One Perfect Day in Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park…a 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, it’s still a breathtaking experience the first time you see this view.

This is a relatively small national park, and with one day in Bryce Canyon, you can hike through a garden of hoodoos, take in the view from multiple viewpoints, and thoroughly explore the park.

We have visited Bryce Canyon twice (our most recent visit was May 2025), hiking its long list of trails, visiting the many spectacular viewpoints, and going on scenic drives. This one day itinerary includes what we think are the absolute best experiences to have in Bryce Canyon National Park.

We’ll also provide an option to spend half of a day in Bryce Canyon, and in the afternoon, you can go exploring in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and/or Kodachrome Basin State Park.

Table of Contents

What Makes Bryce Canyon Such a Great Place to Visit?

Bryce Canyon is compact, at least for a national park (it’s the smallest national park in Utah). One day is all you need to explore this park. With one day, you can hike into the amazing amphitheater, photograph the hoodoos from multiple viewpoints, and go for a scenic drive.

If you have less than one day, that’s OK too. On our first visit to Bryce Canyon, we spent half a day here, which was just enough time to hike the Queen’s Garden and Navajo Trail Loop and stop at all of the popular viewpoints.

What is a Hoodoo, You Say?

Bryce Canyon is filled with hoodoos. So, what’s a hoodoo?

“Hoodoo” can be defined as witchcraft, a combination of voodoo and folk magic, usually used in the deep south of the United States.

“Hoodoo” 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.

Thor’s Hammer

Hoodoos form where soft rock, like sandstone, is covered in a thin layer of harder rock. Weathering processes then erode these rocks into the pinnacles that we see today.

Around the world, hoodoos can also be found in Cappadocia, Turkey (the famous fairy chimneys), Devil’s Garden in Grand Staircase-Escalante, Goblin Valley State Park (also in Utah), Provence, France, and Wadi Rum, Jordan.

Best Things to Do in Bryce Canyon

Here is a quick list of the top things to do in Bryce Canyon, especially if it is your first visit to this park. For a longer, more detailed list, take a look at our Best Things to Do in Bryce Canyon guide ↓

Best of Bryce Canyon

Best of Bryce: 8 Amazing Things to Do in Bryce Canyon

Here are the top experiences to have in the park, plus where to eat, where to stay, and how to get around.

Visit the overlooks along the amphitheater. Most of these viewpoints are easy to get to, with either a short walk or hike, and several you can drive to. Our favorites are Sunset Point, Sunrise Point, Inspiration Point, Bryce Point, and Fairyland Point.

Walk the Rim Trail. For more great views of the park, walk this trail that runs along the top of the amphitheater. One of the best sections is the 0.5 mile stretch between Sunset and Sunrise Points.

Go for a Hike. The Queen’s Garden + Navajo Trail Loop is short and a great option for families, new hikers, and those who want to go for a hike without investing a lot of time and effort. Two other fantastic trails are the Peekaboo Loop and the Fairyland Loop.

Drive Route 63 (Main Park Road) out to Rainbow Point, visiting more viewpoints along the drive.

In Bryce Canyon, you can also go stargazing, horseback riding, and photograph the park at sunrise and sunset.

Photo taken from the Navajo Loop Trail

One Day in Bryce Canyon Itinerary

The best way to get the full Bryce Canyon experience is to mix short hikes with the scenic viewpoints. Start the day with one of the top hikes in the park and spend the afternoon visiting the overlooks.

You can easily fill the day with sights in Bryce Canyon. But it is good to know that there are several very cool places to explore right outside of the park.

On our first trip to Bryce Canyon, we spent the morning in Bryce Canyon and the afternoon in Kodachrome Basin State Park and Willis Creek slot canyon.

First, I will list a one day itinerary where you will spend the full day in the park. Then I will list a half-day itinerary for Bryce Canyon, with things to do outside of the park, that afternoon.

One Day in Bryce Canyon

Morning: Go Hiking

This morning, go for a hike. Morning is the perfect time to do this, when temperatures are cooler (especially during the summer months) and you have lots of energy.

