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Get the inside scoop for your upcoming vacation —> this itinerary is the most detailed, epic, and easy-to-follow guide to the park!
1. Inspiration Point
Stand perched high above the many levels of hoodoos that fill the canyon to the brim! Gawk at the layers of red and white rock that have been eroded away, and have fun finding unique shapes and characters among the formations.
What You Need to Know
Inspiration Point consists of three viewpoints, each one gaining elevation and providing a more spectacular view. You do not need to do all three if you are not able to; a great photo op awaits you at any of the three areas. I recommend hiking all the way to the top if you can.
Getting Here
From the Visitor Center, drive approximately 1.5 miles south to the turnoff for Inspiration Point. Take a left and then another left soon after to reach the viewpoint.
2. Queens Garden Trail
Descend into the canyon to reach a hoodoo that has a striking resemblance to Queen Victoria. Hiking among the rock formations provides an added appreciation to your experience of Bryce Canyon!
What You Need to Know
The Queens Garden Trail is a great trail to start with, as it is the easiest way to descend into the canyon. Don’t be deceived by the word “easy” though, because you will still encounter some drastic changes in elevation. Some areas of the trail have a steep drop-off as well, so be sure to keep a close eye on your kids during those sections.
This trail is 1.8 miles round trip, but I suggest connecting it with the Navajo Loop as outlined in this itinerary. Pets are not permitted on this trail.
Getting Here
The Queens Garden Trail begins at Sunrise Point, which is located about 0.5 miles from the Visitor Center. Take a left toward the viewpoint and follow the road as it curves. You will need to park and walk a short distance to reach Sunrise Point and the beginning of the trail.
3. Bryce Point
One amazing thing about Bryce Canyon is how the landscape will provide you with a drastically different view from each viewpoint. Bryce Point is about 200 feet higher in elevation than Inspiration Point, which gives you more of a birds-eye view of the hoodoos.
What You Need to Know
A short hike is required to get to the viewpoint from the parking area.
Getting Here
From the Visitor Center, drive about 1.5 miles to the turn-off for Bryce Point/Inspiration Point. From the turn-off, follow the road for 2 miles, keeping left as it veers toward the canyon rim. At the end of this road is the Bryce Point view area.
4. Mossy Cave Trail
Follow along a sparkling river to reach a cave of dripping water, then continue a little further along the trail to find a gorgeous waterfall! Discover this magnificent desert oasis with vibrant green plants growing among the red rock formations.
What You Need to Know
The Mossy Cave is cool, but the waterfall steals the show. This trail is family-friendly and is a beautiful addition to your trip to Bryce. Be aware that the waterfall does not flow all year, usually only from May to October.
This trail is 0.8 miles round trip, and pets are not permitted.
Getting Here
Instead of turning onto the main road of Bryce Canyon National Park, stay on Highway 12, heading toward the town of Tropic for 4 miles. A small parking area for the Mossy Cave Trail will be on your right.
5. Sunset Point
Although this viewpoint is called Sunset Point, it is beautiful any time of day! Stop here to see the slopes of the gorgeous multi-colored canyon with the hoodoos sticking out like they don’t belong.
What You Need to Know
See if you can spot Thor’s Hammer, a favorite formation in Bryce Canyon.
Getting Here
Just over a mile from the Visitor Center, take a left at the turn-off toward Sunset Point and follow to the parking area.
Click NEXT to see stops 6-10 (including my favorite trail in the park)!
Ash, my wife and I are coming to the southwest for two weeks starting Sept 23rd. We will be having a 2 night stay in Page AZ. and we will head to Bryce from their. Wonder if you have every traveled Cottonwood Canyon Rd? Is a 4 wheel drive vehicle a must have for this 47 mile cut through which appears to save a great deal of time and looks to be a great way to see some of the natural wonders?
We know it is a road to stay off of if it is raining or had rained recently, but if it the weather is nice this looks to be a nice side trip
Thoughts?
Bill
I wouldn’t do it if you’re just trying to save time…on an unpaved road like that, it usually takes much longer than you think! But if you’re wanting to do it for the scenery and you have the right vehicle, I’d go for it. People do drive it with almost any kind of car, but I personally wouldn’t without at least some higher clearance and AWD or 4WD.
If it rains at all a day or two before you go, I’d skip it. Those roads can be absolutely horrible if they’re wet at all. Safe travels!
Visit
Antelope Canyon near page
Tour office in town
Amazing!
