Hiking Bryce Canyon: Queen's Garden and Navajo Loop Trails

Bryce Canyon National Park may be small in size but it has an enormous wow factor. With its orange and pink hoodoos and sandstone rock formations, Bryce Canyon is one of the most unique national parks in the United States. By hiking Bryce Canyon and visiting its numerous viewpoints, you can have the best experience here.

There are numerous hiking trails in Bryce Canyon. Some are less than one mile in length and take an hour or less, while others are all day affairs.

The most popular trails are the Queens Garden Trail and the Navajo Loop Trail. On these two trails, get up close with the hoodoos, see Thor’s Hammer, and walk through canyons, arches, and forests of pine trees.

This hike combines Queen’s Garden Trail with the Navajo Loop Trail and a portion of the Rim Trail, for the overall best hiking experience in Bryce Canyon. It’s a relatively short trail that is great for families, those new to hiking, and those who want to see the highlights of Bryce Canyon without investing a lot of time.

Queens Garden + Navajo Loop Hiking Stats

Distance: 2.75 miles (4.4 km)
Total Ascent: 620 feet (190 m)
Difficulty: Moderate
Length of Time: 2 – 3 hours

Elevation profile

Please practice the seven principles of Leave No Trace: plan ahead, stay on the trail, pack out what you bring to the hiking trail, leave areas as you found them, minimize campfire impacts, be considerate of other hikers, and do not approach or feed wildlife.

Queens Garden + Navajo Loop

Step-By-Step Trail Guide

Sunset Point

Sunset Point is the starting and ending point for this hike. Park in the parking lot at Sunset Point. When you step out to the overlook, be prepared to be amazed!

Pro Travel Tip: The Sunset Point parking lot typically fills up by 9 am. So, get here early, or ride the Bryce Canyon shuttle to the parking lot.

Sunrise Point

From Sunset Point, walk north on the Rim Trail, towards Sunrise Point. This is a flat, easy to walk trail with awesome view of the amphitheater. It is roughly a half mile walk that takes about 10 to 15 minutes.

Queen’s Garden Trail

The Queens Garden Trail starts at Sunrise Point. From here, it is an easy, 0.8 mile hike down into the valley of Bryce Canyon. Before you know it, the hoodoos will be towering overhead. Enjoy the winding trails, walk through the arches carved into the rocks, and photograph the amazing views.

There comes a point where the trail comes to a fork. Follow the signs to stay on the Queens Garden Trail. It takes just two minutes to walk to end of this trail. Here’s what you will see.

Retrace your steps back to the fork and then follow the signs to the Navajo Loop Trail. This valley trail is 0.7 miles long and connects the Queens Garden Trail with the Navajo Loop Trail. Most of the trail is through pine forests. It’s relatively flat and easy to walk.

Navajo Loop Trail

The Navajo Loop Trail makes a loop, starting and ending at Sunset Point. The popular things to see on this trail are Thor’s Hammer, Wall Street (the only slot canyon in Bryce), and Two Bridges. Since you will be joining this trail halfway into the loop, you have a decision to make: take the Wall Street branch or take the Two Bridges/Thor’s Hammer branch.

We have hiked both trails. Both offer a slightly different experience. But in terms of time and effort, they are both roughly 0.6 miles long with 550 feet of climbing.

Two Bridges

On our first visit to Bryce Canyon, Wall Street was closed. We hiked up Two Bridges, which features a steep climb with lots of short switchbacks in a canyon. The highlight of this trail is getting an up-close view of Thor’s Hammer.

Here are a few photos from the Two Bridges Trail.

Once you are back at Sunset Point, the hike is over. If you hiked up Wall Street, you should make a short detour and see Thor’s Hammer. It’s one of the most photographed hoodoos in the park and worth seeing. From Sunset Point, walk down the Two Bridges branch just a short distance until you get to Thor’s Hammer.

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Wall Street

On our second visit to Bryce Canyon, Wall Street was open. This is very similar to Two Bridges, with its short switchbacks and steep climb. When both are open, Wall Street is typically the more popular of the two.

Of the two, I actually like Two Bridges more. You still get the switchbacks in the canyon, but the views at the top of the trail open up to the amphitheater, whereas on Wall Street, you really only see canyon walls. So, if Wall Street isn’t open, I don’t think you miss much by not being able to hike it.

Here are a few photos from Wall Street.

Pro Travel Tip: Wall Street typically opens mid-May and closes in mid-fall, once the snow begins to fall. We got lucky on our second visit to Bryce Canyon (early May 2025), in that Wall Street opened a few days before our visit.

Helpful Tips to Have the Best Experience

You can do this hike in reverse. From Sunset Point, hike down the Navajo Loop Trail and up the Queens Garden Trail. By going this way, you avoid hiking up the switchbacks on the Navajo Loop Trail.

Getting here early has its advantages. Avoid the crowds on the trails and avoid the midday heat during the summer months.

Bring plenty of water, especially when the weather is warm.

Bryce Canyon sits at a relatively high elevation, 8,000 feet. It is normal to feel out of breath here, even with short climbs. The final climb out of the amphitheater can be tough, so expect to take several breaks to catch your breath on the way back up.

Bring a jacket. Even during the summer months it can be chilly here, especially early and late in the day.

We have a lot more information on Bryce Canyon, which you can see below. If you are looking for more hikes to do, the Fairyland Loop is a longer hike and my personal favorite in the park. Another idea is to hike the Figure 8, a big day hike that combines the Queen’s Garden and Navajo Trails with the Peekaboo Trail (trail guide coming soon).

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HIf you have any questions about how to hike the Queen’s Garden and Navajo Trail Loop, let us know in the comment section below.

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Hiking Bryce Canyon: Queen’s Garden and Navajo Loop Trails