A Century Plus in the Hoodoos
In 1925, architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood completed The Lodge at Bryce Canyon using local timber and stone, designing every detail to feel as though the building had grown from the same canyon geology as the hoodoos beyond its windows. A century later, it remains the only completely original lodge still standing of the three Underwood designed for the National Park Service. As America marks 250 years, Aramark Destinations invites you to stay in a building that is, in itself, an act of preservation inside a national park whose skies are among the darkest on the continent.
Also in 2026, Bryce Canyon National Park celebrates two landmark annual festivals - the Astronomy Festival in June and the Geology Festival in July - alongside its ongoing designation as an International Dark Sky Park, one of the most prestigious sky-protection recognitions in the world.
Parkitecture, Hoodoos, and the Darkest Skies in a Nation
Bryce Canyon is not actually a canyon but a series of natural amphitheaters carved into the Paunsaugunt Plateau. It contains the world’s largest concentration of hoodoos—towering limestone spires in shades of cream, pink, and red shaped by frost, rain, and time. Iconic formations like Thor’s Hammer, the Silent City, and Natural Bridge make it one of the most recognizable landscapes in the American West. The Paiute people described it as “red rocks standing like men in a bowl-shaped canyon.”
Above the hoodoos, Bryce Canyon offers something equally rare: darkness. Situated at 8,000 feet on the Colorado Plateau, far from the light pollution of any major city, the park earned International Dark Sky Park status in 2019, recognizing it as one of the best places in the nation to see the Milky Way, constellations, and distant galaxies including Andromeda with the naked eye. The Astronomy Festival each June and the Geology Festival each July are the park’s annual celebrations of the two forces - one geological, one celestial - that define the Bryce Canyon experience. The Lodge, the only lodging inside the park, puts guests at the center of both.
Experience History in New Ways
- Guided interpretive tours and legacy experiences
- Special events and commemorative celebrations
- Property-specific stories and milestone moments
- Culinary and retail offerings inspired by local destinations
- Immersive content revealing the past, present, and future of each place
Our Promise to These Places, and to You
Landmarks of Legacy connects our destinations through three shared commitments.
Stewardship
Caring for What Endures: The Lodge at Bryce Canyon is a National Historic Landmark and the only completely original Gilbert Stanley Underwood park lodge still standing. Preserving it means maintaining the timber-and-stone structure he designed to age with the landscape, ensuring it endures for future generations. Stewardship also extends to the night sky above. Bryce Canyon’s International Dark Sky designation requires ongoing management of artificial light to protect one of the West’s premier stargazing destinations. Both the lodge and the darkness above it reflect a lasting commitment to preservation.
Stories that Shape Our Destinations
Every landmark has a voice. The Paiute people have known this landscape for centuries, describing the hoodoos as “red rocks standing like men in a bowl-shaped canyon,” a remarkably fitting depiction. Bryce Canyon’s designation as a national park in 1928 reflected a growing belief that geological wonders deserved lasting protection. The Lodge at Bryce Canyon tells another story: Gilbert Stanley Underwood’s Parkitecture philosophy, which used local materials and rustic design to ensure buildings complemented the landscape rather than competed with it.
Experiences of Legacy
Not Spectators. Participants. Sunrise along the rim trail transforms the hoodoos from gray to gold and copper within minutes, while trails like Queen’s Garden bring guests into the amphitheater itself. Horseback rides offer another perspective, guided by wranglers who know the formations by name. After dark, the park’s renowned skies take center stage, with the Milky Way visible in extraordinary detail. Events like the Astronomy Festival help guests experience the cosmos up close, while the historic Lodge—the only lodging inside the park—serves as the beginning and end of every adventure.
Give Back to the Places You Love
Through our Round Up program and other philanthropic initiatives, guests can support preservation, education, and community programs near Lake Powell, helping protect the local landscape and the stories it holds. Because honoring legacy also means investing in the future.
Join the Journey
Landmarks of Legacy is more than a campaign. It is a movement across America's most meaningful places — a shared commitment to the destinations that shaped our nation and continue to define who we are. Learn more at landmarksoflegacy.com.
