13 Best Hikes in Bryce Canyon + Must See ViewPoints

LOOKING TO EXPLORE THE HIKES IN BRYCE CANYON?

We are here to help! We have spent a couple of months exploring Southern Utah and have visited over 30 national parks – so we are experts in both! It is hard to pick out a favorite national park, but Bryce Canyon has to be towards the top.

The stunning viewpoints of the concentrated red rock pillars, known as hoodoos, make it one of the most unique places in the United States. The park is relatively small, but there are lots of beautiful viewpoints and hikes.

We recommend spending one to three days in the Bryce Canyon National Park, depending on the amount of hiking you want to do. So, let’s get to the question – what to do in Bryce Canyon National Park!

Easy Hikes in Bryce Canyon

We found the hikes in Bryce Canyon easier for little kids compared to Zion National Park, and the views are out of this world.

1. Sunset Point to Sunrise Point via the Rim Trail  

• Length: 1.1 miles
• Elevation Gain: 82 feet
• Route Type: Out & Back
• Difficulty: Easy

This paved trail follows the outline of the amphitheater from Sunset Point to Sunrise Point and is one of the hikes in Bryce Canyon that everyone can enjoy. The trail is paved with little elevation gain.

There is not a barrier along the trail so if you’re traveling with little ones, be aware of the drop-offs. Pets are able to use this trail if kept on a leash.

2. Bryce Canyon Rim Trail

• Length: 10.7 miles
• Elevation Gain: 200
• Route Type: Out & Back
• Difficulty: Easy

This popular trail is hard to categorize as easy or moderate because of the length of the trail. This is a long trail but you can jump on the trail wherever you’d like and hike for any distance. The trail starts at Fairyland Point and ends at Bryce Point.

If you just want to hike one way, you can walk about an extra mile on the road back up to the main road to get to the shuttle stop rather than hiking all the way back up the trail. This makes the hike about six miles.

Some of the highlights along the trail are Fairyland Point, Sunrise Point, Sunset Point, Inspiration Point, and Bryce Point. The most popular part of the trail to walk is Sunrise to Sunset Point.

3. Bristlecone Loop

• Length: 1.0 miles
• Elevation Gain: 88 feet
• Route Type: Loop
• Difficulty: Easy

This trailhead starts at Rainbow Point. It wanders through the highest portion of the park and will take you past the bristlecone pines. Some of these trees are 1,800 years old.

This was an easy hike for our family and we all enjoyed our first views of the Bryce Canyon hoodoos.

4. Mossy Cave in Bryce Canyon (Tropic Ditch Falls)

• Length: 1 mile
• Elevation Gain: 118 feet
• Route Type: Out & Back
• Difficulty: Easy

The Mossy Cave Trail is a great hike to let the little ones explore because there are not any drop-offs and has a small stream that runs alongside the trail.

This easy hike will take you past the Bryce Canyon hoodoos to a cave filled with icicles. We weren’t too impressed with the cave, but the waterfall was a lot of fun as well as the opportunity to play in the stream after the long hike we went on earlier in the day.

Moderate Hikes in Bryce Canyon

5. Queen’s Garden

• Length: 1.8 miles
• Elevation Gain: 320 feet
• Route Type: Out & Back
• Difficulty: Moderate

The Queen’s Garden Trail hike begins near Sunrise Point and descends into the Bryce Canyon amphitheater. It is considered the easiest descent into the amphitheater. Many of the hoodoos in this area look like garden features and at the end, you can use your imagination to see Queen Victoria overseeing her garden.

6. Bryce Canyon Navajo Loop

• Length: 1.5 miles
• Elevation Gain: 515 feet
• Route Type: Loop
• Difficulty: Moderate

If you’re only going to go on one hike while you are in Bryce Canyon in Utah, we recommend this one. The hike out was challenging for our four-year-olds but we made it. Go slow and bring water with you.

Hiking around the Bryce Canyon hoodoos is a much different experience than seeing them from above. We loved this hike. Keep an eye out for Thor’s hammer along the trail.

7. Queen’s/Navajo Combination Loop

• Length: 2.9 miles
• Elevation Gain: 629 feet
• Route Type: Loop
• Difficulty: Moderate

Our family set out to hike the Queen’s Garden Trail and mid-hike we decided to do the entire loop. The 2.9-mile loop was a little too much for our four-year-old girls. To be honest, I was pretty tired by the end as well. By the end of the hike, Coltin was carrying Sage in the front pack and the twins took turns riding on his shoulders.

It was a fun and beautiful hike. If you’re just doing a portion of the Navajo loop, as you would on this trail, we recommend the Wall Street portion of the Navajo Trail. If you are hiking with older kids and set out on the hike more prepared than we were, I don’t think you would run into any issues.