Here are three hikes to choose from. Each of these takes you into the amphitheater, a must-have experience in Bryce Canyon. You can see a longer list of hikes in our Bryce Canyon Hiking Guide (coming soon).

Queen’s Garden + Navajo Loop Combo. This hike is 2.75 miles, rated as moderate, and takes 2 to 3 hours. See the hoodoos on the Queen’s Garden Trail, walk through the breathtaking amphitheater, and return to the rim on Wall Street or the Two Bridges Trail. This is one of the best, short hikes in the US national parks.

Trail Guide

Hiking Bryce Canyon: Queens Garden and Navajo Loop Trails

How to hike the Queen’s Garden and Navajo Trail Loop, the best short hike in Bryce Canyon.

Wall Street

Two Bridges Trail

Figure Eight Trail. This hike is 6.2 miles, rated as strenuous, and takes 3 to 5 hours. Starting at Sunset Point, walk the Rim Trail to Queen’s Garden. From the Queen’s Garden Trail, hike the Peekaboo Loop in a counterclockwise direction. Once finished the Peekaboo Loop, hike back up to the rim on either Wall Street or the Two Bridges Trail. It combines two of the park’s best hikes into one epic experience. This is Tim’s favorite hike in Bryce Canyon.

Peekaboo Loop

Fairyland Loop. This hike is 7.8 miles, rated as strenuous, and takes 3 to 5 hours. On this trail, you’ll get panoramic views of brilliantly colored hoodoos, plus views of Tower Bridge. When we did this, we saw just a few other hikers on the trail, making this one of the less trafficked trails in the park. This is my favorite hike in Bryce Canyon.

Trail Guide

The Amazing Fairyland Loop: An Underrated Hike in Bryce Canyon

Step-by-step trail guide for the Fairyland Loop.

Afternoon: More Amazing Viewpoints

Have lunch, whether it is a picnic lunch, dining at one of the park lodges or pizza shops, or getting some food to go at the General Store.

Spend the afternoon visiting the viewpoints and driving Route 63 to Rainbow Point.

Inspiration Point

Drive to and park in the lot at the end of Inspiration Point Road (or take the park shuttle). There are three overlooks here (Lower, Middle, and Upper), and you will hike a total of 0.6 miles with a total ascent of 165 feet to see all three of them. With the hill climb to get to them, these viewpoints will take your breath away, in more ways than one. Budget 20 to 40 minutes to visit all three viewpoints.

The view from Inspiration Point

Bryce Point

A little further down the road is Bryce Point.

Drive to and park in the small parking lot at the end of Bryce Point Road (it is a 2 mile drive from the Inspiration Point parking lot that takes about 7 minutes). Parking here can be tough. This is also the trailhead for the Peek-A-Boo Loop, so this lot tends to be full. From the parking lot, it is about a 0.25-mile walk out-and-back to the viewpoint.

Scenic Drive to Rainbow Point

Route 63, aka Main Park Road, runs from the park entrance to Rainbow Point. Along this drive are numerous viewpoints, where you can step out of your car and enjoy the view.

There are a lot of viewpoints along this drive. Here is a list of our favorites:

Natural Bridge
Swamp Canyon Overlook
Ponderosa Point

The road ends at a large parking lot. There are two viewpoints here. Rainbow Point is the better of the two, with more views of hoodoos.

Rainbow Point

Yovimpa Point isn’t quite as interesting. Here’s the view.

Yovimpa Point

There is a short hiking trail here, the Bristlecone Loop. It’s 1.3 miles, easy, with a few short hill climbs. We thought the views from the trail where just OK (what you see from Rainbow Point is better) but very few people hike this trail, so if you like the idea of walking a “quieter trail,” this one is worth it.

By now, it is getting late in the day, especially if you hiked the Figure Eight Trail or the Fairyland Loop. If you are looking for one more thing to do, hike to Mossy Cave.

Mossy Cave

This is a short, easy hike. Just 1 mile out-and-back, the trail leads to a small, moss-covered cave. Along the hike, you will cross several bridges and hike along Water Canyon. It’s a beautiful spot, and a bit different from what you see in the amphitheater. It’s also a great hike for families.

