What's a hoodoo? Would you ever guess it has something to do with rocks?Utah's Bryce Canyon National Park owes much of its beauty and character to the process of erosion -- the wearing away of a surface by forces like water or wind. Hoodoos are strangely shaped pillars that often resemble goblins or other supernatural characters. In fact, the Paiute Indians, who lived in this region, called them "Legend People."
Although they may resemble people, these rocks were formed by nature. Water has physically and chemically broken down the ancient rock of the Paunsaugunt Plateau by dragging bits of gravel and debris across its surfaces and by entering small holes in the rock and dissolving it. Various layers of rock differ in strength, so erosion does not wear away at them all at the same rate. Therefore, odd and irregular shapes have been formed. In addition to hoodoos, other shapes include fins, spires, and pinnacles.
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