8. Tower Bridge

• Length: 3.4 miles
• Elevation Gain: 826 feet  
• Route Type: Out & Back
• Difficulty: Moderate

You will start this hike at the Tower Bridge Trailhead near Sunrise Point. From Sunrise Point, the trailhead is about 0.2 miles north on the Rim Trail. This trail will take you past some beautiful hoodoo formations in the park like the Crescent Castles and of course, Tower Bridge.

Tower Bridge is about halfway through the hike. You can even walk to the base of the tower by following a 200-yard side trail. It looks so much like Tower Bridge in London.

If you want a longer hike, you can continue on the Fairyland Loop Trail. The hike to Tower Bridge and back takes about two hours.

Strenuous Hikes in Bryce Canyon

9. Hat Shop

• Length: 4.0 miles
• Elevation Gain: 967 feet
• Route Type: Out & Back
• Difficulty: Strenuous

The Hat Shop is a small group of Bryce Canyon hoodoos with grey boulders at the top, hence the name Hat Shop. Along with the hat formation, the trail has beautiful views of the park and some other interesting rock formations.

The trailhead starts at Bryce Point with a steady decline into the amphitheater. The hike out goes steadily uphill gaining about 1,000 feet. There is not very much shade on this trail so be prepared with sun protection and plenty of water.  

10. Peekaboo Loop

• Length: 5.2 miles
• Elevation Gain: 1,453 feet
• Route Type: Loop
• Difficulty: Strenuous

If you are looking for a hike like the Navajo Loop and Queens Garden Trail, but without as many people consider taking the Peekaboo Loop. The Peekaboo Loop Trail will take you through some of the most impressive parts of the amphitheater.

The hike starts at Bryce Point and takes about three to four hours to hike. There are a number of different junctions in the hike so stay alert to signs and have a good idea of where the trail goes before heading out.

11. The Figure 8 Combination (Wall Street and Queen Garden Loop to Peekaboo Loop)

• Length: 6.3 miles
• Elevation Gain: 1,499 feet
• Route Type: Loop
• Difficulty: Strenuous

If you are up for a six-mile hike, the Figure 8 Combination trail takes you through the highlights of the Bryce Canyon Amphitheater. Starting at Sunset Point you will see beautiful views of the edge of the amphitheater before you start your descent. This is one of our favorite views in Bryce Canyon National Park.

The descent into the amphitheater starts on the Navajo Loop. There are two different routes to the bottom and we recommend taking the Wall Street section. From the bottom, follow the signs for the Peek-a-Boo Loop. Park Rangers ask that hikers hike clockwise because the trail is shared with horses.

The Peek-a-Boo hike is filled with lots of opportunities to get close to the hoodoos and there are beautiful views of the park. Keep your eyes open for the Wall of Windows rock formation. It is so pretty.

After completing the Peek-a-Boo loop, take the connector back towards the Navajo Loop and from there you can complete the Queens Garden section of the hike.

The only place to get water on this hike is at Sunset Point so make sure to bring lots of water and sun protection. The hike takes about 4 hours.

12. Fairyland Loop

• Length: 8.3 miles
• Elevation Gain: 1,545 feet
• Route Type: Loop
• Difficulty: Strenuous  

The Fairyland Loop Trail starts at the beautiful Fairyland Point and will take you down into the amphitheater. The trail follows the Fairyland Canyon and is on the south side of Boat Mesa. Another interesting feature along the trail is China Wall and Tower Bridge.

Halfway through the hike, you will reach Tower Bridge. There is a small 0.2-mile detour to see the rock formation.

13. Bryce Amphitheater Traverse

• Length: 4.5 miles (ONE WAY)
• Elevation Gain: 1,053 feet
• Route Type: Out and Back
• Difficulty: Strenuous  

Rather than looping around the hoodoos and coming up on the same side, the Bryce Amphitheater Traverse will take you across the entire amphitheater.

The hike starts at the Bryce Point Trailhead and descends on the Peek-A-Boo Connector Trail. You will hike along this trail s well as the Queen’s Garden. It ends at Sunrise Point. You can either hike the 4.5 miles back to where you started or take the shuttle to return to Bryce Point.

Map of Hikes in Bryce Canyon

How to Use This Map: Click on the icons on the map to get more information about each point of interest.

If you click the star next to the title of the map, this will be added to your Google Maps account. To view it on your phone or computer, open Google Maps. Then click on the menu button, go to “Your Place” and click on Maps. You will see this map added to your list.

Bryce Canyon Admission Fees

Private Vehicle: $35
Motorcycle: $30
Per Person (Walk-in, Bike): $20
America the Beautiful Pass: FREE

Is Bryce Canyon a hard hike?

