Top Things to do in Bryce Canyon National Park
Top 10 Hiking Trails in Bryce Canyon National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park
Pink cliffs, dramatic hoodoos and towering red and yellow spires make Bryce Canyon a geological wonder. While its founder, Ebenezer Bryce, thought that the canyon was just "a helluva place to lose a cow," visitors today will appreciate the panoramas, the flora and fauna and the limestone formations. Hike on the mile-long Bristlecone Loop or on the 22-plus mile Under the Rim trail. With 50 miles of trails, mountain biking, horseback riding and star talks, Bryce is an outdoor enthusiast's paradise.
1. Fairyland Loop
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 338 reviews
8-mile loop strenuous hike to Fairyland and Campbell Canyons.
Reviewed By artdob - Simi Valley, United States
This was our main hike at Bryce Canyon National Park.. We did the whole thing and then some. We started I believe at Sunrise Point. Plan on this hike to take a good portion of your day if you intend to hike the entire trail. This hike will take roughly 5 hours and the visual rewards are great. As you make your way into the initial portion of the hike, you’ll soon come across spectacular hoodoos. They are everywhere. Be prepared to stop often and admire these geological wonders. The scenery along the way is stunning. You’ll get a nice view of Tower Bridge – not the one in London England, but the Utah version. The trail is well maintained, wide enough and generally even without too many rocks to stumble over on the trail itself. The terrain is primarily dry, though you’ll be treated to occasional flowers along the walk in spring and summer. There are great vistas along the journey. Perhaps because of its length and difficulty level, this trail is less travelled as compared to the popular Navajo and Queens trails. As a result, you’ll likely enjoy much of the hike without a sense of being in a crowd. This loop trail also includes a portion of the Rim Trail from Sunset Point back to the Fairyland Point, completing the “loop”. It is easy to get carried away with photography on this hike. Everywhere you look, the trail offers something amazing. One major tip – don’t walk and photo at the same time. You wouldn’t want to take a step over a ledge anywhere – which could be easier to do than you might think. Yes, I’m talking to you GoPro folks walking and talking at the same time. And yes, guilty here too. This hike is rated as strenuous. You’ll be walking for nearly 8 miles and be logging in roughly 1,545 feet in elevation change along the walk. You’ll fare better if you are in decent physical shape and have done a similar hike before. EQUIPMENT -Water: This is essential. We came with 2 liters a piece on a day where the temperatures were in the low 80s. We would have needed more if the day was hotter. -Sun screen: You’ll be better off with some of this on the exposed areas of your body. -Hat: Keep the sun off your face. -Trekking Poles: These just make this type of hike easier and more enjoyable. They also are helpful in mitigating injury risk. We are approaching 60 years of age (not quite there yet), but we were able to complete the hike without any challenges.
2. Peek-A-Boo Loop
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 491 reviews
4.1-mile Hiking Trail, Often Steep, Which Is Used By People And Horses, And Has A Picnic Area At The Bottom.
Reviewed By AeneasAtSea - Salt Lake City, United States
This easternmost loop inside Bryce Canyon is probably the most strenuous of the amphitheater trails, since it is relatively shadeless and has a lot of up and down. But it is spectacular, with a number of fun tunnel arches along the way. It is accessed either by the little connector trail from the Navajo loop or from the east rim. The trail itself is about 4 miles long, not counting whatever trails are used to access it. If you have time and energy, it is one of the canyon's best hikes, especially if you can combine it with either the rim trail or the Queen's Garden loop.
3. Riggs Spring Loop
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2 reviews
This 8.8-mile hiking trail affords excellent views of Bryce Canyon's famous rock formations and features the changing forests from spruce and Douglas fir at higher elevations, to ponderosa pine toward the bottom.
4. Navajo/Queens Garden Loop
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,703 reviews
2.9-mile hiking trail that leads to rock formations shaped like Queen Victoria and her garden.
Reviewed By JayG2720 - Frisco, United States
My wife and I Hike the combined Navajo/Queens Garden loop at Bryce Natl Park and really enjoyed it. Definitely would recommend it for anyone visiting the park as it was an easy to moderate hike that allows you to experience the hoo doo amphitheater up close and provides a great perspective looking up through them up to the ridge. Would agree with the recommendation to start at sunrise point and proceed clockwise as it gives you a much more gradual descent and leaves you a ascent to sunset point that provides great views of Thor’s Hammer and the overall amphitheater. Definitely a highlight of our four park circle tour this fall!
