The Best Hike at Bryce Canyon National Park

You are on a trip to visit the Utah’s “Mighty 5” National Parks. However after spending several days in Zion, you come to realize you can only spare one day at Bryce Canyon. You ask yourself if it’s even worth it to stop at the park. Fret not! I will show you in this guide the best hike at Bryce Canyon National Park. And the best part: it will only take you half a day!

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The Hoodoos of Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon National Park is shaped like an amphitheater with several viewpoints along the upper rim. If you are looking down into it, you will see a valley of hoodoos, forests, and hiking trails. The park is small and compact but still attracts more than 2 million visitors every year. People flock from all over the world to witness the hoodoos and the unique landscape they create.

What’s a hoodoo you ask? Hoodoos are tall (up to 200 feet), thin spire of rocks that protrudes from the bottom of an arid drainage basin or badland. They consist of soft rock topped by harder, less easily eroded stone that protects each column from the elements.

Elsewhere in Utah, hoodoos can also be found at Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and Goblin Valley State Park. Outside the US, there are hoodoo formations at the Sierra de Organis National Park (Mexico), the French Alps and Cappadocia (Turkey).

Plan vs Reality

I had planned to write a more comprehensive blog post about Bryce Canyon. Mapped out a detailed (yet ambitious) itinerary beforehand knowing we would only stay 2 nights and have one full day inside the park. I wanted to make sure we would make the most of our time there.

The plan was as follow:

• check out Inspiration Point and Bryce Point first thing when we arrive mid-afternoon
• short hike to Mossy Cave Trail if time permits before setting up camp at Sunset campground
• watch the sun rise over the hoodoos at Sunrise Point overlook
• stop at the Visitor’s Center
• hike Queen’s Garden/Navajo Loop trail
• attend one of the Night Sky program on the 2nd evening

Unfortunately, we rolled into the park at 7pm, much later in the day that I had originally anticipated. Furthermore I had not planned for my daughter getting an upset stomach shortly after our arrival. She soon started getting into hysterics, convinced she caught the coronavirus and wanted to go home right there and then. She was so panicked she was dry-heaving. Of course, in true 2020 fashion, of all the OTC meds I somehow managed to cram into our first aid kit, I didn’t pack any for stomach/digestive problems. Which left me to manage with some good ol’ grandma remedies. I eventually was able to calm her down and she fell asleep a little before midnight.

This whole experience was a great reminder to be flexible with your travel plans especially when travelling with kids. My daughter felt much better in the morning but we still decided to take it slow that day. After lunch, we opted to do one hike in the afternoon and stop at the Visitor Center on the way. I chose the Queen’s Garden/Navajo Loop trail, and in my opinion, it is the best hike at Bryce Canyon.

Why is the Queen’s Garden/Navajo Loop the Best Hike at Bryce Canyon

This trail is a loop combining portions of Queen’s Garden, Navajo Loop and Rim trails. Only 2.9 miles long, it can be done in about 3 hours at a leisurely pace. This trail has it all. You will not only be able to witness stunning panoramic views from Sunrise and Sunset Points, but also experience Bryce Canyon from the canyon floor with the towering hoodoos surrounding you.

Sunrise Point

We parked at the Sunrise Point parking lot and set off to get to the overlook where we would start our hike. We were immediately greeted by sweeping views once we’ve reached the rim. From the overlook, follow the signs for Queen’s Garden trail.

Queen’s Garden Trail

Named after Queen Victoria, the Queen’s Garden trail gradually descends into a valley of hoodoos on the floor of Bryce Canyon. The trail is 0.8 mile and 320 feet of decent. It is very scenic, easy and perfect for all ages and fitness levels. Follow the trail as it winds through switchbacks, arches and tunnels carved in the rock, and clusters of hoodoos. The trail is not very wide and has lots of steep drop offs so pay attention if you have little hikers in your group.

Towards the end of the trail, you will come upon a fork in the road and find signs to continue on Navajo Loop trail. Before continuing to Navajo Loop, consider finishing Queen’s Garden as it is only a few minutes further. There you will see a hoodoo supposedly shaped like a statue of Queen Victoria sitting on her throne. Honestly though, we didn’t see the resemblance.

Retrace your steps to the fork and follow the signs to Navajo Loop trail. This part will take you through a forest of conifers that connects both trails. It is short (0.7 miles), flat and relatively easy. We thoroughly enjoyed hiking through the forest. The trees provided much-needed shade from the sun and formed a beautiful and serene landscape. We seldom encountered other hikers. In fact, I actually had to ask a group coming from the other direction, if we were on the right path.

Navajo Loop Trail

The Navajo trail makes a loop starting and ending at Sunset point. Since you will be joining this trail halfway into the loop, you will have 2 choices: take the Wall Street branch or the Two Bridges/Thor’s Hammer branch. We decided on Wall Street. We knew we would have to go back up eventually and sure enough, as soon as we reached Navajo Loop, we slowly gained elevation.

At some point, the trail will take you through a slot canyon. You will then hike up several switchbacks to the top. This portion is steep and strenuous so make sure to pace yourself. However you will be rewarded with magnificent views of the brightly colored canyon walls along the way. We took many stops to catch our breath, take photos and admire the view.

Sunset Point

Sunset Point offers some of the best views of the canyon’s famous hoodoos. Once you reach it, walk north on the Rim trail for about 0.5 mile towards Sunrise Point and your car. Because my daughter was tired and I didn’t want to exert her further, we hoped on the shuttle to get back to our van at Sunrise point 😆

Things to Know about Bryce Canyon

• You can do this hike in reverse, starting and finishing at Sunset point instead
• There are restrooms and water fountains at the parking lots but none on the trail
• The dirt will stain your clothes and shoes
• Wear sunglasses to protect against strong wind gusts
• Temperatures vary considerably between day and night time. On our visit, temps were in the mid-80s during the day and low-40s at night. Make sure to bring appropriate clothing
• The park sits at a high elevation so do not worry if you feel out of breath sometimes

Practical Information about Bryce Canyon

How to Get There

Bryce Canyon National Park is located in southern Utah near the city of Bryce. It is accessible by air or car from Las Vegas (4 hours), Salt Lake City (4 hours), and St George (2 hours and 40 minutes).

From May to October, there is a free shuttle that takes visitors to the park’s most popular viewpoints and facilities.

Operating Hours

Bryce Canyon is open all year, 24 hours a day. In the colder months some roads, campgrounds and other facilities may be closed or operate on reduced capacity. Always check current conditions and hours of operations on the NPS website.

The Visitor Center is open year-round (except Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day). Its hours vary by season:

• Summer (May to September) 8am to 8pm
• Fall (October) 8am to 6pm
• Winter (November to March) 8am to 4:30pm
• Spring (April) 8am to 6pm

Fees

Entrance fee is $35 per vehicle, $30 per motorcycle, $20 per pedestrian/biker (free for 15 and under). This fee is valid for 7 days. If you are going to visit more than 2 National Parks in one year, consider purchasing the America the Beautiful-National Parks Annual Pass instead. It costs $80 and will give you access to all Federal fee areas for 12 months from the date of purchase.

No matter how long you have at Bryce Canyon National Park, you should definitely do the Queen’s Garden/Navajo Loop hike. Do you agree it is the best hike at Bryce Canyon?

Thanks for reading xx

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