Bryce Canyon National Park is a beautiful and diverse outdoor experience with lots of hiking trails available.  Lots of people come every year to experience the views and the trails for themselves.  As you may not have the time to check out all the trails for yourself during your visit (some of these trails are several miles long), I’m going to rank some of the top 5 hikes in Bryce Canyon.

Please keep in mind that these trails are all my own personal opinion.  I’ve compiled my personal list of top 5 hikes in Bryce Canyon from personal experience.  You are free to disagree with me.

5. Queen’s Garden Trail

The Queen’s Garden Trail is a .8 to .9 mile long trail which descends from Sunrise Point.  It leads to a hoodoo said to resemble a statue of Queen Victoria, thus the first part of trail name.  The area which the hoodoo is accessed from could be considered a desert garden, thus the second part of the trail name.  The hoodoo has a sign displaying the hoodoo and the statue which inspired the trail’s name.

The trail is a rather steep and semi-strenuous trail with lots of different views.  The way down is quite easy but the way up is difficult.  This is not a trail which you should take if you are not able to handle moderate amounts of strenuous activity or if you are in a hurry.  The numerous benches you will see on the way down are there for a good reason.

If you are up to this trail, you will be rewarded with varying views of hoodoos and a pleasant hike down into the canyon.

4. Mossy Cave Trail

The Mossy Cave trail is about .4 miles long and not accessed from the park proper.  It is a small offshoot trail which is further down the road and down into the canyon than the main park entrance.  There is currently no entrance fee but limited parking space available.

The Mossy Cave itself (which remains damp or frozen year-round) may not be all that interesting once you get to it (at least I didn’t find it that interesting), but the trail up to it is pretty easy and pleasant to look at.  The trail follows a portion of the Tropic irrigation canal built by the settlers of the nearby town of Tropic.  It even has a man-made waterfall which looks completely natural given the surroundings.

It is a pleasant easy trail which is family friendly.  Just don’t play in the water.  It’s not safe to do so.  Also, public lands like this are not your personal water parks.  See this article on national parks not being amusement parks for more details.

3. Navajo Trail

The Navajo Trail is a well-trafficked 1.5 or so mile loop which will take you to the bottom of the canyon and back past such features as Thor’s Hammer, Wall Street, and Two Bridges.  It is accessed off of Sunset Point on the main amphitheater.

The Navajo Trail will take you past several different kinds of scenery available in Bryce Canyon and, eventually, to the base of the canyon.  It is, however, not a trail for the faint of heart.  There are several steep areas (including the famous Wall Street switchbacks) which are quite taxing on those who are in decent physical condition.

If you are interested in hiking this trail, you will find yourself in good company as it is a popular trail.  You will get to see what might be Bryce Canyon’s only slot canyon along with hiking along the above mentioned Tropic canal (also called the Tropic ditch).  You can also see squirrels, birds, and wildflowers at the right times of year.

2. The Rim Trail

Many visitors to the park think that the Rim Trail extends only a short distance.  This is not true.  The Rim Trail is a 10.7 mile long hike which begins at Fairyland Point, traverses the rim of the main amphitheater, and ends at Bryce Point where you can pick up on the Under-the-Rim Trail and hike further to Rainbow Point.  Fairyland is outside of the main gates but Bryce Point is inside the gates.  On this particular trail, you can pass by all the major viewpoints: Fairyland, Sunrise Point, Sunset Point, Inspiration Point, and Bryce Point.

Given this trail’s length, I feel I should mention that you will find restroom facilities at Sunrise Point, Sunset Point, and Inspiration Point.  You will find people who are interested in hiking a part of the trail.  However, most aren’t interested in hiking the full trail from start to finish.

If you are going to attempt this trail, I recommend that you park a vehicle at the other end for you.  Also, I recommend that you start at Fairyland and end at Bryce Point.  This route will give you bigger and better views as you hike along until you reach Bryce Point where the views are the biggest and best (in my humble opinion, of course).  The full trail, due to length and some steep portions, is not for the faint of heart.  You need some serious endurance and time for this trail.  Portions of the trail, such as from Sunrise Point to Sunset Point, are easy and much more family-friendly.

1. Fairyland Trail

The Fairyland Trail is over 8 miles long in total.  It begins at Fairyland Point and ends close to Sunrise Point.  Fairyland is, of course, outside the main gate but Sunrise Point (at the trail end) is inside the main gate.  Fairyland has limited parking available.

The Fairyland Trail will take you down into the canyon, around the base of the prominent Boat Mesa, and by the Tower Bridge.  People don’t often traffic this particular trail.  This means that you can have a peaceful hike to yourself most of the time.

There are some steep portions on this trail and it is also a long trail much like the rim trail.  It’s not a trail to be attempted lightly.  It’s not for inexperienced hikers.  Due to the lighter traffic, inexperienced hikers should really avoid this trail.  There will probably be no one around to help you if you get lost or hurt.  There’s spotty cell phone signal at the rim of the canyon.  There’s no signal once you descend no matter which trail you pick.

Conclusion

If you want to do some hiking in Bryce Canyon, you’ll need to remember a few things about the area if you intend to do any serious hiking.  Bryce Canyon is in a desert so you must carry water, perhaps more than other places.  Bryce Canyon is also somewhere between 8000 and 10,000 feet above sea level.  You’ll need time to acclimatize to the air density before trying any serious hiking, especially if you are from a much lower elevation.

Bryce Canyon National Park has several different opportunities for the avid hiker.  There are several more trails which I did not mention, such as the Hatbox Trail and the Peekaboo Trail.  If you are looking for good trails to hike, Bryce Canyon has what you are looking for.  Hope you enjoyed my list of top 5 hikes in Bryce Canyon.