Getting to Bryce Canyon
Bryce Canyon is located in Southwestern Utah. The closest cities are Tropic and Panguitch, and is only 1 hour and 20 minutes from Zion National Park. The closest airports are Salt Lake City (275 miles) and Las Vegas (268 miles). However, many travelers choose to tack Bryce on to their trip to Zion, or include it in their quest to see all of Utah’s “The Mighty Five” National Parks.
Bryce Canyon is absolutely worth its own visit, but it’s close proximity to both Zion and Capitol Reef makes it easy to include on a trip to one of them.
Fees & Cancellation Stamp
Private vehicles of up to 15 people cost $35. Motorcycle entry costs $30, and walking or bicycling in will cost $20. The good news is this pass is good for 7 consecutive days.
The cancellation stamp for the National Park Passport can be found at the Bryce Canyon Visitor Center.
Time Required
You will hear people say that only one day at Bryce is necessary. That is true If you only plan to drive the main road and get out at the overlooks and do one small hike. However, I highly suggest at least 3 days at Bryce. There are so many awesome hikes, and I suggest working a few of them around the time of day, which means you will need more than one day.
Camping in Bryce Canyon
There are two campgrounds in Bryce: North Campground and Sunset Campground.
North Campground is right across the street from the visitor center. It is open year-round but requires reservations from May 27th-October 1st. It has 100 campsites, all of which accommodate tents, and 50 of them accommodate RVs. There are no hookups but there is a dump station available in the summer months. There is potable water, flush toilets, showers, and laundry. Click here for a map of the campground.
Sunset Campground is located 1.5 miles south of the visitor center. It is only open from April 15-October 31st on a first come, first serve basis. The same amount of campsites and a few of the same amenities are offered. Click here for a map of the campground.
Lodging in Bryce Canyon
If camping is not for you, there is only one other option inside the park, and that is The Lodge at Bryce Canyon. It’s a shuttle stop and also sits just behind the Rim Trail, which makes it easy to get out on the trails in the morning. Reservations are available about a year in advance, so definitely book early if you know you want to go!
Things to do in Bryce Canyon
See the amphitheater – The amphitheater is where the largest collection of “hoodoos” in the world lives, and is the reason Bryce Canyon was made a National Park. Seeing the amphitheater from the rim should be your first priority.
Drive the Scenic Drive – The scenic drive is 18 miles long. The amphitheater takes up the first 3 miles, but the next 15 miles includes 9 overlooks that are not as well known.
Ride on the Shared-use Path – The shared-use path is a 5 mile vehicle free road for bicycles. It also connects a few of the shuttle stops.
Go horseback riding – There are 4.5 miles of trails set aside for horseback riding.
Visit the Visitor Center Museum – The museum is inside the Visitor Center and contains exhibits Geological, Ecological, and Human exhibits. There are also special exhibits on the Night Sky and Air Quality.
Hiking in Bryce Canyon
For the most part, the major hikes are down in the amphitheater, which means they all kind of intertwine (or they can if you want them to). I had 3 full days and was able to get a few good ones.
Queens Garden/Navajo Loop
Distance: 2.9 miles
Elevation Gain: 600 feet
Review: This was a great hike. It’s not too long but you still get to see a good amount of popular features down in the amphitheater like Thor’s Hammer, Queen Victoria, Two Bridges, the arched doorway, and Wall Street. If you have limited time in the park, this hike has it all. I did this hike first because I wasn’t sure if I’d spend 2 or 3 days in Bryce, and this would ensure I saw most of the amphitheater.
Fairyland Loop
Distance: 8 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,700 feet
Review: The Fairyland Loop is one of my favorite trails I’ve hiked to this day. It’s longer than the most popular trails in Bryce Canyon, so naturally it gets you further away from the crowds. There are other features on this hike you won’t see otherwise, like Tower Bridge and the China Wall. I loved walking all through the hoodoos and getting a new view at every turn. If you have time for a longer hike, this is the one.
Wall Street
Distance: 0.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,700 feet
Review: You can make Wall Street be part of a number of different hikes in Bryce. As I previously stated, a lot of the trails intertwine. However, if you are short on time and want a very short hike but also want some good pictures – do Wall Street. I highly suggest doing this hike between the hours of 12-3pm. The photos I got were taken around 2:30pm and they were perfect. The sun illuminates the floor and the canyon walls.
Mossy Cave
Distance: 1 miles
Elevation Gain: 100 feet
Review: This hike was so fun and so different from the amphitheater. It was nice because all of my pictures were starting to look the same. There isn’t a ton of water in the Utah National Parks, so to have a whole trail with a river, trees, sandstone, and a beautiful waterfall was such a treat. The parking lot is not huge and fill sup quickly. I got there around 9:30 in the morning and it was fine; however, I went during the early part of Covid. The National Park website has since put an alert on this trail saying it gets extremely busy. If you want space I’d get there even earlier.
Other Popular Hikes
There are a few other hikes I had on my list but just didn’t have time for:
Know before you go
You will hear people say not to visit places like Utah in the peak summer months because it gets so hot; however, Bryce Canyon sits at a pretty high altitude. During my visit at the end of June it was in the mid 70s/low 80s and I was very comfortable. It can get hotter at the bottom of the amphitheater, but it’s not unbearable. Perhaps it gets hotter in July, but I was totally fine in June.
I suggest adding Bryce on to your Zion itinerary, just because Bryce is kind of in the middle of nowhere. So take advantage of flying into somewhere like Vegas and check this park off your list. However, do NOT simply make it a day trip from Zion. Please do yourself a favor and spend the night at the very least. If you have the time I suggest 5 days in Zion and 3 in Bryce; more if you have no time restraints.
Last Updated: December 29, 2022
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