Best of Bryce Canyon: Lose the Crowds
Description:
Bryce has its popular places and crazy crowds like any park. Want to see it without the madness? Try on these hikes for size. You get to see the spectacular, kinda crazy beauty of Bryce without overhearing squabbles from irritable couples, crying from overtired kids, and 22 different languages being bellowed into your ear. Come prepared to hike and be adventuresome. Pack your own lunches to eat along the trail. None of the restaurant options in town just outside of the Park are truly memorable in a good way, although Clarke's is okay and the pie at the Bryce Canyon Pines Restaurant is great. Plan to stay in the campground, cook your own food at night, and wake up to birds twittering happily overhead as you set off to see the Bryce that few do. *Note: The Park's free shuttle system is a great way to avoid parking headaches, save the environment, and allow everyone to enjoy the views. It usually runs from late May through early September.
Author: Julie Trevelyan
Day 1 - Bryce Canyon National Park
Rising early, hop on the free Bryce Canyon shuttle, and head out to Bryce Point. First, enjoy sunrise from this most stunning of vantage points. Then, head on downhill along the Peek-A-Boo trail (five miles) for a dramatic elevation change and truly gorgeous natural scenery. Beware that you might be sharing the trail with horseback riders. At the bottom are primitive bathroom facilities (i.e., pit toilet) as well as welcoming shade. You'll end up at Sunset Point. Enjoy lunch either on the trail (depending how long you take) or up at Sunset Point. Head to the Visitors Center and stay cool inside during the afternoon heat if it's summer. (Note: The trail is likely to be snow-covered in winter.) The Visitors Center has a small museum and friendly rangers to answer questions about what you saw on the trail. Head out of the Park to reward yourself at Bryce Canyon Pines Restaurant with a decent dinner and that fabulous pie.
1
Bryce Point
Location:
view in google mapsBryce Canyon National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park, UT 84764
2
Peekaboo Loop
Location:
view in google mapsBryce Canyon National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park, UT 84764
3
Sunset Point
Location:
view in google mapsBryce Canyon National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park, UT 84764
4
Clarke's Restaurant
Location:
view in google maps141 N. Main Street
Bryce Canyon National Park, UT 84776
Phone:
(435) 679-88115
North Campground
Location:
view in google mapsHighway 63
Bryce Canyon National Park, UT 84764
Phone:
(866) 866-6616Day 2 - Bryce Canyon National Park
Today is the push along the Fairyland Loop (eight miles), another woefully underrated hike that just begs for more attention from you hardy souls! Carry plenty of water and wear a wide-brimmed hat along this trail, which is a cornucopia of those weirdly beautiful hoodoos, delicate spires, and jaw-dropping arches. Let your imagination loose to make up stories and wonder about all the amazing shapes. Hopefully you learned enough from the rangers yesterday to understand why and how all these crazy geological shapes were created. Eat dinner cooked out in the open at your campsite and fall asleep under a canopy of stars—Bryce Canyon has some of our country's darkest night skies and a robust astronomy program. *Note: catch one of Bryce's highly-regarded astronomy programs if you've still got energy at day's end.
1
Fairyland Loop
Location:
view in google mapsBryce Canyon National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park, UT 84764
2
Astronomy Program: Night Sky Programs
Location:
view in google mapsBryce Canyon National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park, UT 84764
Phone:
(435) 834-5322Day 3 - Bryce Canyon National Park
End your visit with a leisurely trip to the Hat Shop, a four-miler that reveals some of the crazier hoodoo shapes you'll see. Once again, not a popular hike, which is nuts since it's so pretty, but great for you, the explorer who hates rubbing elbows with everyone else! This is a section of the Under-the-Rim trail, a great backpack trip if you have more time.
1
Hat Shop
Location:
view in google mapsBryce Canyon National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park, UT 84764