Hiking in Bryce Canyon in Utah has two different difficulties. If you’re heading down into the amphitheater plan on moderate hikes. The hike down is very easy, but the hike out is more difficult due to the elevation gain. We went down into the amphitheater twice and while the hike out is challenging, it is doable. We hiked with our twins who were four at the time.

 If you’re hiking along the rim, paths are usually paved and very easy to walk along.

When is the best TIME to hike in Bryce Canyon?

We have found the best time to hike in Bryce Canyon in Utah is in the fall and spring. The temperatures are a little cooler and it isn’t as busy compared to the summer months.

The last time we went to Bryce Canyon was mid-October. We had no problem finding parking spots at the lookout points and did not have to use the shuttle.

If you cannot visit in the spring or summer, visiting in the winter will give you a unique perspective. The snow covering parts of the orange hoodoos looks so cool. Plus, you can snowshoe some of the trails in the winter.

Things to Do in Bryce Canyon in Utah Besides Hike

BRYCE CANYON VISITOR CENTER

We always enjoy starting our adventures in the Utah National Parks at the visitor center. Rowen and Raven love picking up their Junior Ranger booklets and browsing through the exhibits. It is a great place to get information about the Bryce Canyon hikes and park ranger programs. There is a great movie there as well that is about 20 minutes long.

If you have any questions about the trails in the park, this is a great resource.

If you need a break from hiking or you’re visiting with someone who doesn’t enjoy hiking, there are still plenty of things to do and beautiful places to enjoy the Bryce Canyon Amphitheater.

BRYCE CANYON NP SCENIC DRIVE

• Length: 38 miles roundtrip
• Elevation Gain: 2,375 feet
• Route Type: Point to Point

If hiking isn’t your thing, the Bryce Canyon National Park Scenic Drive is a great way to see the beauty of Bryce Canyon Utah. The drive has 13 different viewpoints and has many of the park’s highlights. If you’re moving through at a leisurely pace, it will take you about 3 hours. This is one of our favorite things to do in Bryce Canyon.

Most of the trails to the lookouts are paved, although some can be steep. The scenic drive starts before the park on Highway 12 as you drive through the two famous arches. The drive continues through the park and ends at Rainbow Point.

BEST VIEWPOINTS IN BRYCE CANYON

There are so many beautiful viewpoints in Bryce Canyon Utah. Each viewpoint offers a different perspective of the unique hoodoos. We recommend picking five or six different viewpoints to stop at, so you still have time to do some hiking. Here are our favorite viewpoints in the park –

Yovimpa and Rainbow Points – The land drops away in the rugged canyon at the end of the scenic drive at these points. The viewpoints are a short walk from the parking lot but offer unique views of the hoodoos.

Natural Bridge – This large bridge is just off the road. The bridge is 54 feet wide and 95 feet high. The arch has been formed by weathering from the cold temperatures and rain. Visiting this viewpoint is one of our favorite things to do in Bryce Canyon.

Agua Canyon – At this stop sheer cliffs and hoodoos are plentiful. Be on the lookout for the hunter and rabbit-shaped hoodoos.

Bryce Point – Bryce Point was our first view of the Bryce Amphitheater and we were blown away. It is found at the south end of the amphitheater. Bryce Point is 2.1 miles from the turnoff.

Inspiration Point – There are two ways to get to Inspiration Point. There is a spur road near the Bryce Point turnoff that leads to the point. You can also walk along the Rim Trail for 0.75 miles starting at Sunset Point. Once at the point, there is a steep 0.2-mile walk up to Upper Inspiration Point.

Sunset and Sunrise Points – These points are a mile south of the visitor center and are connected by the Rim Trail. Both viewpoints offer stunning panoramic views of the Bryce Amphitheater. Consider walking the Rim Trail, connecting the two viewpoints. It gives you some added time to enjoy the views.

Where to Stay Near the Hikes in Bryce Canyon

Where you will stay depends on how early in advance you are making your reservations. Camping and lodging options inside the park fill up very early. Reservations for inside the park open 13 months ahead of time and it is recommended to make your reservations as early as possible.

Bryce Canyon Lodge: This is the only hotel accommodation inside Bryce Canyon National Park.  It is the most convenient place to stay and will cut down on your driving time. It is a short walk to many of the best Bryce Canyon hikes.

South and North Campground: Campgrounds in the park fill up fast as well however the North Campground is first-come, first-served. It is open year-round. You can make reservations for the South Campground six months in advance and it is open from May to October.

If you are not able to get reservations in the park or want to stay in a city, the closest city is Bryce Canyon City. It is a short five-minute drive into the park. Here are some of the most recommended places to stay in Bryce Canyon City.

BRYCE CANYON CITY LODGING

Bryce Canyon Resort: Bryce Canyon Resort is a short three miles away from the entrance to the park. There is a heated outdoor pool that opens in May and there is a complimentary breakfast each morning.

