Read my tips to make the most out of Bryce Canyon National Park!

Bryce Canyon National Park is incredibly unique. It blows my mind that this park is only a 4 hour drive away from Arches and yet SO different.

Terminology:

• Hoodoos: odd-shaped pillars of rock left standing from the forces of erosion
• Windows: Holes in the rock carved by frost and erosion

Getting There: 

We pulled into Bryce Canyon around 11:00am and went straight to the campgrounds to scope out a site, and we were successful!

Where to Stay:

• Lodging – Rent a lodge or cabin within the park if camping is not for you
• Camping – There are two decent sized campgrounds open during the peak season. $20 for tents, $30 for RVs
  • North Campground
  • Sunset Campground
• Outside of the Park – There are hotels within 5 miles of the park

Based on the hikes we knew we wanted to do, we wanted to camp in the North Campground as it was close to the trailheads.

Also – We didn’t realize Bryce Canyon is situated at 9000 feet elevation. Bring warm clothes for the night!!

What Hikes to Do:

Day 1: After setting up camp head over to the Navajo Loop Trail. 

Navajo Loop Trail 

• 1.4 mile loop trail
• Heavily Trafficked
• Descend into the canyon and then loop to ascend to get out -MODERATE difficulty uphill
• 1-2 hours

It truly felt like a pilgrimage to another world.

On your way back to camp you can stop at Sunset and Sunrise Points to overlook the canyon.

Day 2: Fairyland Loop Trail

Pack lunch and leave at the crack of dawn. Layer up – it was chilly for us in the morning and progressed to high 80s by the end. Between 7 am (when we left) and 9 am. We saw maybe 3 other hikers – such a contrast to the other hikes and other parks.

• 8.5 mile hike
• Mix of uphill and downhills
• Up-close view of hoodoos
• Lightly trafficked in the morning
• Best views of all canyon terrain
• 1535 ft elevation gain
• Rated DIFFICULT

Seriously one of the most incredible hikes. If a difficult rating is too much for you, you are definitely able to walk in and turn around whenever you want to and still get a taste.