Come Hike A One‑Mile Alpine Loop And Meet Ancient Bristlecone Pines

Video Version: https://youtu.be/_HSyseF2TJ8

We walk the Bristlecone Loop at Rainbow Point and share how to spot ancient bristlecone pines, read forest health at a glance, and make the most of a short, high‑elevation hike. Along the way, we decode hoodoos, park benchmarks, and route links to Yovimpa Point.

• starting at 9,120 feet on a one‑mile loop
• Why Bryce’s hoodoos form and what they reveal
• bristlecone pine traits and longevity
• how to identify healthy vs stressed trees
• Why thinning creates a more resilient forest
• species mix at Bryce’s highest elevations
• benchmark scavenger details and rewards
• route choices, counterclockwise tips, links to Yovimpa and Under‑the‑Rim
• pacing, shade, and altitude advice

What questions do you have about Bryce Canyon or this trail? Let me know by clicking on the link and sending me a message!

Transcript

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Arriving At Rainbow Point

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hey, this is Craig Nitro Medic. I'm at Rice Canyon National Park today, outside of Penguich, Utah, southwest Utah. I'm gonna do the Bristlecone Loop Trail. I'm all the way at the end of the scenic drive at the Rainbow Point. Let's take a look at the trailhead sign. You're gonna go start at 9,120 feet. Gonna go down a little bit and back up. One mile loop on the trail. See some ancient bristle cone pines. If you'd like to see that, please follow along with

Trail Basics And Benchmarks

SPEAKER_00 0:35

me. At the far end of the park, just an example of some of the hoodoos. You can see how far it goes. All over there. Beautiful. It's a neat idea. Here in Bryce Canyon, they have benchmarks that are in some signs. I'm assuming. Because this one is. Right here. So you have to find three benchmarks. Or hike three miles on trails that have benchmarks. C map. In park, newspaper or junior ranger booklet. You can take a picture of yourself with them or make a rubbing. And you can turn it in for a reward. Pretty cool. And looking behind us here, some really cool typical Bryce Canyon looking stuff.

Hoodoos And Landscape Context

SPEAKER_00 1:35

Even though technically Bryce Canyon is not a canyon. Kind of misnamed, but it's fitting. You have all these really cool looking hoodoos everywhere, which are just kind of these weird rock formations where the weathering and erosion has exposed them. Look like little fingers sticking up. Unsure how far that is out there if you can even see that, but there is a mountain straight out that way. That might be either in Arizona or right on the border.

Bristlecone Pine Deep Dive

SPEAKER_00 2:11

We're not too far from Arizona right now. Just a little bit uphill from where we saw the cutbank hoodoos over there by the gazebo. We're looking at a bristle cone pine. This is what they look like. This is a replica cone made out of metal. But it's a sharp, claw-like bristle, which is why it gets its name. They're an interesting species because they adapt to the growing conditions. That's why they've been able to survive such a long time. They can survive dry soil, cold temperatures, high winds, because they grow up high. The ones here in Bryce Canyon are subject to erosion, so they don't last as long. They're estimated to be about 1,600 years old. The oldest ones are going to be found in Nevada and the Great Basin National Park, and they're about 5,000 years old. Pretty cool. Look at this beautiful scenery over here to the right.

Forest Health And Thinning

SPEAKER_00 3:09

Now one of the things to think about in a high alpine environment like this is the health of the trees. You have trees that are like this brown one on the sign that have had a parasitic infestation. And then you have the more witches' broom type, which has a cluster. Then, of course, the healthy one has branches growing almost all the way to the ground. If you look out here in the forest, you can probably spot the healthy ones versus the unhealthy ones. What they've been doing here at the park is they've been trying to do some thinning. Because a dense forest is an unhealthy forest. A healthy forest is more open. So the trees are not overcrowded and stressed.

Loop Wrap‑Up And Routes

SPEAKER_00 4:14

Douglas fir, Bristle Cone, Limber Pine, Spruce, fir, because you're at the highest elevations in Bryce Canyon National Park at this point. You're definitely hiking through a nice lush one. And I think during summertime, even this would be a good one to do because you're at high elevation and you have a lot of shade. This is the way I went before or came from Rainbow Point. This is how I started the loop going counterclockwise. You can also join up with the under-the-rim trail over there. And if you want to go to Yovimpa Point, it's that way. So that's pretty much the end of the Bristol Cone loop. It's a nice short trail. You are at high elevation. So you might lose your breath a little bit going up it.

Closing And Viewer Questions

SPEAKER_00 5:09

If you like this video, make sure to give it a thumbs up. Think about subscribing to the channel for more great content. What questions do you have for me about Bryce Canyon or about this trail? Let me know below. See ya.