Nestled near the Dixie National Forest, this unassuming canyon erupts from a pine forest in a dazzling display of reds, pinks, and orange. Bryce Canyon National Park is known for its staggering red rock hoodoos or needle-like spires that create an other-worldly landscape. Here’s your guide with everything you need to know when visiting Bryce Canyon National Park.
Things to Know Before You Go
Located in the heart of southwestern Utah about four hours and 15 minutes from Salt Lake City, Bryce Canyon is a remote outpost. The nearest town is Bryce, about ten minutes away, and this tiny town primarily caters to tourism.
Most people visit the park for at least one full day. Plan on spending a couple of days in the park in order to see all of the highlights.
Despite its desert feel, Bryce Canyon National Park sits 7,666 feet above sea level. This means you’ll not only be contending with a dry desert environment, but high altitude too. Be prepared by packing in plenty of water and snacks (there is no food for purchase inside the park). Take your time acclimating to the altitude by going on short hikes on your first day exploring.
Higher altitude also means that snow is common in the park from late fall until mid-spring. This means that, unlike other national parks in Utah, temperatures remain cool. Be sure to dress in plenty of layers to adjust for the change in temperature.
Practical Information About the Park
The park itself is super easy to access, making it one of the most popular national parks in the country. In fact, the crowds here can get pretty intense throughout the year. Make the most of your visit by arriving before 7 am.
Parking can become extremely limited in the busy months (April through October) at many of the overlooks. You may want to consider riding the free shuttle if you catch yourself in the crowds.
The closest town is Bryce, which is about a 10-minute drive from the park entrance. Here you’ll find everything you need for your stay. Hotels, private paid campgrounds, tours, gas, and food are all available but expect prices to be pretty inflated.
There is a general store with limited facilities inside the park. During the warmer months, water filling stations are available at the visitor center, Bryce Canyon Lodge, General Store, and Sunset Point Parking Area for personal use only (not for filling up an RV).
If you plan on backpacking in the backcountry or camp at the North Campground, you’ll need to make advanced reservations. Permits fill up quickly, so mark your calendar for the dates that permits open for your chosen travel time.
Other important info about the park includes:
- Fees: It is $35 per vehicle to enter Bryce Canyon National Park. Passes are valid for seven days. If you’ve got an America the Beautiful Annual Parks Pass, it’s free entry.
- Dog Friendly: Bryce Canyon National Park is not dog friendly. Dogs are not allowed on trails and must stay in parking lots or paved areas. This is extremely limiting. Leaving your dog in a hot car is dangerous so it’s best to leave the dog at home while exploring Bryce.
- Cell service: Cell service is scarce, be sure to download maps and GPS tracks for trails before you enter the park.
Best Time to Visit
Bryce Canyon National Park is open year-round. The best time to visit the park is from April through October when the trails are typically ice-free and largely open. However, this is also the most crowded time to visit.
Temperatures in the winter can be well below freezing both during the day and at night. Popular attractions like Wall Street and the Navajo Loop can close due to ice and snowfall danger. However, the winter is far less crowded. Not to mention it’s an utter dream for photographers who want to capture Bryce Canyon dusted in snow. Many facilities are closed in the winter so you’ll need to be more self-sufficient.
Spring is typically a little bit warmer. Although, it may still be well below freezing overnight. Daytime temperatures are in the mid-40s through the mid-60s. Spring is often windier than the fall months, although it’s typically a little less snowy. It might not be the time for camping season quite yet, but it’s an excellent time to see the park. You still may encounter ice and snow closures along trails in early spring but typically the main road through the park is open, allowing you to have plenty of scenic views and alternative hiking options.
Summer is high time for Bryce Canyon. Daytime temperatures range front the 70s to 80s – which is quite warm in the desert. The lows are in the 40s and 50s, making it the best time of year for camping in Bryce Canyon. The park does get some rain, especially in the form of brief, yet violent afternoon thunderstorms. However, crowds are at their peak so plan accordingly.
Fall marks a beautiful time to see Bryce Canyon. The summer vacay crowds are thinning, the temperatures are still mild (the 40s to 70s during the day, around freezing at night), and the leaves are changing which creates a stunning scene. Rain is still a possibility, as is a light dusting of snow, but overall it’s less windy than the spring months.
Getting Oriented
Bryce Canyon National Park covers 55.4 square miles of an amphitheater-like canyon. The main attraction is the pink, red, and orange hoodoos. These towering red-rock spires are squeezed together to create winding canyon systems and incredible scenes. Formed by millennia of erosion by water, snow, ice, and wind, these gravity-defying features are what gives Bryce its fame.
But what makes this park particularly special is that this entire landscape is virtually hidden in a pine forest. This creates a contrasting environment of greens, reds, and pink.
There is a paved 18-mile scenic out-and-back road that takes you to all areas of the park. From here you can enjoy viewpoints or embark on a hike down into this phenomenal landscape. The road is maintained throughout the year (although sections of it may close for ice and snow mitigation).
Camping in Bryce Canyon
There are two campgrounds within Bryce Canyon National Park: the North Campground, and the Sunset Campground. Both are in close proximity to the visitor center. For both campgrounds, the fees for tents are $20 per site per night and RVs are $30 per site per night. Both have trash with flush toilets year-round while seasonal facilities like dump stations, potable water, and a camp store are available during the high season only. Neither of the campgrounds has showers. Hammocks are not permitted.
North Campground
- This campground is first-come first-served from January 1 through May 26th and October 2 through December 31st
- From May 7th through October 1st, you’ll need to make a reservation well in advance.
