Bryce Canyon
National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park is the second park of our 2023 trip and the one that most feels like stepping onto another planet. Famous for its towering hoodoos—tall, thin spires of rock—and amphitheater-like canyon formations, Bryce promises a landscape unlike any other. We plan to explore the park across three full days with a mix of hiking, horseback riding, and scenic drives. Highlights will include the Peekaboo Loop on horseback, the Queen’s Garden and Navajo Loop on foot, and sunrise and sunset from the park’s famous viewpoints. We’ll camp at North Campground for all three nights.

Read our blog on Bryce Canyon

Itinerary

We are presenting our itinerary as we lived it. Not the plan, but rather what we were actually able to accomplish. Naturally there are some missed goals and some serendipitous surprises. We always rolled with the punches and made the best out of our time in the national parks. Below we have included some notes that explain how the itinerary changed from what we had in mind.

It’s important to know that these plans were made to suit the abilities and interests of two young girls aged 11 and 13. We feel confident that any family on their “Every Kid Outdoors Summer” (4th grade) could handle this itinerary. For hikes, we have listed the distance, elevation gain, and time that we tracked, which may differ from published (or actual) measurements. (*Note: some of the hikes at Bryce were done without the girls and the time may seem faster than expected.)

Day 1

Morning

  • Drive from Zion to Bryce Canyon

  • Cedar Breaks National Monument

Afternoon

  • Bryce Canyon Visitor Center (Junior Ranger books)

Evening

  • Overnight at North Campground

Day 2

Morning

  • Horseback Ride: Peekaboo Loop with Canyon Trail Rides (Half-day ride)

Afternoon

  • Hike: Fairyland Loop Trail (8.2 miles RT, 1,600 feet, 2.5 hours)

Evening

  • Overnight at North Campground

Day 3

Morning

  • Scenic drive with stops at Inspiration Point, Bryce Point, Paria View, Rainbow Point, Yovimpa Point, Agua Canyon, and Natural Bridge

Afternoon

  • Hike: Wall Street + Queen’s Garden (3 miles RT, 600 feet, 1 hour)

Evening

  • Overnight at North Campground

Day 4

Morning

  • Hike: Navajo Loop (1.6 miles RT, 500 feet, 30 minutes)

Afternoon

  • Depart for Capitol Reef

Notes

Our arrival into Bryce was relaxed and scenic. We drove from Zion along the eastern entrance road and checked off a long list of canyon overlooks starting from the southern end at Rainbow Point. The drive offered great context for the hikes to come.

The highlight of day two was our horseback ride through Peekaboo Loop, which gave us a new perspective on the hoodoos without the heavy effort. In the afternoon, we tackled Queen’s Garden and Navajo Loop on foot—arguably the most classic hike in the park.

On day three, we aimed high with the Fairyland Loop, and the girls managed the full 8 miles like champs. The trail was quiet, scenic, and full of unique formations we hadn’t seen elsewhere in the park. We wrapped up our visit at the Visitor Center, where the girls proudly completed their Junior Ranger badges.

 

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