One Day at Bryce Canyon

There are many adjectives I could use to describe Bryce Canyon National Park, but the one that immediately comes to mind is “magical.” For those who aren’t familiar, Bryce Canyon is known for its incredible collection of hoodoos, which are tall, thin rock spires created by millennia of erosion by rain and free-thaw cycles. It’s a smaller park, but packs a punch! Most visitors can “do” this park in a day, including hikes and the scenic drive.

I started the day off with a beautiful sunrise at - wait for it - Sunset Point. The light reflected off the hoodoos creating a warm, orange glow across the amphitheater that just got more and more beautiful as the sun came up.

From Sunset Point I decided to hike the Navajo-Queen’s Garden-Peekaboo Loop. After stopping to snap a few pics of the famous Thor’s Hammer, I started off by going down the left fork of the Navajo Trail (going right would’ve taken me down the famous Wall Street section - I saved that one for later). The Wall Street section gets all the attention but the left fork is honestly just as neat to hike. The trail serpentines down the canyon, bathed in a warm orange glow cast by the walls of the hoodoos. There are a couple of natural bridges at the bottom of these switchbacks which is a neat little attraction, plus a collection of pines along the way.

At the trail intersection, I headed left onto the Queen’s Garden Trail. This trail offers a different perspective in that I was now at the bottom of the canyon looking up at the hoodoos instead of down. The Queen’s Garden Trail has a few cool features, including the Queen Victoria hoodoo, overlooks of the valley, and a neat tunnel.

After switch-backing up to the rim along the Queen’s Garden Trail, I ended up at Sunrise Point, which is breathtaking like its counterpart. From here, I walked along the easy Rim Trail to get back to my starting point.

Hopping back onto the Navajo Trail, I chose this time to head right down the Wall Street section, which was similar to the Twin Bridges neck of the loop except that the walls were closer. Definitely one of the coolest parts of the whole hike.

After making it back to the same intersection I had been previously, I continued onto the Peekaboo Loop heading clockwise. Now, I could’ve just added this on the first time I was down there and indeed, that’s what most people do, but I wanted to hike both branches of the Navajo Loop for completeness sake. And you know, for fun.

The Peekaboo Loop is full of literal ups and downs but it was incredibly scenic as the trail wound its way among the hoodoos with seemingly new vistas around every bend. I particularly liked the little tunnels that would give me a sneak peek of the hoodoos ahead before popping out on the other side. One of the coolest sections was the Wall of Windows which, well, I’ll just show you the pictures (hit the arrow to scroll through!).

After completing the loop, I had to make my way back up to the rim again, which was just as hard but just as beautiful as before. Thankfully, the rest of the day was a bit more relaxed. I enjoyed stopping at many of the roadside overlooks, especially the Natural Bridge and Inspiration Point overlooks.

I also hiked the short, 1 mile Bristlecone Pine Trail, which took me by some of the oldest trees in the world! This trail is in the far section of the park but is definitely worth a quick jaunt.

After catching the last bit of the sunset at Inspiration Point, I went to the evening ranger program which was about comets. These ranger programs are always a good way to wind down at the end of the day and I always learn something new!

Side note: If you’re looking for a good dinner spot, I highly recommend the Outlaw Saloon just outside the park in Hatch, Utah. It had a "wild west" vibe where you can sit at the bar on horse saddles and even cook your own steak! I had the ribeye and it was quite tasty.

I spent the night dispersed camping outside the park, then made my way back in the next morning for another sunrise, this time at Bryce Point. I had originally planned to hike the Fairyland Trail on the second day, but I was really tired from hiking basically every day for a week so I decided to save it for a future trip! I hear this trail is incredible though so if you have the time I would do it!

The Fairyland Loop trailhead

Have you been to Bryce Canyon? Bryce is definitely a not-to-miss park and can be easily “done” in 1-2 days, with fun activities for everyone. I can’t wait to go back!

Pin this for later for your future trip!