Utah

Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah is a popular tourist destination that's in some ways like a very small version of the Grand Canyon. It consists of a rim at between about 8000' to 9000' in elevation with the canyon itself a garden of "hoodoos", multi-colored limestone spires. Unlike the GC, the canyon is only about a thousand feet deep. Hiking below the rim is allowed, but due to the elevation and the gain some of those are considered strenuous... (read more)

Arches National Park (link) is located outside Moab, Utah and consists of a large number of natural rock formations in the form of (you guessed it) arches. I visited there at the end of a day and, while it was certainly interesting, it wasn't exactly the highlight of the trip. While the formations were impressive as well as beautiful, I guess I don't get the appeal of looking at arches. Perhaps it was due to an overdose of McDonald's or something. My visit was on August 31, 2003... (read more)