Farview

View at Farview

NPS

Farview Point is appropriately named, with spectacular views of famous landmarks that make up the Grand Staircase. From north to south you can see: the Aquarius Plateau (Pink Cliffs), the Kaiparowits Plateau (Grey Cliffs), Molly's Nipple (White Cliffs), and even glimpses of the Kaibab Plateau on which lies the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. These magnificent views result from Bryce Canyon's extremely high air quality, with potential visibility as far away as the Black Mesas in Arizona — up to 160 miles! Navajo Mountain, 90 miles away on the border of Utah and Arizona, can be seen on all but the worst days. While many visitors are awed by the beautiful things they see here, it is what they don't see (the haze and smog produced by particulates in the air) that is one of Bryce Canyon's most valued assets.

Geology
In the foreground of the scene, a layer of resistant rock caps a fin protruding from the plateau. These resistant layers prolong the life of the fin, protecting the soft limestone from the forces of erosion and delaying the formation of hoodoos. Once this resistant cap has been eroded, the fin will have a short life (geologically speaking) as a series of hoodoos, before being weathered completely into a pile of clay and sand that will soon be washed away.

Nature
This is the transitional zone between Ponderosa Pine Forests and the Spruce-Fir forest. Watch for representatives of both plant and animal communities. Here you might find flowers such as Showy Goldeneye and Shrubby Cinquefoil. Also watch for Osprey. If you are surprised to find fish eaters like Osprey living in a desert-like environment you're not the only one. Not too far from here nest a pair of Osprey that catch and carry fish from Tropic Reservoir - a distance of two air miles!

Trails
A very short and flat trail leads north from the parking lot to Piracy Point where with a little imagination two large buttes appear as sailing ships engaged in a naval battle.

Services
pit toilets

<<back continue>>