Bryce Canyon National Park is a place we return to again and again, and somehow it always feels fresh and magical. Whether you have just a few hours or several days, this smaller park in southern Utah is packed with vibrant rock formations, fun hikes, sweeping views, and plenty of opportunities for adventure, including sniffing some trees along the way!
Podcast Episode Overview
In this episode of Exploring the National Parks, we are diving into the Utah park we seem to visit the most often – Bryce Canyon National Park!
Get ready to discover why this smaller park packs a massive punch with its otherworldly hoodoo formations. Tune in to hear our own stories in this amazing park, tips for avoiding crowds, and why even a short visit to Bryce Canyon will leave you spellbound.
Join us as we discuss:
- Why we visit Bryce Canyon so often, and the unique charm that keeps us coming back for more
- The stunning, otherworldly hoodoo formations and the Native American legends behind these incredible rock pillars
- The best way to experience the main amphitheater, including must-do hikes like the Queen’s Garden Trail with its cool tunnels and famous “Queen Victoria” hoodoo
- Our favorite viewpoints like Sunrise Point, home to our beloved “octopus tree,” and Sunset Point, where you can spot Thor’s Hammer and the impressive Wall Street
- Tips for visiting, including why commuting to Bryce Canyon is a bad idea due to limited parking, and how our itinerary can help
- How you can explore Bryce Canyon year-round, even in the winter, and which trails are safest when icy
We hope you’re as excited about Bryce Canyon as we are! It’s a truly unique park that offers incredible experiences, whether you have a few hours or a couple of days. You’re going to feel the magic with this park, regardless of how much time you’re able to spend there. Don’t forget to check out our Bryce Canyon itinerary to make your trip planning easy!
Your task for today: We want to know which Bryce Canyon amphitheater view you are most excited to see – the close-up hoodoos from Sunrise or Sunset Point, or the bird’s-eye view from Bryce Point? Let us know on the Dirt In My Shoes Facebook or Instagram page!
Listen to the Full Podcast Episode:
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A stunning arrival along Scenic Highway 12
When we visit Bryce Canyon National Park, we usually stay in Bryce Canyon City, where Ruby’s Inn and the park shuttle make everything super convenient. Tropic is another solid choice with better food and cute cabins. Panguitch is a bit too far for our liking, and splitting your time between Zion and Bryce often ends up being a logistical headache.
Driving into Bryce along Scenic Highway 12, a designated scenic byway, is a treat. You pass through Red Canyon, which is full of hoodoos and red rock arches that hint at what’s to come. Once you roll into Bryce Canyon City, you’re just moments from the park entrance and the Bryce Canyon Visitor Center.
The first stop is always the Bryce Amphitheater. Bryce Canyonisn’t a canyon in the traditional sense. It’s a dramatic cliffside where erosion has sculpted thousands of towering rock formations called hoodoos. They stretch across the landscape like an ancient army of stone.
These hoodoos aren’t just cool to look at. Native American legends say they were once people turned to stone, and each one seems to have a face or personality. Hiking among them feels like walking through a rock cathedral, full of mystery and wonder.
Into the canyon: Our favorite hiking loop
If you only do one hike when you visit Bryce Canyon National Park, make it the combination of Queen’s Garden and Navajo Loop Trail! This route is three miles, packed with jaw-dropping views and a magical walk among the hoodoos.
We always start at Sunset Point and descend into Wall Street, a switchback trail that leads you into a narrow slot canyon. From there, we connect to Queen’s Garden Trail and climb back up to Sunrise Point, where we walk along the paved Rim Trail back to the starting point. It’s scenic, efficient, and hits all the best places in the Bryce Canyon Amphitheater.
This loop is also the most gradual route down and back up, making it ideal in the winter months when trails can become icy. We’ve done it in snow, sun, and everything in between, and it’s always one of the best hikes in the park.
When you want more: The Figure 8 trail
For a longer and more challenging route, we love turning our hike into the Figure 8 trail. This includes the Peekaboo Loop Trail, which connects with Queen’s Garden and Navajo Loop at the bottom of the Bryce Canyon Amphitheater. It bumps the distance up to about six and a half miles, with lots of elevation changes and new views around every corner.
Peekaboo Loop is full of massive hoodoos, dramatic cliffs, and even a few tunnels to hike through. It feels completely different from the Queen’s Garden section, even though it’s not that far away. That’s part of the magic. You see so many different formations and colors in one hike!
If you’re not up for hiking it, horseback riding tours with Canyon Trail Rides are available too. And yes, they go down into the amphitheater, so there’s really no excuse not to get into this incredible part of the park!