Sunset Campground
- This campground is first-come first-served from April 15 through October 31
- It closes through winter
- Keep in mind that campsites fill up quickly and there is no guarantee of availability, expect a full campground for most of the year and come with a backup plan
Backcountry Permits
If you plan on backpacking in Bryce Canyon National Park, you’ll need to reserve your spot in advance with a $5 per person plus a $10 per permit fee. Most backpacking routes in Bryce Canyon are quite rugged, so be sure to understand orienteering and be prepared for routes that will gain over 6,000 feet in elevation.
Bear canisters are required for overnight trips and many routes will require you to carry extra water. There are no fires allowed in the backcountry except camping stoves and camping is only allowed in designated sites that are reserved in advance.
Other Lodging
There is one lodge — the Lodge at Bryce Canyon — inside the park. This historic building is operated by a third party and reservations are strongly recommended, especially during the high season. You’ll also find a restaurant that serves three meals a day.
Nearby Accommodation
The nearest accommodation outside of the park is in the town of Bryce. Here you can find motels, hotels, and private campgrounds available on a nightly basis. During the high season the entire town is often booked up, so again, be sure to make reservations in advance.
Wildlife Information
Thanks to the abundance of trees and access to water, the park offers a stunning array of wildlife. From prairie dogs to mountain lions, you’ll be immersed in a highly active ecosystem.
Dangerous animals include mountain lions, black bears, and rattlesnakes. Encounters with these animals are quite rare. Watch your footing on trails if you’re hiking in the morning or evening, as rattlesnakes like to come into the sunny parts of trails to warm up. Mountain lion sightings are extremely rare as these cats tend to stay away from areas that are popular with people. If you’re traveling at night in the winter, you may catch a glimpse of one along the road from your vehicle. Bear encounters are also extremely rare — typically only found along backcountry routes.
Other wildlife includes prairie dogs, squirrels, pronghorn antelope, deer, hawks, and other amazing creatures that call the hoodoos home. Never feed wildlife. Your food is not normal to their diet and rodent-like animals are known to carry disease. The habituation of these animals is extremely harmful to the ecosystem.
Hiking in Bryce Canyon
The magical views from the scenic overlooks atop of Bryce Canyon certainly will entrance you, but not taking a trip down the rim to get a sense of the vast, incredible landscape would be a mistake. The only way to access the inner parts of Bryce Canyon is on foot. Here’s a look at the best hiking trails in Bryce Canyon:
- Sunrise to Sunset Point – 1 mile, 34 feet of gain, easy. Paved rim trail with views of Bryce Canyon, you can continue onwards for more of a challenge (the walk to Inspiration Point is fantastic), but remember, distances for this trail are one-way.
- Mossy Cave – 0.8 miles, 200 feet of gain, easy. A streamside walk that goes to a mossy grotto in the summer and a stunning icicle formation in the winter. Avoid this trail between 10 am and 6 pm due to crowds.
- Queen’s Garden to Navajo Loop Combo Trail: 2.9 miles, 600 feet of gain, moderate. Combine the Queen’s Garden and Navajo Loop for a stunning walk through the most famous section of hoodies. Clockwise direction is recommended.
- Fairyland Loop: 8 miles, 1,716 feet of gain, challenging. See tall, stunning hoodoos, the Chinese Wall, and Tower Bridge along this less-trafficked trail.
Things to Do in Bryce Canyon National Park
Be sure to check out these incredible activities in Bryce Canyon National Park after you’re done hitting the trails.
Catch a Sunrise or Sunset
For a quintessential park experience, you have to wake up and catch a sunrise at Bryce Canyon. Sunsets are equally as stunning, but there’s something about the sun tipping above the horizon that makes the landscape come to life. There are several amazing places to enjoy sunrise or sunset, a few favorites include:
- Sunrise Point
- Sunset Point
- Inspiration Point
- Bryce Point
Pro Tip: Sunrise Point can also be amazing for sunset, while Sunset Point is excellent for sunrise if you’d like to avoid the crowds.
Check Out the Many Scenic Overlooks
No trip to Bryce Canyon is complete without checking out the many scenic overlooks throughout the park. After you’ve gotten your fill of sunrise, be sure to check out the following viewpoints.
- Rainbow Point
- Paria View
- Natural Bridge Overlook
- Ponderosa Canyon
- Piracy Point
Photographing Bryce Canyon
Bryce Canyon is a famous bucket list location among landscape photographers. In fact, the sunrise from Sunrise Point is so famous, it’s not uncommon to see countless tripods set up each morning.
For photographing Bryce Canyon, you’ll want to bring your tripod. Bring along a variety of lenses to capture views both wide and narrow. Sunrise, dawn, dusk, sunset, and nighttime during a new moon are the most opportune times to capture this stunning landscape. Low-mileage hikes and easily accessible viewpoints make carrying your camera equipment a breeze.
Enjoy the Scenic Drive
The 18-mile Bryce Canyon Road (UT-63) is a must-drive. This paved road winds its way through the park and provides easy access to countless stops along the way. If you’re looking to beat the crowds, consider driving all the way to the end and slowly make your way back, stopping at viewpoints along the way.
Bryce Canyon National Park brings a delightful surprise to every visitor. The park has a magic about it that truly captivates you from your first look at the canyon. With plenty of opportunities to immerse yourself in this other-worldly landscape, you’ll find yourself coming back again and again.
Article and Photos by Meg Atteberry
Meg Atteberry wants to empower you to have the ultimate outdoor adventure. She loves to use her writing work to help people level up their outdoor skills. You can find her climbing, camping, and hiking across her home in Colorado and the American Southwest. When she’s not out exploring, she’s at home cooking up delicious meals from around the globe and curling up with a good Sci-Fi book. You can follow Meg’s adventures at Fox in the Forest.
