General information about the National Park
Within the territory of Bryce Canyon NP, thousands of orange rock pyramids and Hoodoos are protected on the rim of the Paunsaugunt Plateau.
Number of visitors
In 2023, Bryce Canyon NP ranked 15th in the visitor statistics of the most visited national parks.
Best time to visit: Winter is the least busy, but the trails are usually covered with snow and not passable.
Our visits:
So far 8 visits: August 1992, August 1994, April 1997, September 1999, October 2009, October 2011, October 2014, March 2016
Entrance fees and opening hours
- 35$/car and all passengers valid for 7 days
- Covered by the Anual Pass*
- Open 24h all year round. After heavy snowfall roads may be closed.
*The Anual Pass is so to speak the "flat rate" for all Parks managed by the National Park Service. The pass costs a one-time fee of $80 and can be purchased at the entrance to each National Park, National Monument, etc. The pass is valid for 13 months.
Queens Garden/Navajo Trail
Description: The Queen Garden Trail, in conjunction with the Navajo Trail, is probably the most popular trail in the park. This is not really surprising, since it leads through the most spectacular part of the park. We hiked the loop from Sunrise Point. The trail leads moderately downhill and offers great views of the beautiful red hoodoos and rock formations all around. What's most impressive here is the abundance of formations. Once you reach the bottom of the valley, the trail is rather flat. Once you are back on the top, you reach Sunset Point via the switchbacks of the Navajo Loop. Via the Rim Trail you hike along the edge of the cliff back to Sunrise Point.
Trail length: 4.6mi roundtrip
Altitude difference: 771ft
Time needed: 3-4 hours
Difficulty level: easy - The trail is very well developed and easy to walk.
Our rating: We have already hiked the trail several times - simply because it is great. The only small drawback are the extremely crowded conditions. Especially between May and October, when the park is really busy, many people around you simply limit the nature experience considerably. At the same time, you can't blame anyone for wanting to take a look at this great place. If you can block out the many people around you, we can definitely recommend this trail.
Fairyland Trail
Description: The Fairyland Trail offers a nice alternative to the popular Queens Garden/Navajo Loop. You also hike between typical hoodoo structures, but the sheer abundance is missing here. Still, it's a nice and somewhat quieter trail.
Trail length: 8mi roundtrip
Altitude difference: 1716ft
Time needed: 4-5 hours
Difficulty level: easy to moderate - The trail is well maintained and easy to walk. The length and the altitude meters may make it a little strenuous.
Our rating: A nice trail that is relatively long and just doesn't offer the spectacular views. The big advantage here is that you have nature a little more to yourself. The whole environment is just much quieter.
Mossy Cave
Description: The trailhead does not start from the park road, but from Scenic Byway 12 at the east end of the park. The trail is easy to hike and features the high Bryce Hoodoos, a cave, and a small waterfall.
Trail length: 1.49mi roundtrip
Altitude difference: 197ft
Time needed: 1 hour
Difficulty level: easy - The trail is very well developed and easy to hike
Our rating: If you have an hour to spare, you should take a look at this trail. Especially in winter when the water freezes, there are some nice photo opps.
Along the park road
Description: Along the park road there are many great viewpoints. In high season, the most popular ones (Sunset, Sunrise, Inspiration and Bryce Point) are at times only accessible by shuttle bus, because then the parking spaces are no longer enough. Info about the shuttle service can be found here. All other points can be reached with your own car. Depending on snow conditions, the higher parts of the park are also closed in winter.
Our rating: When in the park, be sure to do some view point hopping and check out a few more of the great viewpoints in the park.
An important and always very fun part are the animals that you can observe in their natural habitat, especially in the national parks. Here at Bryce Canyon NP we were able to spot the animals shown below.
