National Park Geek Series - Bryce Canyon

My husband and I recently took off for a ten day adventure to explore Utah and Arizona. We flew into Vegas for convenience and affordability before renting a car and heading east. Our first stop was Bryce Canyon National Park. We visited Zion National Park several years ago but didn’t have enough time to visit Bryce so it’s been on my list for awhile. 

Bryce is not only beautiful but also very accessible. It’s not that big and has only a few main roads that connect you to all of the viewpoints and trailheads. Parking was the only hurdle we encountered. I had read that it can be an issue and if you don’t go early in the morning or later in the evening, you might have a hard time accessing some of the more popular spots. You can also park at the visitor center and take the shuttle if you don’t want to deal with a potential headache.

We spent the better part of a day in Bryce and drove the park road, hiked the Queens Garden and Navajo Loop trails and explored two areas just outside of the fee area for the park: Mossy Cave Trail and Fairyland Point. Here is all you need to know when planning your trip to Bryce Canyon National Park:

Mossy Cave Trail is an out and back trail that is 0.8 miles round trip and is very flat and easy. The trail follows a river until you reach a cave of dripping water and a waterfall. To get here, stay on HWY 12, pass the main road of the national park and head toward town of Tropic for 4 miles. There will be a small parking area will be on your right.

Fairyland Point is just outside of the national park and is the starting point for Rim Trail which we didn’t hike due to time. To get here, from HWY 12 turn south on HWY 63 toward Bryce Canyon, drive 3 miles, passing park entrance and take a left on Fairyland Point road. Stay on road for 1 mile to parking area.

Bryce Canyon park road is 18 miles and it’s recommended to drive to the end of the 18 mile park road and stop on your way back. It took about 30 minutes to drive to the end and then we spent about 2 hours stopping at these viewpoints:

• Rainbow and Yovimpa Point – hoodoos everywhere

• Agua Canyon

• Natural Bridge

• Fairview Point

• Bryce Point

• Sunset Point

• Sunrise Point – recommended to see at sunrise

• Inspiration Point – 3 viewpoints, top is the best

• Paria View

Queens Garden and Navajo trails are both loop trails and they are connected. We started at Sunrise Point and walked down into the Amphitheatre on the Queens Garden Trail, eventually taking us back up to Sunset Point on the Navajo Loop Trail. From here you can walk along the Rim Trail back to Sunrise Point. The trail is a 3.5 mile loop and takes about 2-3 hours because there are so many places to stop and takes pictures. The trail is not super challenging, sandy and rocky and is only steep at the beginning and end, the majority of the trail is on the canyon floor. The steepest part is definitely Wall Street on the Navajo Trail but you can avoid it altogether. Having hiked many steeper trails, it didn’t seem that bad to us. This was my favorite thing we did in Bryce Canyon, it was breathtaking.

I would highly recommend visiting Bryce Canyon National Park and putting all of these excursions on your itinerary. If you need help planning your trip, contact me here:

My name is Anna VanAgtmael, and I am a certified yoga instructor with a passion for yoga, travel, and connecting with others.

I believe in trying everything once. My values lie in collecting memories over things. Though we desire adventure and authentic experiences, naturally our fear holds us back.

My ambition is to inspire and encourage you to unmask your fears and jump into the unknown.

Anna VanAgtmael | Yoga Enthusiast | Travel Designer