One Amazing Day Exploring Bryce Canyon

Located in southern Utah lies an extremely underrated National Park called Bryce Canyon National Park. Bryce Canyon may not be the size of the other National Parks around the country, but it does have some very unique and amazing views. This park is over 35,000 acres and ranges around 7,000 feet in elevation. While visiting any National Park for just one day seems unrealistic, it is very manageable at Bryce.
This is our experience spending just one day in Bryce Canyon National Park.

Timing is Everything:
Getting to the park before sunrise is crucial. Bryce is open 24 hours so get to the park as early as you can. If there is no ranger at the gate, you can pay your fee upon leaving the park, that is, unless you are a park pass holder. Getting to the park early will allow you to beat the crowds/traffic and to make sure you secure a parking spot at the trailheads. Besides, getting to watch the sunrise over the canyon and the hoodoos is too good to miss.

Did you say HooDoos?
Bryce Canyon is known for its rock formations created by wind, snow and ice known as hoodoos. The hoodoos resembles a mushroom shape that can be anywhere from 5ft to as tall as a 10-story building.

Hiking: Navajo Loop and Queens Garden Trail
If you have time to get one good hiking trail in for the day, I would highly recommend the Najao Loop and Queens Garden Trail, mainly because you will see a lot of everything on this trail. On this trail, you will hike a 3-mile loop from both Sunset and Sunrise Point. On the trek, you will see amazing views of the
HooDoos, all while heading down to the canyon floor. This is a relatively easy hike for the whole family with only a 600ft elevation gain.

I would highly encourage downloading the All Trails app (Click Here to Download) and finding a shorter or even longer hiking trail that will fit your needs. This app will also come in handy when you have zero phone service and you can’t get a map from the entrance gate or visitor center.

– This website has no affiliation with All Trails App –

Driving to Lookout Points:
There are so many lookouts available to view by driving if hiking is not on your radar for the day. You can start off by visiting Inspiration Point and Bryce Point or making the drive to the end of the park at Rainbow Point. Please note, some roads may be shuttle bus only from Mid-April to Late October, so plan accordingly.

The Visitor Center:
One of our favorite things to do while visiting a new National Park is to check out the visitor center. Here, you can grab a map of the park for your hikes and get shuttle information. The visitor center is where you can learn all about the park and the wildlife you can encounter on your visit. Also, they have a great gift shop selling shirts, prints, and patches that are all Bryce Canyon-related, as well as a
restroom.

While there is no perfect way to visit a park the most important thing is to have fun . As well as take your time even if time is not on your side. While our trip was short at Bryce Canyon, it has been my most memorable. I’ll never forget those views or the crisp smell of the fresh air while down in the canyon. Hopefully, this will shine some light on if you should visit Bryce Canyon or not. With that being said Enjoy Your Trip.