point Rim Walk

Interested in the culture, natural history, and geology of Bryce Canyon? Attend a Rim Walk and learn more!

8:00 p.m. - Evening Program at North Campground Outdoor Theater (Free Ticket May be Required*)

Peek-a-Boo! A View into Bryce Canyon's Ancient Worlds
Tut Tran, ACE Epic Paleontologist Fellow, Bryce Canyon National Park
Tut Tran has been spearheading new paleontological work in Bryce Canyon with the help of fellow park staff and outside researchers since summer 2022, right after completing his Master's of Science thesis on fossil sea turtles at California State University, Fullerton. His experience in dinosaur field work in Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming over the last five years has bolstered his passion for protecting fossils on public lands, especially in Bryce Canyon and the surrounding Grand Staircase region. Tut's talk will cover the history of paleontological study in the park and the ancient ecosystems contained within, revealed through decades of field work and research.

Day 2: Saturday, July 15 2023

10 a.m. - Guided Hike (Ages 8+, Free Ticket Required)

Join a geologist for a moderate 3-mile hike to discover the intriguing history behind the rocks at Bryce Canyon.

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. - Visitor Center Plaza Activities

Geology booths from nearby public lands and parks will be set up at the Visitor Center. Stop by and learn something new!

Booths include Dixie National Forest Lake Powell District, Escalante Petrified Forest State Park, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Southern Utah University’s Geology Club, St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site, USU Eastern Prehistoric Museum, Utah Geological Survey and Zion National Park.

11 a.m. - Sunset Point Hoodoo Geology Talk

What’s a hoodoo? How do they form? Why does Bryce Canyon have so many? Attend a Geology Talk and learn more!

2 p.m. - Sunset Point Rim Walk

Interested in the culture, natural history, and geology of Bryce Canyon? Attend a Rim Walk and learn more!

8:00 p.m. - Evening Program at North Campground Outdoor Theater (Free Ticket May be Required*)

Paleontology of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Geologist, educator, writer and naturalist Christa Sadler
Christa Sadler is a globe-trotting geologist and paleontologist with research and field experience in places ranging from the Grand Canyon to the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. She has also authored multiple geology books, including Life in Stone: Fossils of the Colorado Plateau and Where Dinosaurs Roamed: Lost Worlds of Utah's Grand Staircase. Her talk will cover the paleontology of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Bryce Canyon's immediate neighbor to the east, which in recent years has produced many new dinosaur species.

*Evening Program Ticket Policy

If weather is good, no tickets will be required for the North Campground Outdoor Theater Evening Program. However, if inclement weather requires the Evening Program to be moved to the Bryce Canyon Lodge, seats will be reserved for ticket holders.

If the program is moved, we will post an update to our Alerts page.

 

Map of 2023 Geology Festival

Click for a map of 2023 festival activities.

Last updated: December 13, 2023

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Contact Info

Mailing Address:

P.O Box 640201
Bryce, UT 84764

Phone:

435 834-5322
Phones are answered and messages returned as soon as possible as staffing allows.

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