Formed in sedimentary rock, hoodoo shapes are affected by the erosional patterns of alternating hard and softer rock layers.

Bryce Canyon hoodoos are primarily formed by frost wedging eroding the edges of plateaus, according to the National Park Service.
In the winter, melting snow seeps into cracks and freezes at night. When water freezes, it expands by almost 10 percent – bit by bit prying open cracks and making them wider.

However, the same processes that create hoodoos are equally aggressive and intent on their destruction,
according to the park service. The average rate of erosion is calculated at 2-4 feet every 100 years.