Bryce Canyon National Park is one of my favorite National Parks I visited in US till now. You will not see landscape like Bryce anywhere else and you will be wowed more than once here. The formations you will see are called hoodoos and are formed by ice and wind erosion. The colors on the hoodoos are so vibrant and in different time of the day the colors looks different. Sometimes its bright red, orange, yellow and dark places cast the shadows of these unique formations.
I will share our Itinerary and some additional suggestions, local recommendations as well so you can plan your trip.
Table of Contents
Day 1 Itinerary
Start visiting some of the awesome view points of Bryce Canyon on Day 1 and just soak in the views. Bryce Canyon has one main 18-mile road that runs north-south through the park. You can either drive to the overlooks or use the Bryce Canyon Shuttle service.
Try to visit during sunset to see magical hue of colors in front of you. Here are some of the overlooks you should not miss and visit in the order I have mentioned for ease of driving :
- Bryce Canyon National Park welcome sign – Just before entering the gate you will come across the sign.
- Bryce Point – You get a stunning view of the amphitheater and the hoodoos look as if they are painted with different colors.
- Inspiration Point – The viewpoint at Inspiration Point consists of three levels that provide varied spectacular perspectives of the main amphitheater.
- Sunset Point – The Sunset and sunrise points are closer and you can walk from one overlook to another through the rim walk trail. We stayed at Sunset point for the sunset of course. It has proper restroom facilities and picnic tables for you to enjoy your meal after a hike between the hoodoos.
- Sunrise Point – The views are similarly stunning as sunset point. And you can find proper restroom facilities here as well. You can see the Thor’s hammer from here.
Day 2 Itinerary
Hiking among the hoodos
We wanted to hike in the hoodoos in day 2 and we took the popular Queen’s garden trail (which descends from Sunrise Point) combined with the Navajo Loop trail (which descends from Sunrise Point). The total distance covered is 2.9 miles. We started at morning 9am and returned at 12.30pm. It will take around 2-3 hours, we were hiking with our 8 year old so did take breaks in between. It is easily a half day activity.
Take ample water, electrolyte and some snacks for the hike. There is no restrooms available in the hike. Wear hiking shoes is highly recommended and we also took hiking sticks which made it easier for my daughter to walk on her own.
Where to start
You can start from either of the points, but we decided to start at Sunrise point and hike through Queen’s garden trail. I had read in other sites about this recommendation is easier because when you go down from Sunrise point you can enjoy the wide view of amphitheater in front of you and also it is less steep which makes descents safer.
The showstopper part was going up the Navajo Loop trail. The narrow walls of limestone were so colorful, you will be mesmerized as you begin you ascent up the Wall street.
Natural Bridges Overlook
After the hike we wanted just to see this overlook before exiting the park. It is one of the natural arches in the park and it is a popular point to visit. Its amazing how erosion has caused this beautiful formation.
Visitor Center
Before exiting the park, we stopped at the visitor center for some souvenirs and to learn more about the formations. They have exhibits and videos which explains more about hoodoos and local history. It is really a learning experience for kids and adults.
Star gazing with Telescope tour
In the evening we went for a star gazing and telescope tour. Did you know Bryce Canyon is a certified International Dark Sky Park. Normally living in cities we don’t see a lot of stars in our night sky, but if you want to see a million stars and Milky way galaxy in your naked eyes ( I could see clearly) Bryce Canyon is the right place for you. Learn more about it in my post here.
Experiences and Accommodation
If you stay in Bryce City or visit, there are a lot of local shows you can experience. There are rodeo shows, horse back rides through the canyon, ATV tours, live country music and dinner show. You can try some of these.
Bryce City does not have too many accommodation options, and we wanted to stay closer to the National park so we don’t waste time in commute. We stayed at Best Western Ruby’s Inn, its a historic inn and has a general shop, restaurant and post office inside it. Across it there is also Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon Grand. We booked way ahead of our trip so advance reservation is always stress free.
Hiking in Bryce was the definitely the highlight of our 15 day California, Utah and Arizona trip. It was an unforgettable experience and I highly recommend it.
Getting there
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