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Attractions of Bryce Canyon: what to see in Bryce Canyon

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Most visitors to the Bryce Canyon park take the classic car tour along the scenic route, which allows you to visit 13 scenic spots along the 18-mile (one-way) route (one-way). These viewpoints are the attractions that tourists usually visit in Bryce Canyon. The most beautiful spots are Sunrise Point, Sunset Point, Inspiration Point and Bryce Point.

Among the viewpoints, the first to be found starting from the canyon entrance is the Fairyland Point from which you can admire the Fairyland Amphitheater. From here also begins the Fairyland Loop trailhead, a 13 km path that crosses the canyon.

A SHOW OF NATURE

After passing the Visitor Center you arrive at Sunrise Point, which offers the best views at dawn. From here starts the Queen’s Garden Trail, one of the most visited trails in Bryce Canyon and one of the attractions to visit if you have more than a few hours of time. Continuing the route by car you arrive at Sunset Point. Here, as the name indicates, the best views are at sunset, when the sun’s rays illuminate and color the spiers of the canyon with an indescribable orange. From here also begins the Navajo Trail, one of the attractions of Bryce Canyon. Inspiration Point is one of the best viewpoints on the canyon and it is also an excellent point to admire the sunsets.

From Bryce Point you can enjoy one of the most beautiful and complete panoramas of the canyon amphitheater. Bryce Point is also famous for its extraordinary sunsets. A short distance from Bryce Point is Paria View. Here are visible some hoodoos that rise high above the bottom of the canyon and which are particularly photogenic when they are hit by the rays of the setting sun. Continuing along the road you will find the scenic spots of Swamp Canyon, Farview Point, Natural Bridge, Agua Canyon, Ponderosa Canyon, Rainbow Point and Yovimpa Point.

HIKING TRAILS OF BRYCE CANYON

Bryce Canyon is an ideal place to walk in a fantastic landscape. To get an idea of the beauty of Bryce Canyon it is necessary and advisable to take at least a walk inside the canyon, between the hoodoos. To do this there are eight marked paths, to travel them you can take from a few hours to a day. These paths allow you to visit the Bryce Canyon. One of the most beautiful itineraries to do is the Navayo Trail to be combined together with the Queens Garden Trail. The path traveled is quite easy and takes 2-3 hours (see our diary).

The paths are classified on three levels: from easy, to moderate, to difficult. The itineraries of a day or less all fall into the first two categories.

EASY TRAILS

There are four easy itineraries, with minimal variations in slope:

Mossy Cave (0.8 mi / 1.3 km round trip). It is a path that runs along a small stream and leads to a small waterfall. The waterfall has water between May and October.

Rim Trail (0-11 mi / 0-17.7 km round trip). This is the itinerary that runs along the edge of the canyon and connects the various panoramic points, it is better to make the short section between Sunset Point and Sunrise Point.

Bristlecone Loop (1.0 mi / 1.6 km round trip). This trail takes you through the spruce woods and allows for sweeping vistas of the canyon.

Queen’s Garden (1.8 mi / 2.9 km round trip). This is one of the most popular routes of Bryce Canyon and allows you to see characteristic rock formations (hoodoos). This path is very nice if it is combined as a final part of the Navajo Trail.

MODERATE TRAILS

The other four are the itineraries with modest differences in height to be overcome:

Navajo Trail (1.3 mi / 2.2 km round trip). The Navajo Loop starts from Sunset Point and leads directly into the Bryce Amphitheater offering bottom-to-top views of the truly spectacular hoodoos. Its ideal completion is its continuation with the Queens Garden Trail.

Tower Bridge (3 mi / 4.8 km round trip). This itinerary winds through a pine forest and leads up to the China Wall.

Hat Shop (4 mi / 6.4 km round trip). This itinerary leads to visit a series of rocky pinnacles in the balance.

Swamp Canyon (4.3 mi / 7.2 km round trip). This itinerary explores the lesser known areas of Bryce Canyon.

DIFFICULT TRAILS

Finally three are the longest and most difficult itineraries:

Fairyland Loop (8 mi / 12.9 km round trip). Uncrowded path that allows you to visit the China Wall, Tower Bridge and other rock formations.

Peek-A-Boo Loop (5.5 mi / 8.8 km round trip). This is a difficult but spectacular itinerary inside the Bryce Amphitheater.

Riggs Spring Loop (8.5 miles / 14.2 km round trip). Difficult hike through the fir forests.

Please note: During your excursion in the Bryce Canyon is necessary that you bring plenty of water.

BRYCE CANYON ATTRACTIONS: NAVAJO TRAIL-QUEEN’S GARDEN TRAIL

Attractions of Bryce Canyon. Map of Queen's Garden-Navajo Loop Trail

Map of Queen’s Garden-Navajo Loop Trail

Length: 4.6 km round trip (the path is circular). Height difference: Ascent: 177 meters. Descent: 177 meters. Altitude Min / Max: 2,280 / 2,444 meters.

The Navajo Trail combined together at the Queen’s Garden Trail, is one of the best routes to do in Bryce Canyon, the trail route is quite easy and is accomplished in 2-3 hours (see our diary).

The path of the Navajo Loop Trail descends from Sunset Point through the canyons of Wall Street, where there is a 450 years old fir tree that rises up toward the sunlight at the top of the canyon.

The Navajo Loop Trail is the most popular trail in the park, and is often associated (as we did) with the Queen’s Garden Trail with whom form a longer ride that passes through the Queen’s Garden and emerges on the edge of the canyon at Sunrise Point.

From here we take a scenic and easy walk which is part of the Rim Trail, and that in 1 km to the north arrives at the starting point, the Sunset Point. The entire trail is easy and takes about 2-3 hours, the view from the base of hoodoos is fantastic and surreal.

Please note: During your excursion in the Bryce Canyon is necessary that you bring plenty of water.

Bryce Canyon Travel Guide

The climate of Bryce Canyon: when to go

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