Mighty Five Plus One – Part V: Utah’s Bryce Canyon National Park

Posted on   November 20,2019   By John Compisi

Parts I-IV of our series on the Mighty Five National Parks in Southern Utah chronicled our adventures at Zion, Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands. This edition, Part V, details our adventures at Bryce Canyon National Park.  The ‘Plus One’, Part VI, is Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument which will be the final in the series.

On the first of September we launched our thirteen-day adventure into Southern Utah. We flew into Las Vegas from Northern California, picked up our rental car, drove across a corner of Arizona into Utah and drove a few hours to Zion National Park, followed by Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.

The drive from Moab to Bryce (Panguitch) was our longest, almost 4 hours, with most of it on Interstate 70. Bryce Canyon may be the most colorful of the Mighty Five. One of the early National Parks, Bryce was officially established in early 1928. It remains one of the most visited Parks (13^th recently) because of its collection of hoodoos—the distinctive rock formations at Bryce, the largest in the world.

As you might guess, we started our exploration, after checking in to our hotel, at the Bryce Canyon Visitor’s Center. Like the others, this park’s orientation film was excellent and very helpful in planning our full day visit the next day. After the film, we drove the 18-mile scenic drive which connects virtually all the accessible trails within the Bryce Amphitheater, the name used for the most visited section of the Park along the first three miles. Most of the famous rock structures are contained within the Amphitheater which is a geological phenomenon, a series of “breaks” eroded into the eastern slope of the Paunsaugunt Plateau and they are quite convenient to access.

The Bryce Lodge and General Store, as well as the various campgrounds with Teepees and other accommodations, are located along the paved scenic road, also known as Highway 63 which ends 18 miles from the Visitor’s Center at Rainbow Point.  The Rim Trail elevations at Bryce range from 8,000’ to over 9,000’, much higher than the general tourist areas of the other four Parks we visited.

After plotting our hikes for our second day, we decided to take the Rim Trail from Inspiration Point past Sunset Point to Sunrise Point and back (parked our car at the Inspiration Point Lot) for a 2.5 mile loop. The elevation wasn’t bad except the gain going up to Inspiration Point (a real heart pumper but well worth the panoramic views!). After grabbing a bite to eat, we left the Park and went back to our room to get ready for the next day which was a planned 7 miles of ups and downs.

The next day, number 10 of our adventure, was a great day of exciting rim trails and a spectacular and colorful hike along the Navajo Loop Trail. The route we used was advised by the ranger as being a way to enjoy the scenery and avoid the most challenging uphill hikes. We left our car at the lot near the North Camp Ground and took the Free Park Shuttle (need your park pass receipt) to the Sunset Point Campground shuttle stop. We began the hike there and headed to Navajo Loop Trail.  This is a must-see trail with amazing hoodoos and a gentle but long s-curving downward slope past Thor’s Hammer and Two Bridges. We could not stop taking pictures of these amazing Hoodoos and other colorful rock formations.

Once we reached the ‘bottom’, about 623’ below Sunset Point, we headed back up via the Queen’s Garden Trail (320’ up), named after Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom because a particular rock formation resembles a statue of the Queen. This completed our 2.6-mile loop. We arrived a bit winded at Sunset Point before continuing along the Rim Trail. Along the trail we stopped at Bryce Lodge for some lunch. This may be my favorite all time hike in the Mighty Five because of the constant views of amazing formations and colorful outcroppings. Just stupendous.

After lunch we got back on the Rim Trail and returned to the Sunset shuttle stop where we took the shuttle out to Bryce Point. Our plan was to hike another section of the Rim Trail from Bryce Point back to Inspiration point. This 1.5-mile trail offers more spectacular Hoodoo views as well as some narrow sections where the drop off on both sides were a bit unnerving but just for a few minutes.

At Inspiration Point we caught the shuttle back to our car near the Park Entrance. Having regained our own wheels, we headed out Highway 63 the 18 miles to Rainbow Point. This was our highest elevation, at 9,115’. We decided to take the short but quite beautiful Bristlecone Loop Trail (about 1 mile). Again, the panoramic views where stunning, but as it was later in the afternoon, the winds were piking up and the temperatures were dropping.

Tips: We were at Bryce during the second week in September so the crowds and temperatures were bearable. (~65° – 75°F). Always carry lots of water, wear a hat and use sunscreen. In general, an SUV offers easier driving access to some trail heads. Always take the scenic drives first, if practical. This reconnaissance can give you a real sense of what is available and how much time you should allow for each activity. The Park Rangers are so knowledgeable and they can help you achieve your objectives if you take a minute to let them know what they are.

What to do: Hike and just absorb the amazing beauty of Nature!!

Where to Stay: As reported previously, there is no lodging in the Park but Bryce Canyon City is just outside the Park and it offers a plethora of choices. We stayed about 17 miles away outside Panguitch at the Quality Inn Bryce which offered acceptable rooms, breakfast (marginal) and had an independent restaurant on site (we did not try it). All in all, a good value but if you can afford it the lodging in Bryce Canyon City would offer a great deal of convenience.

Where to dine:

We had dinner on our first night at the Cowboy’s Buffet and Steakhouse just outside the Park entrance. Similar in atmosphere and quality as other medium-priced steakhouses. We ate at the Bryce Canyon Pines the second night. The Pines was more satisfying than the Cowboy Buffet and is located about 7.5 miles from the Park Visitor’s Center. The food was better and offered some better options and atmosphere. In both cases, be prepared to wait in line as the options near the park are limited and a lot of people need to be fed.

Where to obtain Adult Beverages: There are no liquor stores near Bryce Canyon National Park—the nearest is in Panguitch, which is about a half-hour drive each way. The Ruby’s Inn General Store has 3.2 beer and you can get limited cocktails, beer and wine in most restaurants.

Next up, Plus-one – Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument!

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