The Most Historic Gas Station In Utah Belongs On Your Bucket List
By Megan Shute|Published November 15, 2018
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Megan Shute
Author
With more than 10 years of experience as a professional writer, Megan holds a degree in Mass Media from her home state of Minnesota. After college, she chose to trade in her winter boots for slippahs and moved to the beautiful island of Oahu, where she has been living for more than five years. She lives on the west side but is constantly taking mini-road trips across the island and visits the neighboring islands whenever she can getaway. She loves hiking, snorkeling, locally-grown coffee, and finding the best acai bowl on Oahu.
Though gas stations are often thought of as merely an inconvenient stop along a road trip, they can also be part of the fun, and sometimes, even a destination. Take, for example, this historic gas station nestled in Bryce Canyon National Park. This might just be the only gas station you’ll ever want to add to your ever-growing Utah bucket list. Let’s take a look, shall we?
Bryce Canyon is easily one of the most striking destinations in Utah.
These bizarre stone towers, known as hoodoos, were formed by steam erosion and millions of years of frosty weather. Startlingly vibrant shades of red, yellow, white and orange give the canyon an even more surreal look.
And while you will undoubtedly find some of Utah’s most scenic vistas within Bryce Canyon National Park, there is a little-known slice of history hiding within the park we’d love to share with you.
Built in 1947 to serve automobile-borne visitors to the park, the Utah Parks Company Service Station was designed by architect Ambrose Spence in a style that was not only consistent with the prevailing National Park Service rustic style but was more modern and simpler in character.
Located between the Bryce Canyon Lodge and Sunrise Point, the dominant feature of the service center is a coursed sandstone wall that curves around the structure. The front of the service center features a series of flat roofs in different planes projecting from the stone wall with a prominent canopy sheltering the pumps. Inside, you’ll find a sales room, storage room, service bay, and two toilets.
So, the next time you're driving through Bryce Canyon, be sure to stop and admire the most historic gas station in Utah. Though it pales in comparison to its striking surroundings, it is quite a lovely little slice of history.
Have you ever visited this historic service station? Why not add it to your itinerary the next time you’re headed to Bryce Canyon National Park, along with a stay at the Bryce Canyon Lodge?
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