Bryce UpTop Lodge: Bryce UpTop Lodge is a short drive to many of the best hikes in Bryce Canyon like Queens Gardens Trail. There is on-site dining as well as free WiFi and parking.

Bryce Canyon Pines: This location has some rooms with a fireplace and a kitchen with a dining area. Laundry facilities are available as well as a seasonal outdoor pool and hot tub.

What to Pack for Bryce Canyon Hikes

As with any hiking trip, especially one in higher altitudes, it is important to bring the right gear. Here are the must-haves for the Bryce Canyon hikes.

Warm Jacket: Temperatures are cooler in the morning and evenings in the mountains so having a warm jacket is essential. I love my insulated jacket. You can easily wear it over a t-shirt for some added warmth or wear it over something warmer, especially colder days.

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Wool Socks: Nothing is worse than getting a blister on your first day of a hiking trip. Wool socks will help prevent blisters during your hikes.

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Hiking Boots: If you are planning on doing any hiking down into the amphitheater it is a good idea to bring some hiking boots. The traction from hiking boots will be very helpful as you are navigating in and out of the amphitheater. I love my keen boots!

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Rain Poncho: Rain can unexpectedly fall during Bryce Canyon hikes so it is a good idea to carry a poncho in your backpack to be prepared for rain.

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Hydration Day Pack: As with any hike, making sure to bring enough water on your Bryce Canyon hikes is important. You will also need a place to store supplies and food as you explore the park. If you are riding on the shuttle you will also need a bag to carry your gear.  

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Hat and Sunscreen: Southern Utah can be hot! While Bryce Canyon is at a higher elevation, most of the trails have very little shade. Make sure to bring a hat and wear your sunscreen.

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First Aid Kit: It is always a good idea to be prepared for any sort of emergency on the trail. You never know when you will need it but you will always be glad you had it. This is a compact first aid kit that won’t take up very much room in your hiking backpack.

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Dogs in Bryce Canyon

If you are bringing a dog to Bryce Canyon, there are a few trails and places that your dog can go with you. Pets are allowed on paved surfaces in the park, like campgrounds, paved viewpoints, the paved section of the Rim Trail between Sunset Point and Sunrise Point, and parking lots.

Dogs are not allowed on unpaved trails and viewpoints, inside of buildings, or on the public shuttle. You are not allowed to leave your dog in your car while you hike.  

Bryce Canyon Weather 

Bryce Canyon is higher in elevation, so it is usually 10 to 20 degrees colder than the other national parks in Utah like Zion National Park. If you are visiting both parks, be prepared for cooler temps in Bryce. The higher elevations also lead to more sporadic weather so be prepared.

It is a good idea to check the weather ahead of your visit and dress in layers. During the morning the air is cool and crisp but does heat up in the afternoon. This is especially true in the fall. Even if you are visiting in the fall, you should be prepared for some snow.

The average high in the summer ranges between 75 to 80 degrees with lowers around 45 to 50 degrees. In the fall, the highs are usually around 60 to 70 degrees with lows between 30 to 40 degrees.

Bryce Canyon Shuttle

There is a shuttle that runs from mid-April to mid-September. You can catch the shuttle at the visitor center or at a few different places in Bryce Canyon City.

The shuttle doesn’t go to all of the places we recommend visiting but, if you’re short on time or there’s a lot of traffic, the shuttle isn’t a bad option. It stops at Bryce Point, Inspiration Point, Sunset Point, Bryce Lodge, and Sunrise Point.

What can you do in Bryce Canyon in one day?

If you only have one day in Bryce Canyon, we recommend driving the Bryce Canyon National Park Scenic Drive and enjoying some of the viewpoints, and picking a trail or two to hike.

The Navajo Loop is our favorite Bryce Canyon hike. If you are not tired after that, you can spend some time walking on the Rim Trail or hiking down Tower Bridge.

Bryce Canyon Adventure Tours

Guided Horseback Riding Tour Through Red Canyon Just Outside Bryce Canyon
✔ Highly recommended horseback trip through the beautiful Bryce Canyon area
✔ Learn about the history of the west and Bryce Canyon

Scenic Tour of Bryce Canyon
✔ Three-hour interactive tour with an interpretive guide
✔ Highly reviewed tour discussing the geology, flora, and history of Bryce Canyon

Guided ATV Tour to the Rim of Bryce Canyon
✔ A guided tour taking you through the ponderosa pine forest to the rim of Bryce Canyon National Park

Conclusion: Best Hikes in Bryce Canyon

We hope you have found this guide helpful in planning the best hikes in Bryce Canyon you would like to go on. It is such an amazing national park and one of our favorites. It has such a unique landscape and is a great place to go hiking.

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