Bryce is one of the smaller of the national parks in the US and also not as frequently visited as its more popular neighbor Zion, but with its fun hoodoos and colorful red and orange rocks, it is easily one of my favorites. It’s about a 1.5 hour drive from Zion, so both times that I’ve visited Zion I’ve also tacked on a trip to Bryce.
This trip, the Willys and Anna and I drove over to Bryce for a day in between camping at Zion. Last time I was here was two years ago when I third wheeled Dora and Jtran and spent about two days here before heading to Zion to meet up with Anna, Amy, and Margarita.
Right: me third-wheeling Dora and Jtran in Nov 2018
Rim Trail
There’s one trail that basically goes around the rim of the Bryce “amphitheater” that’s relatively flat, very easy to walk, and also will give you amazing views of the hoodoos all the way around. We saw lots of families and older people walking this trail, but it’s generally just a very fun and scenic one to walk or run.
Queen’s Garden & Navajo Loop Trail
Queen’s Garden is probably the most popular trail in the park and had the most crowds both times I went, but it’s truly so spectacular because it allows you to walk through the hoodoos and see the rock formations up close from the top of the amphitheater down to the bottom.
There’s a pretty steep section called “Wall Street” that’s basically a set of really steep switchbacks that takes you down into the hoodoos, and last time Dora, Jtran and I did it in the afternoon almost around sunset and the light hitting the hoodoos made them look super cool.
Peekaboo Trail
Because Dora, Jtran and I had more time in Bryce when we were here in 2018, we were able to do some longer hikes. Peekaboo Trail is in a further part of the park and therefore it was way less crowded.
The trail is called “Peekaboo” because you literally wind in and out of the hoodoos and around the amphitheater like a game of peekaboo. The views are great, we got to see lots of different landscapes, and is definitely worth it if you have more time in Bryce.
Sunset, Sunrise & Stargazing
Bryce is open 24 hours, so some of the best experiences in the park are after dark where there is amazing stargazing and also at sunset and sunrise.
When Dora, Jtran and I came in 2018, we stayed at a lodge right outside Bryce, so we were able to easily drive into the park after dinner to stargaze and also get up early in the morning to watch the sun rise before breakfast (though Dora had to drag Jtran and I out of bed).
Dixie National Forest & More
The drive from Zion to Bryce was actually super scenic and the later part included a drive through Dixie National Forest which also had a fun, short hike that we did on the way out. If you have additional time and want to spend more time in the area, it’s definitely fun to make a stop in Dixie or at this cool arch that you pass through.
