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Ruby’s Inn and Bryce Canyon National Park are the Ideal Counterparts
June 12, 2020 at 5:23 PM
by Where’s Your Next Adventure?
Outdoor expedition guides Wyoming.

Synonymous: A word or phrase having the same or nearly the same meaning. Some might argue that Bryce Canyon National Park and Ruby’s Inn fit into that definition.

Ruby and Minnie Syrett started providing lodging for visitors to the Bryce Canyon in 1916. It wasn’t made a National Monument until 1923.

That’s 104 years that Ruby’s Inn has been providing travelers a place to stay while experiencing the beauty of Bryce Canyon.

Today Bryce Canyon National Park hosts over 1.5 million guests each year. That number has been trending up since 1924 when it became a national park. Currently, Ruby’s Inn is the premier resort in the area. With a rich and fascinating area history, their accommodations and list of services and adventure activities (still run by Ruby and Minnie’s 3rd and 4th generation) make it easy to place them as one of the top resorts anywhere on the planet.

Bryce Canyon National Park

The vistas in the park make me feel like I’m on top of the world.

For over 100 years, both amateur and professional photographers have been trying to capture the rainbow of colors in the canyons hoodoos. Getting the sunlight just right is a real art (one I’m still working on). My photos never seem to show the layers of mountain ranges that appear to never end as you gaze out past the park’s boundaries.

There’s so much to love about the area it’s near impossible to make a list. Hike to Tower BridgeOne of my top reasons is easy assessability to numerous viewpoints. Regardless of one’s age or lack of mobility, most everyone can make it out to multiple vantage points to soak in the splendor of the canyon below.

For those of us wanting more adventure than walking along the rim of the canyon, it’s time for a hike into the canyon! We chose to do one we hadn’t already done, Tower Bridge. This almost 3.5-mile round trip hike takes you down approximately 900 feet before seeing the tower. The photo ops are endless in the canyon.

I know there may be some reading this who are thinking that 3.5 miles is just Sunday stroll in the park. If you fall into this category, you need to check into the multi-day backpacking trips that require permits.

Canyon to Canyon Bike Path

We have ridden this 18 mile, one-way path about 1/2 dozen times. I believe it would be impossible to get tired of this route, especially in the Red Canyon section. This time we took our time, stopping for photos and short videos.

Even if you don’t own bikes or just left them home, you can rent them at Ruby’s Inn. My wife and I don’t do mountain bikes, but a lot of our friends do, and they tell us that the Thunder Mountain trail in Red Canyon is among the best trails anywhere in Utah.

Ruby’s Inn Guided ATV Tour

In 2019, Recreate in Utah wrote an article laying out the top advantages of using tour guides.

Here are our top three reasons:
  1. Tour guides breathe life into the area with stories, history, and folklore
  2. They know the area and can make sure you see the best sights
  3. It opens options for you to experience new adventures;
  • You don’t have to own the equipment or be the expert
  • Safety

All three of these points were made crystal clear on our guided ATV tour. The guide knew the area and was able to show where and how the early settlers were able to get water to the town of Tropic. We saw views into Bryce Canyon National Park we hadn’t seen before.

There’s a section where you get to test your driving skills, through a series of turns with some short hill climbs and discents, with safety being the top priority. Where we don’t own ATV’s, this was a great way to spend a couple of hours on our vacation at Bryce Canyon.

Lodging

We love staying in the main lodge; being close to the pool, hot tub, exercise room, gift shop and restaurant. We know from experience there’s not a bad choice at Ruby’s Inn when it comes to a place to stay. On this trip the teepees in the campground really caught my eye, so much so that I went out of my way to peek inside one of them. This looks like something that would appeal to the kid in all of us. It sure did me and I’m sixty-something. This screams of an adventure with our grandkids.

Dining

I’m not sure how many decades I’ve been coming to Bryce Canyon/Ruby’s Inn. For me, no trip here is complete until I’ve eaten at Ruby’s Inn Cowboy’s Buffet & Steak Room.

On this last visit to the area, dining here was even more satisfying. It was the first time sitting down to eat inside a restaurant since COVID 19 hit. I found it interesting and found it interesting watching the mandated changes they’d made to comply with local health codes. But not as much as I enjoyed my cooked-to-perfection steak and fries.

As the summer rolls on and more of the COVID 19 restrictions are lifted, the crowds are going to increase, Book now and avoid the rush. We’re glad we did!

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