South along the plateau
Ponderosa Canyon
A forested canyon named for the ponderosa pines below the overlook, with a different forest on the rim above.
MeasuredUse the place description to choose what to study, then check the approach, walking effort and current restrictions before leaving.
Conditions & official access sources · Compare walking distance and climb
What you’re looking at
Ponderosa Canyon is named for the ponderosa pines below the overlook. NPS contrasts them with the mixed conifer forest at the higher rim, a reminder that elevation helps shape which trees grow where.1
The overlook is about 14¾ miles along the main road by the NPS milepost. It is an overlook stop; check trail conditions separately before considering a hike.1,2,3
Turn it in 3D
DerivedPonderosa Canyon rim: the 2018 lidar surface, seen at an angle.Turn the surface, cut a section across it, and compare the aerial color with the laser returns the aircraft recorded. The 3D view loads only when you open it.
Section and skyline
DerivedPonderosa Canyon: relief without exaggeration. Start at equal horizontal and vertical scale. Exaggeration can reveal small height differences, but changes the apparent slope. The exported section records the display scale separately from the unchanged elevation values. A 768 m line at equal horizontal and vertical scale; heights 2,440–2,718 m.4 Section data (JSON) · Drawing (SVG)
DerivedPonderosa Canyon skyline: A bare-ground study beneath a forested landscape. Broken support remains visible; the model does not add trees or join missing cliff samples. Drawing (SVG)Walks from here
Add it to a visit plan Find it on the park map Read it along the scenic drive
Living things here
Habitats: Ponderosa forest, Mixed-conifer forest. NPS names the canyon for the ponderosa pines below the overlook and describes mixed conifer forest at the higher rim.1,10
Living Bryce entries for these habitats:
Care
NPS asks visitors to stay on trails, avoid climbing hoodoos, leave natural objects where they are and avoid feeding or disturbing wildlife. Walking toward a hoodoo’s base can disturb the clay-rich slopes that help protect its foundations, so enjoy the formations from established trails and overlooks.8,9
Read without 3D
The 3D view covers a square about 768 metres on a side. Heights in the lidar returns range from 2,426 m (7,958 ft) to 2,766 m (9,076 ft). The surface is built from what an aircraft could see from above: undersides, overhangs and narrow gaps are not reconstructed.
Data and sources
Datasets
- Overlook photographs
- Terrain for 20 places
- Lidar return samples
- Canyon sections
- Overlook skylines
- Park destinations and roads
Sources
- National Park Service · Ponderosa Canyon
- National Park Service · Southern Scenic Drive Viewpoints · 2024-04-09
- National Park Service · Current Conditions · 2026-08-31
- USGS data; public Entwine organization maintained by Hobu · USGS 3DEP LiDAR Point Clouds · 2018 acquisition; LAS published 2019
- US Geological Survey · USGS Lidar Point Cloud UT Southern QL1 2018 12SUG9562 LAS 2019 metadata · 2019-06-03
- USDA FPAC / Farm Service Agency · USDA conterminous US NAIP imagery service · 2024 Utah acquisition, exact flight dates per crop
- National Park Service · Parking Information
- National Park Service · Protect the Hoodoos · 2018-10-16
- National Park Service · Hiking · 2024-10-11
- National Park Service, Bryce Canyon · Trees and Shrubs · June 29, 2022