Lots of people (by that I do mean millions) come to visit Bryce Canyon National Park every year. Many also take time to visit the MANY surrounding attractions as well. So, naturally, people ask if they can see Bryce Canyon in a day? Is one day enough to see Bryce Canyon in? Today, we’re discussing whether or not you can see Bryce Canyon in a day.
So, you have about a week of vacation and you want to visit southern Utah. There’s a ton to see. You probably know about the well-known national parks such as Arches, Zion, and Bryce. Perhaps you’ve heard of the lesser-known national parks of Canyonlands and Capitol Reef. There’s also Cedar Breaks and Escalante National Monuments too. Now toss in a handful of other local attractions such as Kodachrome State Park, Snow Canyon State Park, Petrified Forest State Park, Goblin Valley State Park, and more. This is not counting the local hollows which the area is full of.
Naturally, you want to pack as much into your trip as you can. So, you ask if one day is enough to see Bryce Canyon. Well, living as close to Bryce Canyon National Park as I do, I can tell you the answer to your question depends highly upon what you want to do while there. If you’re a bit confused, I’ll break it down a bit for you.
It seems that I need to discuss what there is to see in Bryce Canyon before we can approach the topical question of the article. So, I’ll briefly sum up what there is to see and do in Bryce Canyon. Keep in mind that this is a summation and not a detailed list.
Most people come Bryce Canyon to see the main amphitheater. It’s the single biggest and best example of hoodoos in the entire park. It contains 4 viewpoints which have parking lots and even bus stops for the shuttle.
This short hike provides a great place to experience the hoodoos up close and personal. You can also see a marvel in the desert: a cave or overhang which is continually fed with water and grows moss year-round. You can also see an man-made waterfall as an oasis in the middle of the desert. Many people take the opportunity to check this trail out while visiting Bryce. However, there are no shuttle stops nearby and limited parking even with the expanded parking lot.
If there’s a second popular view in Bryce Canyon, it’s the Rainbow and Yovimpa Point area. Located deep in the southern recesses of the park and only accessed by a single road, Rainbow and Yovimpa Points present the second biggest views in the entire park. Sometimes there is a shuttle which runs back this far but it’s not a guaranteed thing. There is a sizable parking lot available as well.
Fairyland is a smaller viewing area which is not part of the main amphitheater nor currently behind the toll gate. It has a parking lot and even a shuttle stop (but Fairyland does not currently appear as a stop on the shuttle route). The main Fairyland trail (an 8 mile hike) connects in with the Rim Trail near Sunrise Point.
Bryce Canyon offers several smaller and more constrained viewpoints which show off different views of parts of the park. Some of these viewpoints have parking lots and some are merely turnouts off the road. Those depicted above are only a few of the available views.
Bryce Canyon features several hiking trails of varying lengths. You can hike a trail (or part of a trail) in an hour or a full day if you choose the right trail. Most of the trails begin at viewpoints with parking lots.
Even though the park is small, Bryce Canyon does offer some back country where you can hike out to. You need a permit to use these portions of the park. This is so the rangers know to look for you in the event of something bad happening. There are a couple access points for back country hikes. They always have parking lots available as the back country includes some campsites.
So, as I said above, whether or not one day is enough for you to see Bryce Canyon depends greatly upon what all you want to see. I just discussed the highlights above as well. So, now you have a decent idea of what to expect.
If all you want to do is hit the high points (usually the main amphitheater, the visitors’ center, the lodge, Thor’s Hammer, and Rainbow Point), then I would say that one day is enough for you to see Bryce Canyon. You may even have enough spare time to toss in a trip to Mossy Cave depending upon your schedule. However, if you intend to do a much deeper dive into the park, then one day is not enough. Just the 8 mile Fairyland trail will take up much of your day. Then there are plenty of other trails to explore too.
So, naturally, with all this information, you want to know how to make one day enough. I understand. Thankfully, I wrote an article about day-tripping Bryce Canyon which should answer all of your questions there. I break things down more there and include my list of suggestions so you can decide for yourself.
The TLDR of that article is that you must weigh all the options before you and choose what you want to see.
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