Bryce Canyon National Park was our next stop and easily one of my favorite stops on our trip. In fact, if I could change one thing about our trip it would have been to spend another day there. I can’t wait to go back! Seriously I’m jealous of anyone that is currently at Bryce Canyon 🙂
Our day started with an approximately two hour drive from the Zion Lodge to Bryce Canyon National Park. We got to the park around 9:00 a.m., making our first stop a picture near the park’s entrance sign. These are some of my favorite vacation pictures. There is a small parking lot near the sign as well as a post to set a camera on if you’re using a timer.
We made our way to the Visitor Center to get our Passport stamps, pick up Junior Ranger books, and to use the restroom. Our plan was to hike in the morning, have a packed lunch, stop at the other viewpoints, and end our day in the park with another hike. Our day here was perfect thanks to some quick research on trails ahead of time and the weather. It was definitely cold at times, but the only snow we saw was minimal and at the park’s higher elevations. I do think we lucked out with the weather as March is the snowiest month of the year there.
Hiking
Hiking is a great way to explore Bryce Canyon National Park if you have enough time. Bryce Canyon has a special, “I Hiked the Hoodoos!” program meant to encourage kids to get outdoors. In order to receive the reward you need to find at least three of the special benchmarks. When you do, either make a pencil rubbing of the benchmark or take a picture with it. You’ll need to bring them to the Visitor Center in order to receive the reward.
The next time we visit I think we’re adding the Peekaboo Loop Trail to our list. After being in the park for a few minutes we were already regretting only having one day there. I’ve heard the trail is amazing.
Queens Garden/Navajo Trail Combination Loop
One of our favorite hikes of the entire vacation was the Queens Garden/Navajo Trail Combination Loop. At just about three miles, we started this trail at Sunrise Point. The best way to describe this trail is magical. It’s like you’ve entered another world where a white path meanders down into the canyon for an up close view of the famous hoodoos. I found myself taking pictures around every corner, almost mesmerized by the view. I honestly thought it was just beautiful!
You could start this loop at either Sunrise Point or Sunset Point. If you choose to hike in the same direction as us (starting at Sunrise Point) be prepared for some killer switchbacks to make your way back to the rim. I absolutely loved climbing up the switchbacks. It was just so rewarding to climb out of the canyon.
Despite this being the park’s most popular trail, we didn’t find it to be particularly busy and had plenty of good photo opportunities. Bryce Canyon was the backdrop for some of my favorite vacation pictures. There are many parts of this trail where you need to use caution with younger children, but in general it is very family friendly.
Rim Trail
This hike can be anywhere from 1.0 mile round trip to 11.0 miles round trip. It follows the rim of the Bryce Amphitheater and is not a loop. The only paved section is probably the most popular, between Sunrise and Sunset Points. We walked the Rim Trail From Sunset Point to Sunrise Point after hiking the Queens Garden/Navajo Trail Combination Loop. Somehow we managed to time this perfectly and caught a ranger program.
Want a good example of erosion? Look at the picture above. Aren’t tree roots supposed to be below ground?
Bristlecone Loop Trail
The Bristlecone Loop Trail is a 1.0 mile round trip hike with a 200′ elevation change. This trail is easily accessible from the parking lot for Rainbow Point and Yovimpa Point, which is at the end of the scenic drive. The trail was accessible despite some snow and ice covered spots. We didn’t see many other groups on the trail and enjoyed the solitude amongst the Bristlecone pines. These trees are over 1,000 years old! A special, “I Hiked the Hoodoos!” benchmark can be found along this trail.
The Bristlecone Loop Trail is the highest trail at Bryce Canyon National Park at over 9000 feet. The view from this trail is amazing as it offers a panoramic view of the Grand Escalante Staircase. It meanders through a forest of Blue Spruce, Douglas Fir, and White Fir making it a nice change of scenery if you’re hoodooed out. That would be crazy though. Hoodoos are awesome!
Mossy Cave Trail
We did this hike early in the morning on the day we left for Capitol Reef National Park. It contains one of the benchmarks needed for the “I Hiked the Hoodoos!” certificate. This trail is located in the northern section of the park, along Highway 12. This is a good hike for small children as it is considered easy and only 0.9 miles round trip. It’s a great way to see hoodoos up close without the long, steep hike in and out of the canyon like the Queens Garden/Navajo Trail.
Photography
As I mentioned earlier, some of my favorite pictures from our vacation were taken in Bryce Canyon. One of my favorite memories was driving to the park early on the day we were set to leave. We easily found a parking space and made our way up to Sunrise Point. Obviously it has this name for a reason.
For a few fleeting minutes after the sun starts to show above the horizon the sun turns the hoodoos a beautiful bright orange that is so worth getting up early and freezing your butt off for. You won’t be alone, but if you get there early enough you should be able to secure a good spot for photos.
I absolutely love the pictures we took at sunrise. Again, it’s worth getting up early for!
Wildlife
The only wildlife we noticed here, other than birds, was too cute not to mention. The Utah Prairie Dog is listed as endangered but can easily be seen along the park road.
Dining
I did a little research on dining options before the trip. Apparently, I didn’t do a good job because The Pizza Place was closed. So we settled on Rustlers Restaurant. It looked promising since the parking lot was busy. I hate to pick on them but it was probably packed because hardly anything else was open.
I ordered a taco salad. With all those cute little chopped green peppers. WAIT! THOSE ARE CHOPPED JALAPEÑOS! Jalapeños to me are like the Carolina Reaper pepper to a normal person. So I coughed and choked my way through dinner. WATER!!!!
What to Remember:
- We stayed at the Best Western Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel. This was a nice hotel and one of the least expensive of our trip.
- Food options are limited, especially off-season.
- We visited at the end of March. If you do the same, don’t forget to pack your cold-weather clothing.
- We highly recommend the Queen’s Garden/Navajo Trail Combination Loop!
Day 4 miles hiked:
4.4 miles
Total miles hiked since our Southwest Vacation began:
15.75 miles