Hi Ash,
We are planning our trip to Utah from May 25 to 29 for total of 5 days. What is your suggestions as to how many days we should spend in what park. We love scenic drive and we can hike moderate trails. I also enjoy scenic lookout and willing to hike (not strenuous) for them. Thank you.
If you’re staying for five days, I personally would choose either Zion/Bryce Canyon or Arches/Canyonlands/Capitol Reef. Trying to see all 5 parks in that amount of time would be very rushed. Have fun!
Just bought the two day itinerary and it looks great. We are will actually have three days, one of which is a half-day horseback riding day. Is there anything that you recommend on day two of your itinerary that would be redundant if we take the horse trip? We would like to make sure we are seeing as many cool places as possible and are open to some off the beaten path locations.
Hi Stephen,
If you’re taking the horseback riding trip that travels the Peek-a-Boo Loop, then you won’t need to hike it. In that case, I’d strongly consider hiking the Fairyland Loop…you will love it!
Where is the peek a boo trail? We were going to do a 1/2 day horse tour in Bryce in the am but didn’t want to miss inspiration point and some of the other highlights. Not sure if horse tour is worth it???
You’ll need to drive to the viewpoints separately, but everything in Bryce Canyon is pretty close together. If you don’t want to hike the Peek-a-Boo Loop, taking a horse is a great alternative for seeing it!
Hi Ash, thank you for the all those details. we will spend 1 day in Bryce with a 7 and 3 years old ( we will carry him most of the time) , what do you advise to do with kids?
Many thanks
Any of these activities are kid-friendly, so whatever excites you the most!
Your information is Amazing!! We are planning a trip to Utah with my 2 young boys (4 & 6) and are trying to decided how to divide up the time…do you have a thought to which parks are the most kid friendly? (aka less worry for my mom brain :) We are definitely planning to visit Zion and Arches, but are trying to decide on a third park to visit.
Thank you!
If you want a third without too many canyon cliffs, Capitol Reef is a good one. Otherwise, I’d go to Bryce Canyon and just hold their hands when you’re near the rim :)
What are easy hikes for someone that can’t move uphill at a good pace? something flat
Try the Bristlecone Loop or the Rim Trail!
Hi there.
Love your blog and I am looking into purchasing one of your itineraries but wanted to see if you create custom ones for those who will be traveling with their dog? Thanks!
I don’t, but each itinerary states whether or not dogs are allowed on each trail. But just a heads up, you won’t find many western parks that allow dogs on the trails. Eastern parks are typically better for that. If you want to dig in and hike the best trails, it’s probably best to leave your pup at home or at a nearby kennel while you explore. Have fun!
We’ll be spending one night at Bryce Canyon Lodge in mid June 2020. Trying to decide on the best place to watch the sunrise….I have read that Inspiration Point, Bryce Point or Sunset Point are all good for sunrise. But do you have a recommendation or favorite that would be best to see the hoodoos lite up like candlesticks? Thanks!
Any of those spots are great for the sunrise. Most of the park faces east, so the hoodoos light up really well in the morning sun. If you’re wanting a grand overall view, I’d go for Inspiration Point or Bryce Point. If you’re wanted to be a little closer to the hoodoos, Sunset Point is better for that. Have a great trip!
Hi Ash. My husband and I visited Bryce Canyon at the end of March and brought your detailed guide for the Figure 8 Loop with us. I have to say, this was the most beautiful trail we have ever, EVER, been on. We started very early, and were pretty much the only ones on the trail for quite a while– except for the deer and chipmunks!! It is breathtaking and we found ourselves quite overwhelmed with the beauty of this place. I would highly recommend this trail to anyone visiting Bryce who has the time to do the Figure 8 Loop (Peek-a-Boo, Navajo, and Queen’s Garden trails). We completed it in 4 hours with LOTS of stops for pictures and a snack and to simply stop to savour the moment. As recommended, do the trail in a counter clockwise direction. Thanks for this website Ash — we hit all your ‘must see’ sights that were open at the time of our visit.
I’m so glad to hear that!! I think the Figure 8 Trail is near the top of my list for favorite trail EVER….sounds like you had a similar magical experience!!
Hi! We’re heading to Utah in June–we have 9 days to do the Mighty 5. How many days would you recommend we spend in each park? Also, we’ve booked a 2-hour mule ride in Bryce–is this something you recommend or is hiking better? I’m a teacher and on a tight budget, so happy to spend the money if it’s worth it but prefer to save if it’s not! Also, is Goblin Valley worth the trip (and should we stay to see the night sky?)
I’m really enjoying your posts, we were originally going to spend just one day in Zion and Bryce, I am now rethinking that! So excited for this trip :)
Thanks!!
