This post is part 5 of my multi-part series sharing how I planned a 2-week road trip to Utah’s National Parks. Today, I’m sharing my itinerary and recommendations for how to spend a half day in Bryce Canyon National Park.
Check out my itineraries for the other Utah National Parks on this roadtrip:
- 2 Days of Hiking in Arches National Park Itinerary
- 2 Days of Hiking in Canyonlands National Park Itinerary
- 2 Days of Hiking in Capitol Reef National Park Itinerary
- 3 Days Hiking in Zion National Park Itinerary
Planning Your Visit to Bryce Canyon
Bryce Canyon National Park is located near a small town of Bryce, Utah. This park can be done in 1 day, but we did a half day at Bryce Canyon due to time.
For our roadtrip, we drove from Capitol Reef National Park and stopped for a half day visit to Bryce Canyon and then continued our drive to our AirBNB near Zion that evening. I considered staying near Bryce Canyon to be able to explore the park longer, but it didn’t fit well into our schedule to have another AirBNB to book. Of all the 5 national parks in Utah we were visiting, my research said Bryce Canyon was on the smaller side and could be done in ½ day, so this park would be a stopover on our way to Zion.
The highlight of Bryce Canyon National Park is Bryce Amphitheater, an iconic image of this park. Bryce Canyon has the world’s largest collection of orange and red sandstone hoodoos, or large rock spires, and Bryce Amphitheater is a beautiful spot to see a large collection of them together. Stop by the Visitor Center to read how hoodoos are formed over hundreds of years and see their gift shop, which I personally think is one of the best gift shops of the national parks I’ve visited.
The NPS website has great info on the park. I recommend downloading or saving a copy of the Bryce Canyon National Park map in case you visit when the visitor center is closed. It’s helpful to get familiar with the map to see what points of interest are in the park and where the trails are. To get around Bryce Canyon, there’s a shuttle that takes visitors to various points of the park to help with car congestion. We went during the off-season in November and the shuttle was not running. Check the NPS Park Shuttle to see when the shuttle is available. I also recommend checking the weather before you go in case of snowstorms or road closures.
Bryce Canyon Half Day Itinerary
A half day visit to Bryce Canyon National Park will take you hiking through hoodoos and see panoramic views of Bryce Amphitheater.
Visitor Center
30 minutes
I recommend your first stop be at the Visitor Center to read the history of hoodoos and learn how they’re formed. Do this before embarking on the first hike! It will make hiking among the hoodoos more mesmerizing to know the history behind the formations.
Queen’s Garden Trail and Navajo Loop Trail
2.9 miles, 2-3 hours
Moderate
This is one of my favorite hikes during our 2 week roadtrip! This hike combines Queen’s Garden Trail and Navajo Loop Trail for a long, beautiful hike through the hoodoos. Start the hike at Sunrise Point and end at Sunset Point for a slightly easier elevation gain. By starting at Sunrise Point, you gradually descend into the hoodoos. The difficult part of this trail is at the end, going up the short but steep switchbacks by Sunset Point. Take breaks, the elevation of the park is about 9,100 feet! You’ll see various interesting hoodoos, including Thor’s Hammer.
Inspiration Point
Overlook
Easy
Drive to Inspiration Point and take a short walk for an overlook of Bryce Amphitheater. This offers excellent panoramic views of hoodoos.
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What if I have a full day at Bryce Canyon?
If you have more time to spend at Bryce Canyon, add on the 18 mile Southern Scenic Drive for more viewpoints along the way. At the end of the Southern Scenic Drive, hike the 1 mile Bristlecone Loop trail.
Visiting Bryce Canyon National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park is a smaller park that packs a lot of beauty. This park has the world’s largest collection of hoodoos, which are amazing geologic formations in varied orange and red colors. I wish I had more time to spend taking in the sites of this park. I hope this suggested itinerary helps plan your half day visit in Bryce Canyon National Park!
