If you read my last post about Bryce Canyon National Park, you know I went in the winter season. Well I loved it so much I had to return to hike Fairyland Loop during a snow storm. Speaking candidly, winter is the only season I would want to visit this national park. The contrast of the red rock against the white snow is just gorgeous. Plus you get to avoid all the crowds! The down side, the temperatures and potential for snow storms. During this visit we experienced -9 temperatures and a magical snow storm. It made everything that much more special.
Fairyland Loop
We got to Bryce Canyon National Park around 10:30AM after driving in from Zion National Park. Par for the course on this trip, it was the middle of a snowstorm and white out conditions in the Bryce Amphitheater. We didn’t let that deter us though, we headed out to complete the 8-mile Fairyland Loop Trail. The trail includes 1,500 feet of elevation and drops down into the Bryce Canyon Amphitheater.
We started the hike from Sunrise Point, following the Rim Trail toward the first Fairyland Loop Trailhead to follow the loop counterclockwise. The trail immediately drops down among the hoodoos with distant views of some arches. Of course with the snow storm these were not the easiest to spot. But the silence that was afforded in the hike was incredible.
We took a short detour to see the Tower Bridges. Many people complete this as an out and back hike, but we opted to keep going.
The snow storm began to clear out as we made our way around Boat Mesa and could see more and more hoodoos in the distance, and up close. The ascent up to Fairyland Point was actually really gradual and easy enough to manage. However the 2.5 miles from Fairyland Point back to Sunset Point were the worst. The trail was not well broken, and for whatever reason my body was done. I cann’t blame it, my friend and I had already hiked 28 miles over the last 3 days (including the 5 we just completed). We made it back to the car and I don’t think I had ever been happier to be off a trail.
The snow storm had cleared completely by the time we made it back to the care. So we enjoyed some views of the amphitheater before driving down the park road to see some of the look out points. That was about all the hiking I was able to do for the day so we headed to the hotel to clean up for dinner and crash for the night.
Navajo Loop
This hike is featured in my last blog about Bryce Canyon National Park, and not much has changed! We woke up suppperrrr early to hit the trail before the crowds on our second (and final day) at the park. Again, the early start did not disappoint, but it was a freeze -9 out, so you be we bundled up well and donned our microspikes. A few photos below from this trip! For the full trail descriptions, head to the post linked at the top of the paragraph.
Before you go
Visiting Bryce Canyon National Park in the winter season can come with some challenges. Park Road 63 could be close past mile 3 weather depending. There is a risk for ice on the roads as well, which can be scary. If you are staying in the small town of Bryce, most things are closed or close super early. This means limited food options. We found the best little pizza place in the town of Tropic though, highly recommend taking the short drive there for dinner!
Honestly the best way to keep up with closures in the park is there Instagram account or their website. We got lucky nothing was closed due to the snow storm while we were there.
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 avoid crowds. Last time we started around 8AM and this time even early at 7AM. By the time we finished around 10:30AM the trail traffic was picking up. There is also plenty to do in the nearby Red Canyon if you have a doggo friend with you, or if you are just wanting to do something outside the national park. Overall, Bryce might be the smallest national park in Utah, but it is definitely one of my favorites by far.
Check out more of my Utah adventures on the blog! Plus read all about my time spent in National Parks.
Beautiful!! I remember doing this with you a year ago….or more…….brings back great memories!!!
Almost one year to the month! It was so fun to go back!