Landmarks of Legacy

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.”

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 around the places we call home — helping protect these landmarks for generations to come. 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.