Finding your favorite view in Bryce Canyon
Sunrise and Sunset Points are iconic, and we return to them every time we visit. At Sunrise Point, there’s a scrappy old limber pine that we call the octopus tree. It’s clinging to the edge of the canyon rim with roots exposed, and we have so many photos of it over the years. It might be our favorite tree in any national park!
Sunset Point is home to Thor’s Hammer, a hoodoo shaped like the mythical weapon. From here, you can also see the winding switchbacks of Wall Street. It’s fun to look down and see the tiny figures of hikers making their way through the canyon below.
Bryce Point and Inspiration Point offer more of a bird’s-eye view. From Bryce Point, you can see the entire amphitheater, including the oldest and biggest hoodoos. The patterns erosion has left behind look like a woven tapestry.
We also like Paria View for its unique angle during sunset. It’s not as famous, but it’s one of the few places where the light hits the hoodoos nicely at sunset. And don’t forget, the Rim Trail connects many of these popular viewpoints, making it easy to link them together on foot.
Don’t overlook the Fairyland Trail
Fairyland Point sits at the northern end of the park and is usually quiet. The hoodoos here are still forming, so they aren’t quite as dramatic, but the area has a peaceful magic all its own.
The Fairyland Trail is a long, moderate hike that dips into the canyon and wanders through colorful badlands and a lovely grove of younger bristlecone pines. It’s a great second-day hike, or a good option if you want to avoid the crowds.
We recommend starting at Fairyland Point and hiking the Rim Trail first, then dipping into the canyon and saving the scenic part for last. That way, you finish on a high note and avoid ending your hike on a long stretch of the rim.
Heading higher into the park
The southern scenic drive through Bryce Canyon takes you into the park’s high-elevation country. As you drive the main road south, the hoodoos thin out, but the views open up in dramatic fashion. The final overlook, Rainbow Point, sits at 9,100 feet above sea level, making it the highest point in the park that you can reach by road.
From nearby Yovimpa Point, you can see the layers of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument stretching all the way to the Grand Canyon. It’s one of the best ways to grasp the scale of southern Utah’s landscape. The Bristlecone Loop near here is quiet and offers even more chances to spot ancient trees and enjoy some easy walks.
We always drive to the end of the scenic drive first, then stop at viewpoints on the way back to avoid making a bunch of left turns. Natural Bridge is our favorite along this stretch, a striking arch carved into red rock, framed by forest. It’s a great place for a short walk and a photo stop!
A park that smells like butterscotch
Bryce is full of ponderosa pines, and here’s the best part: the bark smells like butterscotch. You have to sniff the sunny side of the tree to get the full effect, and yes, it’s worth doing!
We’ve made it a tradition. And now other visitors send us pictures of their families sniffing trees, too. It’s weird. It’s wonderful. And it makes Bryce even more memorable! On a clear night, you can even enjoy a full moon hike or see the Milky Way light up the sky.
Quick stops and good eats
Just outside the park, Mossy Cave Trail is a short hike that leads to a small waterfall and a cool little overhang with a natural seep spring. In the winter season, icicles form in the cave and hang down like stalactites. It’s one of the best things to do on a shorter visit.
For food, we usually drive to Tropic. The options in Bryce Canyon City, including the general store, aren’t always the best. But Tropic has pizza, barbecue, and some surprisingly tasty options. It’s also a good place to stay if you want a quieter vibe with easy access to the park.
Plan your trip to Bryce Canyon National Park
Bryce Canyon is a choose-your-own-adventure kind of park. You can explore a lot in just a few hours or take your time and uncover its quieter corners. The hoodoos look different every time you visit. Lighting, seasons, and your mood all change how you see them.
So which view are you most excited to see? The in-your-face drama of Sunset Point? The peaceful grandeur of Bryce Point? Or maybe the quiet solitude of Fairyland?
And if you spot a ponderosa pine, you know what to do. Sniff the sunny side of the tree, take a photo, and send it our way. You’ll make our day!
Links mentioned in this podcast episode:
- Bryce Canyon National Park
- Ruby’s Inn – Bryce Canyon
- Bryce Canyon Shuttle Information
- Scenic Byway 12 – Utah’s All-American Road
- Bryce Canyon Visitor Center
- Queen’s Garden Trail, Navajo Loop Trail, and the Figure 8 Combination
- Sunset Point
- Sunrise Point
- Rim Trail
- Peekaboo Loop Trail
- Canyon Trail Rides – Bryce Canyon
- Inspiration Point
- Bryce Point
- Paria View
- Fairyland Point and Trail
- Rainbow Point
- Yovimpa Point
- Mossy Cave Trail
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