Bryce Canyon, Ruby's Inn provide rich, local history

Bryce Canyon, Ruby's Inn provide rich, local history

(Arianne Brown)


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BRYCE CANYON — Named after Scottish immigrant and Mormon Pioneer, Ebenezer Bryce, Bryce Canyon National Park is filled with towers called hoodoos. These hoodoos — which are formed when rain water and ice wear away limestone — make what scientists call, “landscape mazes,” and what Ebenezer Bryce called, “A helluva place to lose a horse.”

Bryce Canyon is one of Utah’s “Mighty 5” national parks. Deemed a National Monument in 1923, Bryce Canyon’s remote location brought few by way of visitors or ranchers, leaving its ever-present beauty to be viewed by only those lucky enough to venture near.

One such man was a rancher by the name of Reuben "Ruby" Syrett, who in 1916, brought his family to “the wilds of Southern Utah” to build a ranch. Not long after, a nearby rancher told Syrett of the canyon known as Bryce.

Upon taking his family on a Sunday visit to the canyon rim, Syrett was overcome by the beauty that surrounded him. After that initial visit, not only did the family visit often, but they told all they could about the canton’s beauties, even becoming hosts to visitors.

In 1919, Syrett gained permission from the state of Utah to build a lodge near the canyon brink. Consisting of tent houses, serving as a place for passer-bys to sleep and have a warm meal, Syrett called his endeavor, Tourist Rest. And in 1923, when the canyon became a National Monument, Syrett moved his lodge near his ranch, naming it Ruby’s Inn.

As Bryce Canyon grew in notoriety, so did Ruby’s Inn. With nearly 100 years of business behind them, Ruby’s Inn has held true to tradition. And with fourth and fifth generation family members working at and running the inn, current general manager, Lance Syrett said that it is his tight-knit family that has kept the business going.

Not only have the Syretts maintained family ties, but they have also maintained the rich history of Bryce Canyon.

“When people come here, they want a taste of the Wild West,” Syrett said of the visitors of Ruby’s Inn.

With guided horseback rides and wagon rides, rodeos showcasing local talent, family photo shoots, a western art gallery and even a cowboy dinner show named for Ebenezer Bryce, many tourists can experience the wild west, just as it was in the early 1900s.

Knowing that it was the canyon’s beauty that brought their ancestors to Bryce, the Syretts have done all they can to maintain that beauty. Donating $1 per guest to the park, Ruby’s Inn has raised $50,000 per year to improve and maintain the park.

One such improvement is a newly prepared piece of land on the ridge of the canyon that will host the Utah Symphony during its Mighty 5 Tour on August 15. The canyon, that also serves as a natural amphitheatre, will be the perfect amplifier for the upcoming concert.

“While we love being able to host thousands of tourists all over the world, we love it when locals stop by,” Syrett said.

The Syrett’s at Ruby’s Inn hope that you will take time to experience one of the Mighty 5, and promise, “You will not forget this.”


Arianne Brown is a mother of six who loves running the beautiful trails around Utah. For more articles by her, "like" her Facebook page by searching "A Mother's Write" or visit her blogs, timetofititin.com or thestoriesofyourlife.wordpress.com.

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