We love visiting National Parks. Often our road trips are planned around seeing the parks. We like to view the highlights, hike, and explore. But we are not hardcore, you won’t see long day hikes or crazy adventures here. We also try to limit our spending, so you won’t find too many guided tours or extra cost experiences. We usually only stay a few days and occasionally stay in the park lodges. I created itineraries for some of the National Parks to help make your planning easier. This one is for one of my favorite parks. Bryce Canyon National Park is one of the Mighty 5 in Southern Utah. The Mighty 5 includes Bryce Canyon, Zion, Capitol Reef, Arches, and Canyonlands. I always tell people if you are making a National Park bucket list, then Southern Utah should be at the top. The reason that Bryce Canyon is one of my favorites is because of the awe factor. When I first visited the park and walked up to the amphitheater, my jaw dropped.
Bryce Canyon is a series of natural amphitheaters, carved into the edge of a high plateau. Because of the high elevation, the weather is slightly cooler here. The Bryce Amphitheater is filled with irregularly eroded spires of rocks called hoodoos. Seeing the red and orange hoodoos against the blue sky is one of my most memorable moments. Here is a simple itinerary for you to follow at Bryce Canyon.
Simple Itinerary:
Bryce Canyon is an easy park to do in one full day. They have a shuttle or you can drive on your own. You could also walk the rim trail around the Bryce Amphitheater.
- Visitor Center
- Sunrise Point
- Walk the Rim Trail
- Sunset Point
- Navajo Loop Trail (1.4 miles round trip)
- OR try Queen’s/Navajo Combo (2.9 miles round trip)
- Inspiration Point
- Bryce Point
- Extra time? Drive to Natural Bridge and Agua Canyon or hike Mossy Cave
Visitor Center
At most parks, our first stop is the visitor center. We have the National Park Passport book, so it is a must to stop and get it stamped. At the visitor center, you can ask for help with directions, get information about Ranger programs, pick up the Junior Ranger book (which my children loved to do), watch the video, tour the exhibits, and shop in the bookstore.
Sunrise Point
There are four major viewpoints overlooking Bryce Amphitheater. Sunrise Point is the northernmost point. Of course, this is a beautiful place to be at sunrise, but it is breathtaking any time of day.
The elevation of Sunrise Point is 8,100 feet and provides you with a 360-degree view. This view gives you a clear view of the process of hoodoo formation. The last time we visited, we went to a ranger program to learn about the process. The plateau erodes and exposes the walls of layered rock, which are then broken by frost into arches. The cold weather here is the vital piece that causes it to expand and eventually form the columns of stone known as hoodoos. Trails in this area are the Queen’s Garden Trail, Rim Trail, and the Fairyland Loop.
Rim Trail
The Rim Trail is the best way to see the Bryce Amphitheater from above. The entire trail is 5.5 miles, but the section between Sunrise and Sunset points is a paved 1-mile trail. If you want to walk the entire 5.5 miles, it starts at Fairyland Point and ends at Bryce Point .
Sunset Point
If you are looking for the most famous views of the hoodoos, then Sunset Point is the place to go. From here you can see Silent City (a maze of hoodoos and fins packed in tight formation) and Thor’s Hammer. The colors in this area are amazing. The unique rock is primarily composed of limestone deposited approximately 50 million years ago in a large freshwater lake, known as Lake Claron. The lower half of red, orange and yellow are Iron oxide minerals called the Pink Member. There are patches of pink and purple caused by manganese oxides. The rock changes from orange to white which marks the purer limestone called the Upper Member. Trails in this area are the popular Navajo Loop trail and the Rim Trail.
Navajo Loop Trail
The Navajo Loop trail is iconic. It is the trail most people associate with Bryce Canyon. It begins and ends at Sunset Point and takes you by the most famous hoodoo: Thor’s Hammer.
There are two sides, both allowing you to travel by switchbacks. It is suggested to hike this 1.4-mile trail counter-clockwise. There is a pretty significant elevation change of 515 feet. The Wall Street side is often closed in the winter. Navajo Loop trail can be combined with either the Queen’s Garden trail or the Peek-a-Boo loop.
Queen’s/Navajo Combo
This combination combines the popular Navajo Look trail with the Queen’s Garden trail to make the most diverse hike in the park. It is a very popular hike and can get crowded. The trail gives you some open views and unique hoodoos on the Queen’s Garden section, then you will walk through the narrow sections of tall redrock limestone on the Navajo Loop section. To make it a loop you will start at Sunrise Point and descend clockwise on the Queen’s Garden trail, then head up the Wall Street side of Navajo Loop (if it is open). Add in a short walk on the Rim trail to make your way back to Sunrise Point. Total distance will be 2.9 miles with 600 feet of elevation. If you want to see Thor’s Hammer, you can head back down the Two Bridges side just far enough to see it.
Inspiration Point
There are three levels of viewpoints at Inspiration Point that give you spectacular perspectives. You have a great view of the Silent City against the backdrop of Boat Mesa. Because of the steep cliffs here, the only trail is the Rim trail.
Bryce Point
For the most scenic view of the full amphitheater, head to the end, Bryce Point. This is a great place to watch sunrises. The Rim Trail ends here, but another trail from this area is the steep Peek-a-boo Loop Trail.
Extra time?
The Natural Bridge is one of the natural arches in the park sculpted from some of the reddest rock of the Claron Formation. At Agua Canyon, you can see two prominent hoodoos “The Hunter” and the “Rabbit”. If you want another hike stop by Mossy Cave. The .4 mile (one-way) trail is one of the lowest elevation hikes in the park to view the Mossy Cave.
Enjoy your time and make memories
Whether you choose to camp, sleep in the lodge or a cabin on property or are just there for the day, Bryce Canyon is a spectacular park. It is one of the best stargazing parks, has wonderful ranger-led hikes and presentations, offers a great variety of trails you can explore on foot or horseback, and is a beautiful park to just sit and soak in the views. It really is a magical place. Whatever you choose to do at the park… make memories.