Bryce Canyon National Park is located at the summit of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument on a high plateau. The elevation of Bryce Canyon is typically extremely high, with an extraordinarily black sky and magnificent hoodoo rock formations. The rocks in the park are what make it well-known. If you plan a vacation on Bryce Canyon National Park Hike, read my guide to Bryce Canyon Hikes and the best activities to do there.
The best time: Bryce canyon national park hike
All year, you can go to Bryce Canyon National Park Hike. The weather is hot and dry in the summer. In the winter, snow covers the trails and hoodoos in the park.
This Utah national park is excellent for hiking in the spring or fall. From April to May and September to October, the weather is warmer and fewer people are compared to the summer. Even though winter is not a typical time for Bryce canyon national park hike, you can snowshoe on many trails.
Get your Bryce canyon national park hike going early.
Bryce Canyon’s parking lots are full by mid-morning in late spring and early fall. I suggest starting your hike soon after sunrise to ensure you can find a parking spot. The Bryce Amphitheater is also best lit in the early morning.
Before you go hiking, watch the sunrise. If you want a “bucket list” thing to do in Bryce Canyon Hikes, you must watch the sunrise from either Sunrise Point or Sunset Point along the Rim Trail. It’s an excellent way to begin any day at Bryce Canyon National Park Hike!
Bring lots of water.
Even on colder days, you should always bring a lot of water when hiking. Bryce Canyon Hikes is the highest of the five national parks in Utah. At this altitude, you’ll lose water faster than you would normally. Make sure to pack at least 0.5 litres of water per person per hour of hiking.
Layer your clothes. Even in the spring and fall, temperatures often drop below freezing at night. When the sun comes up, the day gets hotter. I suggest wearing several layers, like long-sleeved shirts that let air in, a fleece jacket, and a down jacket.
If you go hiking in the summer, be ready for storms.
During the summer, Utah often has thunderstorms that can be dangerous for hikers. Before you go on your hike, make sure to check the weather forecast.
Things To Do In Bryce canyon national park hike
- Take the scenic drive through Bryce Canyon Hikes to see the four main points of view. Viewpoints of Sunrise, Sunset, Inspiration, and Bryce
- Drive out to Rainbow Point, the farthest point in the park, and look at the fantastic views!
- Take a hike! The top 5 treks in Bryce Canyon National Park are listed below.
- Bryce Canyon is a great place to see the night sky.
- In the Bryce Amphitheatre, you can walk under the natural bridge.
Best Hikes In Bryce Canyon National Park
The park has unique rock formations that you can’t find in many other places worldwide. Most people go to national parks to see animals, forests, and rivers or climb, but many go to Bryce Canyon National Park to see the pretty pink spires, which make you feel like a kid exploring a giant pink planet.
- 1. Best Hikes In Bryce Canyon National Park: Walk between Sunrise and Sunset Points
- 2. Best Hikes In Bryce Canyon National Park: Pathway Leading Through a Mossy Cave
- 3. Best Hikes In Bryce Canyon National Park: Starting in Bryce and ending at Sunrise Point
- 4. Best Hikes In Bryce Canyon National Park: Rim Trail
- 5. Best Hikes In Bryce Canyon National Park: Trail of Fairyland
- 6. Best Hikes In Bryce Canyon National Park: From Bryce Point to the Lodge in Bryce Canyon
- 7. Best Hikes In Bryce Canyon National Park: Looping the Sheep Creek and Swamp Canyon Trails
- 8. Best Hikes In Bryce Canyon National Park: Hat Shop Trail
- 9. Best Hikes In Bryce Canyon National Park: Taking a Trip Around the Bristlecone
Best Hikes In Bryce Canyon National Park: Walk between Sunrise and Sunset Points
This one-mile Bryce Canyon National Park Hike is easy, flat, and has beautiful views of the park. From Sunset Point, the trail goes to Sunrise Point. You walk around the edge of the garden, and it only takes half a mile to get from one end to the other.
- Trail Length: .5 Miles
- Elevation: 523m
- Difficulty Level: Easy
Along the way, you can see the canyon and thousands of hoodoos from far away. You can also plan your walk so that it starts at sunrise or ends at sunset. Also, this trail is paved and can be used by wheelchairs in the winter. It is also the only route in the park that allows dogs.
Best Hikes In Bryce Canyon National Park: Pathway Leading Through a Mossy Cave
This is one of the most accessible and beautiful trails in Bryce Canyon National Park Hike. The Mossy Cave trail is 1 mile long, and the Mossy Cave Trailhead is where you can get to it. The path goes along a stream and leads to a cave. At one point on your way, you can choose to keep going along the creek or turn around.
- Trail Length: 1 Mile (1.6 km) return
- Difficulty Level: Easy
- Notes: This is one of the most popular routes in Bryce Canyon National Park; thus, you should come early to avoid crowds and locate parking.
