The Sentinel Hoodoo in Bryce Canyon is Gone

If you waited, it is too late as a famous Bryce Canyon Hoodoo is gone. The Sentinel, a slender hoodoo long visible in the Navajo Loop not far from Thor's Hammer, toppled overnight. Here is a picture before and after as provided by the National park Service.



The Sentinel evidently succumbed to erosion, and especially frost-wedging as cold weather has set into the Utah highlands. The rock formation has been a fun place for photos. In fact, Bryce Canyon is famous for its Hoodoos - the towering pillars of rock which form dazzling shapes and which the Native peoples believe embody spirits.

It is a reminder that the wonders of our National Park System are not guaranteed to always be there. Some are natural losses, like the final erosion of The Sentinel. Other are man-caused losses, like this last year's vandalism of the Racetrack in Death Valley.

In any case, within Bryce Canyon and the nearby Zion National Park there are still countlrss wonders to see and enjoy. There is just one less now.