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Farview Point is
appropriately named, with spectacular views of famous landmarks that make
up the Grand
Staircase. From north to south you can see: the Aquarius Plateau (Pink
Cliffs), the Kaiparowits Plateau (Grey Cliffs), Molly's Nipple (White
Cliffs), and even glimpses of the Kaibab Plateau on which lies the North
Rim of the Grand Canyon. These magnificent views result from Bryce
Canyon's extremely high air quality, with potential visibility as far away
as the Black Mesas in Arizona — up to 160 miles! Navajo Mountain, 90 miles
away on the border of Utah and Arizona, can be seen on all but the worst
days. While many visitors are awed by the beautiful things they see here,
it is what they don't see (the haze and smog produced by particulates in
the air) that is one of Bryce Canyon's most valued assets.
Geology
In the foreground of the scene, a layer of resistant rock caps a fin
protruding from the plateau. These resistant layers prolong the life of
the fin,
protecting the soft limestone from the forces of erosion and delaying the
formation of
hoodoos. Once this resistant cap has been eroded, the fin will have a
short life (geologically speaking) as a series of hoodoos, before being
weathered completely into a pile of clay and sand that will soon be washed
away.
Nature
This is the transitional zone between Ponderosa Pine Forests and the
Spruce-Fir forest. Watch for representatives of both plant and animal
communities. Here you might find flowers such as Showy Goldeneye and
Shrubby Cinquefoil. Also watch for Osprey. If you are surprised to find
fish eaters like Osprey living in a desert-like environment you're not the
only one. Not too far from here nest a pair Osprey that catch and carry
fish from Tropic Reservoir - a distance of two air miles!
Trails
A very short and flat trail leads north from the parking lot to Piracy
Point to where with a little imagination two large buttes appear as
sailing ships engaged in a naval battle.
Services
pit toilets
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