Bryce Canyon National Park
Bryce Canyon is a small national park with a huge wow factor. The moment you step up to the rim and gaze across the hundreds of hoodoos, spires, and rock formations, it will take your breath away.
Bryce Canyon National Park is a fantasyland of hoodoos, sandstone pillars, and bizarre looking rock formations. It is an extraordinary place to visit and its unique landscape sets it apart from other national parks.
This national park is small and very easy to visit. Take in the views from the rim, hike a trail or two, or fill your cameraโs memory card with beautiful photos.
Bryce Canyon National Park Stats
Founded: February 25, 1928
Annual Visitors: 2.5 million in 2023
Size: 36,000 acres
Location: Utah
Entrance Fee: $35, valid for 7 days
Top Experiences in Bryce Canyon
Walk the Rim Trail. This short trail runs along the rim of Bryce Canyon. From here, you can take in the view from multiple viewpoints, such as Sunrise and Sunset Points. Itโs flat and easy to walk and one of the best experiences in the park.
Watch the Sunrise. Watching the sunrise over Bryce Canyon is amazing. As the sun rises, it illuminates the hoodoos and spires in a golden light. In the national parks, this is one of the best sunrise experiences and itโs worth rolling out of bed early to see this.
Hike the Queenโs Garden and Navajo Loop Trail. This hike is just under 3 miles long. Itโs short, itโs tons of fun, and itโs great for all ages. Hike past hoodoos, through small tunnels in the rock, and enjoy great views of Bryce Canyon every step of the way.
See Thorโs Hammer. Thorโs Hammer is one of the most photographed hoodoos in Bryce Canyon. You will hike past it on the Two Bridges Trail, part of the Queenโs Garden and Navajo Loop Trail mentioned above.
Hike through Wall Street. Wall Street is a slot canyon in Bryce Canyon that can be added to the Queenโs Garden and Navajo Loop. Just be aware that Wall Street is closed during the winter months.
Hike the Peekaboo Loop Trail. This 4.8-mile trail takes you through a valley that is filled with pink and orange hoodoos.
Inspiration Point & Bryce Point. For panoramic views of the Bryce Canyon amphitheater, visit these viewpoints.
Rainbow & Yovimpa Points. These two viewpoints look out over a different section of Bryce Canyon. They are nice but not quite as good as the views from the Rim Trail or Inspiration and Bryce Points.
ULTIMATE ADVENTURE
For the ultimate adventure, hike the Fairyland Loop Trail, a strenuous 8-mile hike with more views of hoodoos but far fewer people than the Queenโs Garden or the Peekaboo Loop Trail.
Whatโs a Hoodoo?
โHoodooโ can also be defined as a tall, thin spire of rock that protrudes from the bottom of an arid drainage basin. Geologically, hoodoos are found all around the world, but they occur in the most abundance in Bryce Canyon. Here, hoodoos are the main ingredient of this unique landscape. The thousands of hoodoos in Bryce are what attracts so many visitors every year.
Learn More About Bryce Canyon
One Perfect Day in Bryce Canyon National Park
Bryce Canyon National Parkโฆa fantasyland of hoodoos, bizarre rock formations, and sandstone pillars. This is a crazy beautiful place, and its unique landscape sets it apart from other national parks. Although Bryce may not have the same sweeping, expansive vistas as the Grand Canyon, itโs still a breathtaking experience the first time you see this […]
Hiking Bryce Canyon: Queens 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 […]
How Much Time Should You Spend in Bryce Canyon?
Bryce Canyon is a relatively small, compact park. One day is all you need to visit the highlights, which include the viewpoints along the rim and hiking the Queen’s Garden and Navajo Loop Trails.
With more time, you can add on more hikes, such as the Peekaboo Loop Trail and the Fairyland Trail.
Best Time to Visit Bryce Canyon
The best time to visit Bryce Canyon National Park is in the spring (March through May) and the fall (mid-September through November), when temperatures are mild and crowds are below their peak.
