If you’re going to be turned to stone, then Bryce Canyon is a pretty good place to have it happen! The hoodoos of Bryce Canyon captivated our boy’s eyes and their imaginations. As we hiked through the Amphitheater Josh was engrossed with the Paiute stories of the Legend People and Sam imagined a colossal game of chess. Bryce Canyon sits atop the Pink Cliffs of the Grand Staircase and should be on any Southwestern Utah itinerary.
Hike the Hoodoos
If you made the trip to Bryce Canyon you cannot leave without hiking among the hoodoos! We hiked the Navajo Loop and Queen’s Garden Trail starting at Sunrise Point walking clockwise to end at Sunset Point. This allows you to enjoy the hoodoos with a nice gradual downhill slope throughout most of the hike. You do pay for it at the end with some significant switchbacks up to Sunset Point. We preferred this direction with the concentrated uphill portion versus gradual incline throughout the entire hike. Check the park newspaper or your Junior Ranger book for information about the “Hike the Hoodoos” scavenger hunt. Find three benchmarks along the trails and/or hike three miles and earn a prize at the Visitor Center!
Scenic Drive
The entire park road is only 18 miles all the way out to Rainbow Point which takes about 45 minutes one-way with stops. Plan for stops, you cannot see much from the road so it’s really only “scenic” if you pull off at some of the lookouts. The stops we’d recommend are Bryce Point, Natural Bridge, and Rainbow Point. We tried the Bristlecone Loop at the top, but unfortunately much of the trail is through a devastating forest fire area. You can walk the first part of the trail and still see some bristlecone trees.
Horseback Riding
Once you’ve hiked the hoodoos and driven to Rainbow Point and back, there’s one thing left to do…horseback riding! This is a great way get down into the canyon and enjoy the hoodoos. We did a two-hour ride with Canyon Trail Rides and it was great. It is not for the faint of heart going down some of those switchbacks on a horse!
Best time to visit:
With elevations around 8,000 feet, Bryce Canyon has long winters and can still be very cold into the spring. We visited in April and the temperatures were great for hiking and the entire scenic drive was open, but some of the hiking trails were still closed due to snow or spring maintenance. The visitor center boasts “open all year” but definitely call ahead to understand seasonal trail and road closures.
Where we stayed:
One word to describe our Airbnb near Bryce Canyon could be cozy. It was small, but had the essentials. The boys loved seeing the farm animals on the property including chickens, alpacas, and goats. There was a lot of construction going on during our stay, so I would definitely check the status of the property before booking. The property was very conveniently located to Bryce Canyon and the drive in was very scenic with a few rock tunnels.
If you’re touring the Utah parks Bryce Canyon could easily be done as a day trip from Zion or on your way to Capitol Reef, it’s not absolutely necessary to stay there.
Other things to do:
If you’re up for more hiking you can check out the Peekaboo Loop and the Fairyland Loop Trails at Bryce Canyon or Red Canyon just West of Bryce.
Our youngest kept confusing National Park with actual playground park during our cross country road trip. He was so excited to play on the playground just outside of the entrance station for Bryce Canyon. You can’t miss it on your right on the way in just before Ruby’s Inn (which looks like a decent hotel option right outside the park). A great place to pack a picnic and let the kids run around!