Mossy Cave Trail

This hike is located outside of the main area of the park. The trailhead is located on Highway 12. There is a very small parking lot here and getting a parking space is the most challenging part of this hike.

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Half Day in Bryce Canyon

This is the itinerary we did on our first visit to Bryce Canyon. You’ll see a few of the highlights in Bryce Canyon and then have the option to go exploring in nearby Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and/or Kodachrome Basin State Park. This is a very busy but awesome day in Utah.

This itinerary is also perfect for those on a quick visit to Utah’s Mighty 5, as you can do this itinerary when driving between Zion and Capitol Reef National Parks.

Morning: Bryce Canyon

Ideally, get an early start, arriving in the park no later than 8 am.

Park in the Sunset Point Parking lot and hike the Queen’s Garden and Navajo Trail Loop. This hike takes 2 to 3 hours, which gives you some time to visit a few overlooks.

After the hike, visit Inspiration Point and Bryce Point.

By this point, you’ve seen the main highlights of Bryce Canyon. The overlooks along Main Park Road, out to Rainbow Point, are nice, but not as interesting as those along the amphitheater. If you like the idea of exploring outside of Bryce Canyon, I don’t think it is worth it to visit the viewpoints along the scenic drive.

Afternoon: Kodachrome Basin and/or Willis Creek

From Bryce Canyon, Tim and I went to Kodachrome Basin State Park next. It takes 30 minutes to drive here.

We hiked the Angel’s Palace Trail and the Shakespeare Arch and Sentinel Trail.

This park has an off-the-beaten-path feel to it, and we really enjoyed our time here. It took us about 3 hours to hike both of those trails. Learn more ↓

Kodachrome Basin

A Quick Visit to Kodachrome Basin State Park

Best things to do in Kodachrome Basin State Park if you just have a few hours.

After Kodachrome Basin, Tim and I hiked the super fun Willis Creek Slot Canyon (by now, it was 4 pm). This is a more popular hike and features a trail through a water-filled slot canyon. It is very helpful to have an SUV or 4×4 to get to the trailhead, since it sits on a sandy road.

Here are a few photos from the trail.

Planning a trip to Utah’s national parks? Don’t miss our Mighty 5 travel guide. Learn how to plan a road trip through all five parks with details on the best things to do, where to stay, and more.

Utah’s Mighty 5

Utah’s Mighty 5: How to Plan the Perfect Road Trip Itinerary

Detailed information about Bryce Canyon, Zion, Capitol Reef, Arches, and Canyonlands National Park, plus a road trip itinerary to link all of them together.

Helpful Tips for the Best Experience

Get Here as Early as Possible

Getting here early has its advantages. If you are here early, you can avoid a lot of tourist traffic on the trails and at the viewpoints. Most people arrive between 9 to 10 am. Before this time, the park is very quiet and therefore, a very nice experience for those who are here early.

Best Time for Photography

Sunrise is the best time to be in Bryce Canyon for photography. The landscape is awash in a soft, warm, reflective light. Later in the day, the sun casts long shadows, which makes photography challenging.

Each viewpoint offers something different, but for sunrise I would recommend Inspiration Point or Bryce Point (for wide vistas of the park) or Sunset Point, for a closer view of the hoodoos. Ironically, I would not recommend Sunrise Point because this spot does not offer those wide, expansive views of thousands of hoodoos like Inspiration Point.

Best Time of Year to Visit

Bryce Canyon makes a great destination all year long. In the winter months, the hoodoos get a dusting of snow, a magical time to be here. Spring and fall generally has pleasant weather and smaller crowds than the busy summer months. Since Bryce sits at such a high elevation (8,000 feet), this park stays cool, even during the summer months.

Where to Stay

For recommended locations and hotels, refer to our article Best Things to Do in Bryce Canyon.

Practical Information

Park Hours: Bryce Canyon is open 24 hours a day, 365 days per year.

Park Fee: $35 per vehicle, valid for 7 days

Get updates on trail closures, road closures, and park conditions as you plan your trip and just before your visit on the National Park Service website.

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.

If you have any questions about how to spend one day in Bryce Canyon, let us know in the comment section below.

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