Kandace, Ben & Will from SC
Hey Kandace,
If you have 9 days, I’d probably do something like 2 days in Zion, 1 day in Bryce Canyon, 1 day in Capitol Reef, and 2 days in the Moab area for Arches and Canyonlands. As you travel, you may be able to throw in an extra half day here and there in a few of the parks as well :)
The mule ride could be really fun. I’ve actually never done one there because I prefer to hike. If you like to hike and only have time for 1 trail in Bryce Canyon, I’d do the Figure 8….that will take you through the best scenery in the park {in my opinion}.
Goblin Valley is really fun if you have the time. You may also want to look into the Little Wild Horse Slot Canyon if that interests you.
Have an awesome time!!!
Ash
This is super helpful, we are heading to Bryce in April. Can’t wait!
Glad it helps! Have a great time!
Hey Ash!
We’re wanting to make a semi-spontaneous trip to Bryce next week (between December 27-30). Would this itenerary still be good for this time of year? And what would be the recommended preparations?
Hi Dannielle,
Sorry about my delayed response! Please email me at ash{at}dirtinmyshoes{dot}com and we can talk about the itinerary in more detail :) That will be an awesome trip!!!
thank you, Ash.
i m planning to arrive in las vegas and spend 5 days around zion and bryce in march 27, 2018. in bryce, do you think some trails will be open and will i be able to see most vistas points?
thanks,
dave
It will likely still be snowy in Bryce Canyon, but it’s beautiful that time of year. Weather permitting, all the viewpoints should be open. The trails will be a little harder to access. Wall Street on the Navajo Loop will probably be closed, but you could go down into the canyon on the Queens Garden trail if you have the right gear. When it gets closer to your trip, if there’s still a lot of snow/ice on the trails you might want to purchase some Yaktrax for your hiking shoes.
I don’t think there’s anything better than the red hoodoos against the snow. You’ll love it!!
I just wanted to give you some praise. Your guides for each park are PHENOMENAL. You basically plan our national park trips for us. I’ve looked high and low, but your website is the most comprehensive and helpful out of them all. My only complaint, is that you don’t have more “Top 10” lists. :)
Thank you so much Brittany! I’m definitely working on getting more lists up there for ya!!
We will be visiting Zion (4 days, 3 nights) and Bryce (3 days/2 nights) in August. I see that you have a 3 day Zion itinerary available and that a Bryce itinerary is coming soon. When will the Bryce itinerary be available?
Thanks,
Carole
Hey Carole,
I’m aiming for the end of July/beginning of August! There will be a 1-day or a 2-day option. I’m excited!!
Thanks for the quick reply. We leave on July 30th, so I will check back closer to the end of the month. We will be in Bryce August 2nd-4th. Maybe we will be your first Bryce itinerary customers!
Thanks,
Carole
I’d love for you to be able to put it to use :) If you’re on my email list, I’ll send out a coupon code when it’s released!
If I had to chose a favorite NP in Utah, it would be Bryce Canyon. Pictures and words just don’t do it justice. We’ve been there twice and I’d like to go back at least once more before I get too old to hike the trails!
Bryce Canyon truly is a remarkable place! I hope you are able to get back there soon!
Hi Ash, thank you for this wonderfully insightful post! I wrote an article of Bryce Canyon myself as I just put it on my bucketlist and wanted to learn more about it. It looks stunning and your tips are super helpful! So thanks for that.
Glad it is helpful Annemarie! Bryce Canyon is a truly bucketlist-worthy destination!
Great post.. Wondering if there is a hike involved to see Fairyland Point and how far to walk from the parking area to see Bryce Point?
Also, the only hike we probably will do is the Navajo Loop, so any thoughts on whether if we get an early start , can we use our car to get around in the park rather than the shuttle?
Thank you!
Hi Todd! For Fairyland Point, the parking area is right next to the overlook. From the parking area to Bryce Point, I would estimate maybe a 0.25 mile walk…it’s not very long but it’s not right next to your car either.
The Navajo Loop is a great choice and is definitely the best one to do if you are only hiking one trail in Bryce Canyon. I always recommend getting an early start in the national parks and you should be just fine to drive your own car. The shuttle is optional and doesn’t start running until 8 a.m. so I would imagine that if you are there before that, you should have no problem finding a parking spot.
Have a great time!
The place looks amazing. One of the great place to spend your vacation with the whole family.
Thanks for stopping by. Bryce Canyon truly is an incredible destination for the whole family :)