Bryce Canyon sits at a higher elevation than the other national parks in Utah, keeping temperatures cooler here all year long. During the winter months, snow is a very good possibility and if you donโt mind cold temperatures, Bryce Canyon is a magical place to visit when it is covered in a blanket of snow.
WINTER: During the winter months, the average high barely gets above freezing. Daytime highโs are in the mid to upper 30โs and the lows are in the teens. 18 to 20 inches of snow can fall each month. However, visitation is at its lowest for the year.
SPRING: By the end of March, the average high is about 50ยฐF and by the beginning of June, you can expect temperatures of 70ยฐF during the day. Snow is likely in March and April could still get an inch or two. May is a beautiful time to visit Bryce Canyon, but visitation also really picks up. Crowd levels double from April into May.
SUMMER: The weather is warm, with average daytime highs hitting 80ยฐF. During unusually warm weather, itโs possible for the temperature to get up well into the 90โs. August tends to be the wettest month but rain usually occurs as an afternoon thunderstorm. Crowds are very high from June through September, peaking in July.
FALL: Temperatures cool off and crowd levels diminish. Like the spring months, temperatures range from 70ยฐF to 50ยฐF, depending on month. October is a beautiful time to visit Bryce Canyon, with great weather and lower crowds than the summer months. Crowds dramatically drop off in November, so if you want some solitude and a chance to see Bryce Canyon with a dusting of snow, November is a good month to plan your visit.
In our US National Parks Month-By-Month Series, Bryce Canyon appears in March, April, and November.
10 Best National Parks to Visit in March 2024 (USA)
Planning a trip to the US national parks in March but donโt know which ones to visit? March brings warmer temperatures to most of the United States. Travel begins to pick up during this month, both because of the warmer weather and because families are hitting the road for spring break. There are a lot […]
14 Best National Parks to Visit in April 2024 (USA)
Which are the best national parks to visit in April? In this guide, we list 14 wonderful parks in the USA. On this list are a few of the most popular parks in the USA, several great spring break destinations, and a few remote, quieter parks to visit. About this National Park Series This article […]
12 Best National Parks to Visit in November 2024 (USA)
Planning a trip to the US national parks in November and donโt know which ones to visit? The cooler weather in November makes this one of the best times of the year to visit the parks across the southern part of the USA. Road trip through Utahโs Mighty 5, go sledding on sand as white […]
Places to Go Near Bryce Canyon
If you are looking for more things to do in the area, you can explore a colorful state park, hike through a slot canyon, go on a scenic drive. Here are 3 places to visit just a short drive from Bryce Canyon National Park.
A Quick Visit to Kodachrome Basin State Park
With colorful sandstone spires, red rock mountains, and bright blue skies, Kodachrome Basin is a gorgeous little spot to explore. Its name, Kodachrome, fits it perfectly, describing the multitude of vivid colors that are found here. Laced with hiking and horseback riding trails, you could spend a few days here. In fact, Kodachrome Basin makes […]
Hiking the Willis Creek Slot Canyon in Utah
The hike along the Willis Creek Slot Canyon is so much fun! And to think that we almost skipped this hike. After a long day of hiking and exploring both Bryce Canyon National Park and Kodachrome Basin State Park, we wondered if we should tack on Willis Creek to the end of our day. Would it be […]
Whatโs It Like to Drive Cottonwood Canyon Road?
Cottonwood Canyon Road is a scenic, unpaved road that travels through Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. It connects the town of Cannonville with Highway 89, just west of Big Water. Tim and I drove this road during our road trip through Arizona and Utah. Since we were traveling from Page, Arizona up to Escalante, Utah, Cottonwood Canyon […]
Bryce Canyon National Park Map
Bryce Canyon National Park Photos
US National Parks List
In our US National Parks List, get information on all of the US national parks, including interesting facts, the most and least visited national parks, and a FREE printable national parks checklist with map.
Ultimate US National Parks List for 2024 (+ Printable Checklist)
