• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Mom Always Finds Out

  • Home
  • About Me/Contact
    • Blog Policies
      • Privacy Policy
  • Recipes
  • Reviews
    • Tech
    • Children’s Books
    • Pets
  • Crafts
  • Travel
  • Health & Beauty
You are here: Home / Travel / Bryce Canyon National Park (Where We Went and What We Did)

Bryce Canyon National Park (Where We Went and What We Did)

May 5, 2017 by Nicole 9 Comments

This post may be sponsored or contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. 

Bryce Canyon National Park is world famous for its colorful hoodoos, which are unique spire-shaped rock formations. Hoodoos range in size from average human height up to the height of a ten story building!

Bryce Canyon National Park View from The Rim Trail Utah

Prepare to be impressed by the magical scenery at Bryce Canyon National Park. It’s literally like no other place on Earth. You’ll see colorful hoodoo rock formations that are more than 60 million years in the making. Some of the hoodoos are even named for shapes the rock formations resemble, such as the iconic Thor’s Hammer and Queen Victoria. 

Thor's Hammer at Bryce National Park

It’s definitely possible to get a good flavor of Bryce Canyon National Park in a day. I’m not suggesting you only need one day at the park. But, if you are planning a trip to the area and wondering if a quick stop at Bryce Canyon is worth it – YES! Plan to stop in Bryce for the day and take one of the shorter hikes. It is totally worth your time and Bryce Canyon National Park is not one to skip.

Bryce Canyon Hikes

What I really like about it is that the Bryce Canyon hikes lets you get up close and personal with all the hoodoos. There are several different hiking trails with various degrees of difficulty. If you only have time for one hike at Bryce Canyon National Park, take the Navajo Loop trail.

Navajo Loop Trail Head Bryce Canyon National park

The Navajo Loop Trail

This is the most popular day hiking trail at Bryce Canyon NP. It is 1.4 miles long and there is so much to see along the way, you will want to take your time exploring and photographing the sights. Thor’s Hammer is on this trail.

[Tweet “If you only have time for one #Hike at Bryce Canyon #NationalPark, do this one! via @momfindsout”]

Hike down the Navajo Trail Bryce Canyon

On the hike down the Navajo Loop Trail

The Navajo Loop is mostly an easy trail BUT there are moderate parts including the steeper switchbacks where elevation changes several hundred feet going down from the rim of the canyon to the floor, then you will eventually hike back up several hundred feet to the top. Don’t let that scare you away. People in average shape of all ages can do this trail. The Navajo Loop is worth the effort! Take your time on the trail, take frequent breaks as needed and stay hydrated. You can do this hike.

Navajo Trail Hike Bryce Canyon National Park

Somewhere along the Navajo Loop Trail at Bryce Canyon NP

My family took the Navajo Loop (1.4 miles) and added part of the Queens Garden Loop to it. The Navajo Loop trail intersects with Queens Garden, so it is easy to detour and go see the Queens Garden rock formations including the Queens Castle.

The Navajo Loop Trail starts at the rim and goes down from Sunset Point viewpoint, through the narrow corridors of Wall Street, past the Silent City, intersects with Queens Garden Loop Trail, passes the top of Peekaboo Loop Trail and goes back up to the rim again at Sunset Point. Hikers descend 800 feet down the side of the Bryce Rim, and then at the end of the hike to climb right back up that slope.

Our kids (ages 5 to 12) made this hike with no problems at all. They love climbing on red rocks, so Bryce Canyon is their ultimate playground.

Bryce Canyon Hiking Trail

This is as scary as the trail gets. See? It really isn’t so bad.

We saw plenty of other children along the way and babies in backpack carriers. Once you make it to the bottom of the ampitheater (what the canyon is actually called) the trail flattens out and gets much easier. I did not think the hike down from the rim was difficult or scary, even with my kids. We stuck together and stayed on the well-marked trails.

Mossy Cave: The easiest hike at Bryce Canyon National Park 

We also drove out to do the quick Mossy Cave hike. The Mossy Cave trail is really just a super short .4 mile walk from the parking lot trail head. The Mossy Cave trail head is located several miles outside of the main Bryce Canyon National Park entrance.

Mossy Cave Trail Waterfall

We think the waterfall is cooler than Mossy Cave

My opinion of this trail is that it’s so easy, why not do it while you are here. The hike itself is right along a stream, which has a neat story behind its creation. The Mossy Cave trail leads to a natural grotto (cave.) You can also take a short detour where the trail forks about .25 miles in to see a cool waterfall.

Honestly, I didn’t think the Mossy Cave was that impressive. The cave itself is sort of blocked off by a fence structure, so you can look in. There’s not really much to see inside the cave, and it isn’t even that big. Compared to everything else to see in this area, the Mossy Cave isn’t going to be a standout. I mean, come on, there’s super cool hoodoos everywhere! However, if you are looking for a short hike to stretch your legs, Mossy Cave isn’t a bad choice. The waterfalls you see here are more exciting to me. My kids enjoyed playing in the water.

Fairyland Loop: The Most Beautiful 8 Mile Hike You’ll Take at Bryce Canyon National Park

If you are up for it, go for one of the longer Bryce Canyon hikes like Fairyland Loop (8 miles). This hike gets rave reviews from everyone and is a great way to spend the whole day hiking inside Bryce.

Don’t feel like hiking to see the good stuff? Go for a drive in your own vehicle or take the FREE Bryce Canyon Shuttle. Take a scenic drive from viewpoint to viewpoint and see many of the famous rock formations at Bryce Canyon National Park.