If you keep following the stream, you’ll reach a waterfall. If you turn left, you’ll go into a natural cavern. Even though the Mossy Cave Trail is short, it lets you get close to the hoodoos without climbing down into the Bryce Canyon National Park amphitheatre.
Best Hikes In Bryce Canyon National Park: Starting in Bryce and ending at Sunrise Point
Consider this hiking path the smorgasbord of Bryce Canyon National Park Hike‘s trails. This 3.5-mile journey will offer you a sample of everything. You may be dropped off at Bryce Point, climb to Sunset Point, and then to the Navajo Loop Trail, which takes you below the rim.
- Trail Length: 8 Miles (12.6km)
- Trailhead: Sunset Point
- Difficulty Level: Moderate
Then you get to descend into Wall Street, where you’ll finally grasp what it’s like to be an ant in that area between two pieces of pavement. Go through the Queen’s Garden hoodoo before continuing to Sunrise Point.
Check out Gear Reviews: The Best Mountaineering Gear For 2022
Best Hikes In Bryce Canyon National Park: Connecting the Queen’s Garden Trail and the Navajo Loop
Together, the Queen’s Garden and the Navajo Trail make a 2.9-mile loop. It goes up and down 629 feet and lets you see some of the most famous spots in Bryce Canyon Hikes. You can park your car at the Sunset Point Parking Lot and start on the Navajo Trail to make the Queen’s Garden Navajo Loop.
- Trail Length: 3 Miles (4.7 km)
- Notes: From the Sunrise Trailhead to Queens Garden Trail, trek in a counterclockwise direction to the Navajo Trail Loop
- Difficulty Level: Moderate (3 Hours)
If you arrive early enough, you may watch the dawn illuminate the hoodoos for one of the park’s most breathtaking sights. From the parking lot, you’ll walk towards Wall Street, which is a point in the canyon that is very narrow.
Best Hikes In Bryce Canyon National Park: Starting in Bryce and ending at Sunrise Point
The Navajo Loop Trail is a distinct loop from the Queens Garden Trail that may be completed alone. If you enjoy getting down to business and going from the canyon rim to the valley bottom, the Navajo Loop Trail is one of the top Bryce Canyon Hikes. To get to this beautiful climb, start at Sunset Point and descend the slot canyon of Wall Street to the Bryce Amphitheater floor.
- Trail Length: 1.5 Miles (2.4 km) Loop
- Trailhead: Sunset Campground / Sunset Point
- Difficulty Level: Moderate
- Duration: 1-2 Hours
As you descend, you’ll witness Thor’s Hammer and the granite formations of the Two Bridges. The route is 1.4 miles long, but the return is steep, making it a more demanding climb than other trails.
Best Hikes In Bryce Canyon National Park: Rim Trail
This is one of the tops walks in Bryce Canyon for panoramic views of the park. The Rim Trail may be a challenging climb in places with an elevation increase of 1754 feet, and seeing the rim is not for the faint of heart. The steep drop requires both stamina and patience.
- Trail Length: 5.5 Miles (9.16 km)
- Notes: You may walk this path one way by parking at the shuttle station and taking the bus to Bryce Point. When returning, signal the shuttle for a mode of return transport.
- Difficulty Level: Moderate
The Rim Trail is 5.5 kilometres in length. The Rim Trail provides breathtaking views of the Bryce Canyon National Park amphitheatre. You may access the Rim path during the summer by utilizing the free park shuttle.
Check out Gear Reviews: The Best Hiking Gear for Mountaineering
Best Hikes In Bryce Canyon National Park: Trail of Fairyland
The Fairyland Loop Trail is an 8-mile hike you can do in a day. It is well worth it, though, because you can walk close to the hoodoos. You can take a shuttle to Fairyland Point, where the trail starts, or you can start the path from the north campground.
- Trail Length: 8 Miles (12.6km)
- Trailhead: Fairland Point
- Difficulty Level: Moderate
Fairyland Point is the best place if you’re not staying at the campground. In the winter, though, the road to the trailhead is closed, so you’ll have to get to the trail from Sunrise Point. There will be a change in the height of more than 2000 feet.
Check out Gear Reviews: Best Rock Climbing Gear For Mountaineering
Best Hikes In Bryce Canyon National Park: From Bryce Point to the Lodge in Bryce Canyon
Taking Bryce Point to Bryce Canyon Lodge path along the canyon rim is a fantastic choice if you visit Bryce Canyon National Park with family members of various ages. It is a 2.5-mile trip along a section of the Rim Trail with a 300-foot fall.
- Trail Length: 2.5 Miles (4.02 km) one-way hike
- Difficulty Level: Easy
- Notes: Take the shuttle to Bryce Point and return to the resort.
Everyone may board the park shuttle and be dropped off at Bryce Point. You may wander along and see the hoodoos and spires of the Bryce Canyon National Park amphitheatre from here. Your journey will take you past Inspiration Point before arriving at Bryce Canyon Lodge. Despite the breathtaking vistas, this is one of Bryce Canyon’s easier treks.
Best Hikes In Bryce Canyon National Park: Looping the Sheep Creek and Swamp Canyon Trails
This loop course is 4.1 miles long and considered a moderate to difficult hike in Bryce Canyon because it has some steep climbs. There is a 650-foot change in height, and the Swamp Canyon Trail goes for 1.3 miles up and down 650 feet. Swamp Canyon Overlook is where the trail starts. From here, you’ll walk along the edge of the Sheep Creek Canyon.
- Trail Length: 4.1 Miles (7.2 km)
- Trailhead: Swamp Canyon Overlook
- Difficulty Level: Moderate
You’ll walk through a forest and a valley and then take the Swamp Canyon Trail to get back to where you started, even though you don’t see many hoodoos until you get to the trail’s end. The wildflowers and meadows make for a very different experience in the canyons. The Bruce Canyon Amphitheatre is also easy to see.
Best Hikes In Bryce Canyon National Park: Hat Shop Trail
This is one of Bryce Canyon National Park Hike‘s most underappreciated canyon walks. Of course, nothing compares to views of the Bryce Canyon National Park amphitheater with old pink fairy chimineas, Wall Street, caves, and the sun rising and setting above it all.
- Trail Length: 2 Miles (6.4 km) Out and Back
- Trailhead: Bryce Point
- Difficulty Level: Difficult to Challenging due to a high rise in the return
But first, let’s return to the Hat Shop Trail. The 2-mile path has a 1500-foot elevation change. Your trailhead is Bryce Point, which is accessible via shuttle. You’ll see a distinct side of Bryce Canyon National Park from Bryce Point. There is no spine of the spyres in this section.
Best Hikes In Bryce Canyon National Park: Taking a Trip Around the Bristlecone
Bristlecone Point is not one of Bryce Canyon National Park Hike’s most popular trails. That might be because it’s very high up, and you must drive to Rainbow Point to get to the trailhead. But the views from Rainbow Point are amazing, and the Bristlecone pine trees are beautiful.
- Trail Length: 1 Mile (1.6 km)
- Trailhead: Rainbow Point
- Difficulty Level: Easy
When you reach Rainbow Point, you’ll rise to 9100 feet, the highest point in Bryce Canyon National Park, as you enter the middle of the Bristlecone pines. Some people go to the area to see the Bristlecone pines.
Check out Gear Reviews: BIJIA Hunting Laser Rangefinder-6X 650/1200Yards
Outside the Bryce Canyon National Park
The Red Canyon
Red Canyon is roughly 15 minutes from the Bryce Canyon National Park entrance. Since Red Canyon is a part of the Dixie National Forest and not a separate park or memorial, there is no fee to enter. Famous hikes in the area include the Pink Ledges, Golden Wall, and Birdseye. We have miles of ATV trails, paved paths for mountain and road bikes, and more.
Kodachrome Basin State Park
Kodachrome Basin State Park is roughly 20 miles southeast of Bryce canyon national park hike and is a terrific dog-friendly option. You may find more hoodoo vistas on the park’s trails, such as Angel’s Place, and you can even see Shakespeare’s Arch on the Sentinel Trail. Please keep in reason that you must keep dogs on a leash!
The luxury outdoor lodge Under Canvas Bryce Canyon is 15 minutes from Bryce Canyon National Park. Stay in safari-themed lodgings to immerse yourself in nature without sacrificing home comforts. Our on-site Guest Experience Coordinators are ready to help you organize the ideal outdoor activity during your stay at Under Canvas Bryce Canyon if you need additional information on things to do in and around Bryce Canyon National Park.
Essential Hiking Tips
- It would help if you always let someone know where you are and when you anticipate being back. Send a text message/mail or leave a voicemail for your relatives and friends. If at all feasible, leave a copy of your itinerary and map at your accommodation.
- Examine maps and research the locations you wish to visit. Consider your talents, the kind of terrain, the path length, the predicted weather, the altitude, and the quantity of equipment, food, and water you will need to carry. Always have a compass and a topographical map while hiking routes off the usual path.
- Carry many layers of clothes, food, drink, and first aid materials. Water supplies are unreliable. Bring a water filter and at least one litre of water per person for shorter walks and additional water on longer excursions.
- In many of the region’s higher altitudes, winter arrives early and remains late. During extreme weather conditions, roads and trails in the backcountry may not be well-maintained. Check for road closures and warnings of flash flooding.
Final Thoughts
We hope this information has helped you plan the finest treks in Bryce Canyon National Park Hike to take. This remarkable national park is one of our favorites. It is an excellent area to go hiking because of its distinctive terrain.
