In 1915 J. W. Humphrey was the Old Seiver National Forest Supervisor. He was persuaded by Ranger Elias Smith to ride to the canyon. His first thoughts when arriving at the canyon is expressed in his writing, "You can perhaps imagine my surprise a the indescribable beauty that greeted us, and it was sundown before I could be dragged from the canyon view." This inspired him to build the first dirt road to the rim. He was able to acquirer $50 for the road supplies and the local people donated their labor to accomplish this task.

In 1919 Reuben "Ruby" Syrett opened a lodge to accommodate the increasing number of visitors. Once the Union Pacific Railroad constructed the railway to the canyon, they purchased Syrett's Lodge.

With an increase of people coming to the canyon the logging and livestock grazing began to damage the area. President Warren G. Harding, attempting to preserve the land, declared Bryce Canyon a National Monument in 1923. In 1924 congress passed a vote to make it a National Park. Since the Union Pacific Railroad's private landholding had to be turned over to the United States Bryce Canyon officially became a park in 1928.