Bryce Canyon National Park Rim Trail

Somewhere Along The Rim Trail, Bryce Canyon NP

Drive To See: The Rim Trail

From the parking lot, you can walk a trail that runs along the edge of the rim at Bryce Canyon. The views from the Rim Trail are gorgeous, especially at sunrise and sunset. Note: There aren’t a lot of guardrails and the canyon walls are steep, so be careful.

Drive To See: The Natural Bridge

You can pull right up and park to see this cool natural arch, which stands 125 feet high and 85 feet long.

Bryce Canyon The Natural Bridge

Drive To See: The Breathtaking Views From Inspiration Point

Take a short walk from the Inspiration Point parking area to the edge of the rim for outstanding panoramic views of the hoodoos.

Bryce Canyon Camping

Our campsite at Bryce Canyon NP

Bryce Canyon Camping

If you know my family, you know we love to camp! There are two campgrounds near the Bryce Canyon NP Visitor Center that have restrooms with flush toilets and drinking water. Daily rates start at $15. During the summer, there are coin-operated laundry and shower facilities. Although campground reservations are not required, if you visit during peak season the sites could be booked out. I definitely suggest booking a campsite if possible.

The campgrounds are nice and the facilities are clean. We had plenty of room to set up our family’s little tent village. A deer even wandered through camp while we were there.

Don’t forget: Your camera! The best time to take photos is at sunrise or sundown. Try to do both if you can. It is easy to access official viewpoints set up around the rim of Bryce Canyon from the main parking areas.

Bryce Canyon Horseback Riding

Ride a horse or mule at Bryce Canyon National Park

Horseback rides are available inside Bryce Canyon National Park. I recommend signing up for a horse ride ahead of time, especially if you are on a tight schedule. We weren’t able to get in on the day I was there, so I missed out on this activity. At least I did get a quick visit with the horses and mules at the stables.

Search Here for Hotels.com Best Hotel Deals! at Bryce Canyon National Park 

Have you ever visited Bryce Canyon National Park? What is your favorite hike and/or sight to see at Bryce Canyon? Let us know in the comments below.

Check out my blog post: Things to Do at Yellowstone National Park with Kids.

Bryce Canyon National Park Utah Family Travel

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: Bryce Canyon Camping, Bryce Canyon Hikes, Bryce Canyon National Park

Previous Post: « Home Matters Linky Party #134 #HomeMattersParty
Next Post: Summer Can Be Ruff On Your Dog, Here’s How To Cool Them Down! (Creative Ways To Keep Dogs Cool) »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sara @ finditfixitorbuildit.com says

    May 12, 2017 at 5:03 pm

    I’ve made the California to Utah trip hundreds of times, but we’ve never done Bryce Canyon. I didn’t know it was so cool! The pictures are beautiful. You’ve inspired me to take the kids there:) We’ll be driving by in July…I was thinking it might be too hot then, but I just looked it up and the average high that time of year is 83!

    Reply
    • Nicole says

      May 15, 2017 at 3:16 pm

      Hi Sara,
      Bryce Canyon is definitely worth a visit. We have been in Utah 5 years and I can’t believe we didn’t go sooner. We have gone to the other Utah ones multiple times and finally did this one for something different. The scenery is so awesome and the hikes I listed that we did are easy to do with kids.
      If you have time, I also recommend driving down to Grand Staircase National Monument. It’s not that much further away. I’ll have to write up our trip there – it was AWESOME too. Slot canyon hiking is my new obsession. It was so much fun. This area is much less crowded than National Parks. I highly recommend a 4 Wheel Drive vehicle for this area though.
      I think the higher elevation at Bryce Canyon NP keeps it cooler than other parts of Utah desert, even in the summer (even though 80s is hot, that’s better than 100 degrees plus). It cools down at night too. Still, bring plenty of water because there is nothing in the canyon. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Lynn White says

    May 15, 2017 at 7:33 am

    This looks like such a fun trip and the pictures are breathtaking! My husband keeps trying to get me to go camping, but I just can’t do it! lol

    Reply
  3. Donna @ Modern on Monticello says

    May 17, 2017 at 1:19 pm

    Absolutely beautiful and breathtaking! Thanks for sharing your photos with us. I have never been to Utah but certainly would love to visit one day, especially Bryce Cannon now. #HomeMattersParty

    Reply
    • Nicole says

      May 18, 2017 at 7:57 am

      Utah has some of the most unique and beautiful scenery, that is for sure. It’s a wonderful place to vacation. Thanks for stopping by today! –Nicole

      Reply
  4. Emily says

    May 18, 2017 at 2:04 pm

    What a beautiful place! I’d love to visit there someday. #HomeMattersParty

    Reply
  5. Emily says

    May 18, 2017 at 2:04 pm

    What a beautiful place! I’d love to visit there someday. #HomeMattersParty

    Reply
  6. Alicia Owen says

    May 18, 2017 at 7:51 pm

    This looks like a unique and awesome place to visit! Thanks for sharing all of your lovely photos and insight into some of the trails. 🙂

    Reply
    • Nicole says

      May 19, 2017 at 7:14 pm

      Thanks, Alicia! I love sharing our favorite places, and Bryce Canyon NP is definitely one of them. Have a great weekend, Nicole

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Footer

Hi! I’m Nicole…it's nice to meet you! I am a mom to four awesome boys who are growing up way too fast. MOM ALWAYS FINDS OUT is just a tiny peek into our lives. I love to share my favorite products and brands with you, too!

To work with Mom Always Finds Out on sponsored posts, product reviews, or media invites please contact Nicole at momalwaysfindsout@gmail.com
Blogger Network
USFamilyGuide.com
Utah Defense Attorney
This website, Mom Always Finds Out, is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Copyright © 2023 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress