Bryce Canyon National Park
Though we’d seen pictures of Bryce’s otherworldly hoodoos before the trip, it really was amazing to see them- and walk among them- in person. The view from the above, looking down into the canyon, is impressive due to the sheer quantity of hoodoos, lined up like rows of soldiers, but we enjoyed walking among them even more.
Bryce Canyon is much smaller and more compact than Zion. We pushed our visit into 1 day, but certainly 2-3 would give you a better chance to see and do more. During our mid-April trip, this was the only place where we still experienced snow, though it mostly disappeared once we descended into the canyon.
We started with a drive along the Park Road, stopping at Rainbow Point, National Bridge and Inspiration Point, which was a great introduction to the scale of the park.
Hiking along Queen’s Garden Trail
In Queen’s Garden
Relaxing at the lodge
Hikes
We were disappointed that only 3 “real” trails were open (though the Rim Trail, an easy, accessible walk, always remains open): Fairyland Loop (8 miles), the Mossy Cave Trail (.8 miles) and the Queens Garden Trail (1.8 miles). The Queen’s Garden Trail was a great way to get among the hoodoos, and it made for some awesome photos (though don’t be fooled by the solitude implied by the photos- the trail was packed!). According to the park brochure, this is the most gradual path into and out of the canyon. We also stopped by Mossy Cave (which is at a different park entrance), which was a nice walk that had interesting historical significance, though it’s not an essential stop; I’d suggest visitors focus more on the main canyon.
We were especially bummed that the Navajo Loop was closed for repairs, as we’d heard that the Queen’s Garden-Navajo Loop Combination Trail was the best route to take. Next time!
At the Sunset Point Overlook
Found a sandy spot along the trail
Hoodoos everywhere!
Where We Stayed
We stayed at Bryce Canyon Resort. Though they should remove the word “resort” from their name to manage expectations, this was a steal at $74 for a night, which included a hot (albeit very basic) hot breakfast. It is clear that it had at one time been a bare bones roadside motel and that new management has pushed to elevate it. We liked the artistic touch of the wall mural behind the beds, the “welcome package” of granola bars and water at check in, and the clean, simple room. We selected this hotel over Ruby’s Best Western down the road (which had showed up on all the travel blogs we referenced but cost $50+ more per night) and were ultimately happy with the decision, especially because we spent so much time exploring the park and so little time in the hotel.
IDK BBQ. Probably the best joint in town. But there aren’t very many joints in town.
Our room at Bryce Canyon Resort
Bryce, Utah and Tropic, Utah
Bryce itself does not have much to offer for dinner, though we did appreciate the convenience store at Ruby’s Best Western.
For more dinner options, take the short drive down the hill to Tropic (there were also several appealing hotels in this town). We went to IDK BBQ and though none of us would cite it as the best meal of the trip, the pulled pork hit the spot and the decor was modern, bright and cheerful.
Bryce Canyon Coffee Company was had the least memorable coffee of the places we stopped at during our Utah trip, but it did adequately caffeinate us for our drive to Grand Staircase- Escalante.