Located in a very remote part of southern Utah, Bryce Canyon National Park was an adventure that we would never forget. Walking up to the very first overlook with much anticipation, we braced ourselves for what we would soon behold. Indeed, never before had we seen such poetry in stone until we gazed down upon the endless rock spires known as “Hoodoo” that dotted the landscape of Bryce Canyon. Orange and beige spires reached up from the ground by the thousands, greeted by white snow on the canyon walls slowly melting as the sun continued rising. Like the terracotta army of Qin Shi Huang, each rock was unique in both expression and feature. As an artist, it was no surprise that Bryce Canyon was Nina’s favorite stop along our grand road trip through Arizona and Utah.
Come along as we share some helpful tips and insights from our trip.
Top Things to Do
Although we’re not outdoor enthusiasts back home, on this trip we made it a point to try and push ourselves out of our comfort zone and into the adventurous spirit of the old west as we explored Bryce Canyon National Park. The amount of activities that are available are as varied as the amount of tourists that visit this wonderful place so depending on your preference, here are some of the top activities/attractions at Bryce Canyon National Park.
Bryce Amphitheater
This is the star of the show when it comes to visiting Bryce Canyon as it’s where nearly every picture that you’ll see on social media and the internet is taken. The amphitheater is basically a series of four lookout points (Sunrise Point, Sunset Point, Inspiration Point and Bryce Point) along the rim where you have the closest and unobstructed views of the hoodoos below. Our favorite spot was Sunset Point since it had the best view.
Hiking: The hiking experience at Bryce Canyon National Park is incomparable to any other hike that we’ve done in the world. When you are below the rim you almost feel like you are walking into an underwater fantasy. Walking past rock spires that look like castles, dried creek beds, beige sand, trees growing both out of the ground and sideways from the canyon walls is a surreal experience that we encourage everyone to undertake.
For this reason, if you are physically capable of doing so, we highly encourage you to hike one of the many paths available at the Bryce Canyon National Park. There is no cost to enter any of the trails, but make sure to note that the difficulty of any hiking trail depends on factors such as your level of fitness, experience, weather, proper gear and distance that you plan to hike. Below we’ve summarized some of the main hiking trails that are available at Bryce Canyon National Park.
Rim Trail: This trail takes you along the rim of Bryce Amphitheater, which is where the best views of the hoodoos (rock spires) are available. The trail is mostly flat with some parts that are paved so this will be the easiest trail.
Mossy Cave Trail: This trail takes you along a beautiful creek, flanked by pine trees and the impressive hoodoos towering in the distance, eventually leading to an icy waterfall where you can stop and relax for a moment. Most tourists don’t go on this trail since it’s located away from the main entrance but this makes it even more worthwhile.
Under-The-Rim-Trail: This is the most difficult trail available as it takes you from one end of the canyon to the other end; a total distance of 22.90 miles (37 km).
Other Trails: Most other trails at the park are interconnected sections of trails that run through Bryce Amphitheater, so it’s possible to switch between them in the middle of a hike. These trails include Peekaboo Loop, Navajo Loop, Queen’s Garden, Tower Bridge and Fairyland Loop.
Drive to Rainbow Point
This scenic 18 mile drive takes you from Bryce Amphitheater all the way down to the very southern tip of the park known as Rainbow Point. At elevations that range between 8,000ft - 9,000ft (2.40km - 2.74km) there are many lookout points along the road where you can pull over and marvel at the beauty of Dixie National Forest and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in the distance. Our favorite overlooks were Rainbow Point and Natural Bridge.
Star Gazing
Because of the high elevation, clean air and remote location, Bryce and the surrounding area is a perfect place to go star gazing. One night, we even saw a shooting star light up the night sky! There are several “Dark Ranger” programs available where park rangers will take you on a guided night hike. There are also star gazing tours where you are offered a chance to look at the nearby planets and stars via telescopes which is sure to provide an unforgettable experience.
We used Dark Ranger Telescope Tours. Our guide was an astronomer & park ranger who was extremely knowledgeable and happily answered any questions. The cost was only $37 USD per person and we highly recommend this tour.
Visitor Center
Located right next to the entrance gates you’ll find the visitor center, where they have maps, park rangers providing guidance and an interactive display that teaches you about both the geological and anthropological history of Bryce Canyon.
Bryce Town
Bryce is a small town that is located just outside the gates of the park. The main town center features a souvenir shop, ice cream store, gem store and Ebenezer’s Barn & Grill where you can attend a country music dinner show.
Helpful Tips
How Much Time Do You Need?
Most visitors to Bryce Canyon National Park will need no more than one or two days for their trip unless they plan on overnight camping or hiking for multiple days. This is because if you aren’t planning on hiking then you can see all of the overlooks in one full day. If you plan on doing a few easy or medium difficulty trails then add an extra day.
How Much Does it Cost?
The entrance fee is anywhere between $20 USD - $35 USD depending on the method of arrival (private vehicle, motorcycle, bicycle or on foot). You can also purchase an annual pass (America the Beautiful - Annual Pass) which costs $80 USD and gives you unlimited access to Bryce Canyon and any other national parks in the USA. This option is worth every penny if you are doing a road trip throughout Arizona and Utah or plan on visiting other parks on future trips.
For more information visit: https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/fees.htm
Get There Early
All of the parking spaces at the various overlooks fill up quite fast as the day progresses so make sure to arrive no later than 10:00 am if you want to ensure that you will find a parking spot.
Best Viewpoints/Overlooks
Sunset Point: One of the four overlooks at Bryce Amphitheater, this is where you will find the best views of the hoodoos (rock spires). We loved it so much that we chose this spot for our baby announcement photo!
Rainbow Point: Located at the southernmost tip of the main road, this breathtaking view of the forest and mountains in the distance was one of our favorites.
Natural Bridge: This overlook focuses on a hoodoo that has formed to resemble an arch that doubles as a window into the forested canyon below.
Where to Stay
Bryce, Utah: The town of Bryce is the closest option to the park and there are only about five hotels available in the town. We stayed at Best Western Plus Ruby’s Inn which was ok for a two day stay. The best feature of this hotel is that they have a general store on site where you can buy food, hiking gear, first aid and anything else that you might need.
Kanab, Utah: If we had to do it again this the town where we would stay. This is because Kanab is a city with way more hotel and restaurant options. In addition to that, Kanab is the perfect base location for exploring not just Bryce National Park but also the Grand Canyon north rim, Zion National Park, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Glen Canyon
Other nearby options include the towns of Hatch and Tropic. We would only recommend staying here if you cannot find a place in the first two options.
Food
Since Bryce Canyon National Park is located in a very remote part of the world the food options both inside the park and in the nearest town are extremely limited and of low quality. This is the only negative thing that we have to say about this portion of our trip so we recommend that you go to the general store in Bryce town at Ruby’s Inn and buy plenty of snacks or prepacked sandwiches. If you must eat out for dinner then temper your expectations as you are likely to receive slow service and bland tasting food.