5. Navajo Trail
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 769 reviews
The 2.2-mile trail takes hikers down 521 feet into the magnificent canyon, so make sure you bring lots of film.
Reviewed By 919cherylj - Bloomington, United States
We started at Sunset Point (very steep and easier to descend than ascend), hiked down Wall Street, and then completed the Navajo Loop. The amazing rock formations, Thor's Hammer and the 3 Sisters, can be viewed at the end of this loop.
6. Queen's Garden Trail
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 510 reviews
This 1.5 mile loop is an extremely colorful trail with views of some interesting hoodoos.
Reviewed By robb118 - Las Vegas, United States
I was reluctant to write a review, as I wasn’t sure I would be able to provide any more superlatives to those already provided. Just know that I agree with all of the most positive reviews about the beauty and texture of this very unique place. There is one item I would like to add is in regard to the Navajo Loop, which connects to Queens Garden Trail. If you use the NL to ascend, please consider using the Left trail, known as Wall Street, which has many of the element ms of Bryce Canyon, as well as some very nice little slot canyons of it’s own. The route up Wall Street is slightly longer than the alternate route, but I’m told it’s better to see on the ascent than in the descent. Just wanted to point that route out, as it is mentioned in many of the guide books but IMO, it’s not really features as it should be.
7. Rim Trail
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 171 reviews
Reviewed By Hermes_NL - Amsterdam, The Netherlands
The Rim Trail follows the cliff of the the Bryce Amphitheatre - a horseshoe shaped one-sided erosional feature which is the main attraction at Bryce. The rim trail is fairly flat and very close to various parking lots. It features four well layed out view points: Sunrise Point, Sunset Point, Inspiration Point and Bryce Point. Just walking the rim trail and visiting these four points is an easy exercise and could even be done with a wheelchair - and yet this will give you a fantastic impression of Bryce. The rim trail is only a few hundred meters away also from the Lodge at Bryce Canyon (the only accomodation inside the park) If you have a bit more time and you are reasonably fit, you can also hike the Navajo Trail into the Amphitheatre which runs from Sunset Point to Sunrise Point or vice versa. Better to bring water for this hike which is about two-three hours, certainly if you include Wall Street.
8. Bryce Amphitheatre
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 134 reviews
Reviewed By RICART75 - Peru, United States
Stunning, amazing, jaw-dropping, spectacular, exquisite, enthralling, breathtaking, etc....when one sees it, it becomes clear why words are inadequate. Once this concentration of hoodoos is viewed, the experience speaks for itself. This is a bucket list topper; the impact of which is not to be missed.
9. Under-the-Rim Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 47 reviews
A 23-mile hiking trail.
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
Several years ago, when I visited Grand Canyon National Park for the first time, I attempted to hike to the bottom of the canyon from the South Rim. Foolish me. I got about a 1/4 of the way down when a stark realization came to me. Hey, dummy, if you walk down to the bottom, you will have to walk back to the top. So I beat a hasty retreat and returned. As a 78-year-old retiree, I took one look at the Under-the-Rim Trail at Bryce Canyon National Park and knew I had no business trying to hike the 22.9-mile trail. But, if you're young and in good physical condition, it's a wonderful stroll through natured with many spectacular views along the way. Or so I have been told. The Under-the-Rim Trail was established by the National Park Service to provide access to the portions of the park located below the rim of the Paunsaugunt Plateau, whose edge forms the eroded natural amphitheater for which the park is famous. The trail, which was built in 1934 and 1935, is so extraordinary that it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. Besides the main trail, the complex includes the Sheep Creek Connecting Trail, the Swamp Canyon Connecting Trail, the Whiteman Connecting Trail and the Agua Canyon Connecting Trail. The trail descends from Bryce Point in the northern section of the park, moving first east and then south away from the amphitheater at an average distance of about one kilometer from the edge of the plateau, ending at Rainbow Point. Several campsites are located along the way.
10. Rainbow Point
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 359 reviews
Scenic overlook in Bruce Canyon National Park.
Reviewed By RICART75 - Peru, United States
We were fortunate to take the last Park shuttle tour of the season (Sun. afternoon, 10-20-19). Our driver/narrator was friendly, amusing and informative; a real asset, in enhancing the Park experience. We stopped at several points, among which was Rainbow. We've given up trying to find words to describe the impact of seeing these views. Stunning, amazing, jaw-dropping, exquisite, magnificent, breathtaking, etc.....nothing seems sufficient. Once one experiences the views, they speak to each of us for themselves.
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