Utah is known for its abundance of National Parks. Honestly it is a shame it took me 4 months of living here to finally knock one of them off my list. Bryce Canyon National Park is the first of the 5 national parks in Utah I visited. Stalking Bryce Canyon National Parks Instagram page convinced me winter was the perfect season to visit. So I packed up the car with the pup and a backpack and drove 4 hours south for the adventure!
Park Road 63 and the Overlooks
My first day in the area of Bryce Canyon National Park I took a scenic drive from Parowan Gap all they way back to Pangiutch. Then we continued down Scenic HWY 12 and Park Road 63. We managed to stop at all the scenic overlooks in the national park on Park Road 63! Here are some of my favorite photos from them!
You can find all the details for the rest of the drive in my other post: Backroads and Byways of Utah Parowan to Escalante.
Hiking in Bryce Canyon National Park
There is a plethora of choices when it comes to hiking in Bryce Canyon National Park. For the more experienced and adventurous folks there is Under-the-Rim Trail with primitive campsites for backpacking. For those looking for day hikes like me, any of the hikes in the Amphitheater are a great choice. The Visitors Guide, available on the NPS website and at the gate, gives great information on difficulty and times for all the day hikes in the park.
Queens Garden and Navajo Loop
Of course I decided I had to complete the most popular hike in Bryce Canyon National Park. The Queens Garden to Navajo Loop combination is almost 3 miles and approximately 600 feet in elevation gain. In the winter season the “Wall Street” side of Navajo Loop is closed, so you have to hike on the “Two Bridges” side of the loop.
This hike did not disappoint! I got up bright and early to start the hike at Sunrise Point. The Queens Garden trail takes you along ridgelines and down into the canyon amongst the Hoodoos. You pass through several windows on the way to Queens Garden. Many people can see the image of Queen Victoria in one of the hoodoos, me not so much but it was still really pretty. About 2 miles into the hike the trail meets up with the Navajo Trail. Taking this trail past Two Bridges and up to Sunset Point is what I like to call switch back city. Once you climb 600 feet back up to Sunset Point the hike is finished!
Mossy Cave
I added this hike right before lunch! This is the only hike outside the main gate for the national park and also the easiest hike! It is a short 1 mile out and back hike. It follows a natural creek bed and features a waterfall and Mossy Cave. In the winter season Mossy Cave is not so mossy, but instead features some epic looking icicles.
Hiking Video!
Before you go
I cannot recommend visiting Bryce Canyon National Park in the winter season more. The contrast between the red rocks and the snow made for amazing photos and views. Of course during the winter Park Road 63 could be close past mile 3. Honestly the best way to keep up with closures in the parks Instagram account or their website.
Another tip: you can spend an entire day just going to all the lookouts/scenic overlooks in the park! The main park road is 18 miles with A LOT of places to pull over. Many of the lookout points also include very short hikes. Plan your trip by looking over the park map first! If you plan to do any hikes in “the amphitheater” I highly recommend getting started early to enjoy the trails without lots of crowding! I started my hike around 8:30AM and by the time we finished around 10:30AM the trail traffic was picking up.
Check out more of my Utah adventures on the blog! Plus read all about my time spent in Red Canyon, hiking to Hidden Haven Falls, and on a scenic backroads drive during this trip!
[…] lived in Utah for almost 7 months and am finally knocking National Parks off my list! First up was Bryce Canyon National Park, then Zion National Park, and now Arches National Park. The park did not disappoint and turned out […]