The Perfect One Day in Bryce Canyon National Park Itinerary
If you want to explore the most unique national park in Utah, Bryce Canyon National Park is for you! Bryce Canyon National Park is the land of the hoodoos, which are beautiful spires of rocks, making it very different from the other national parks in Utah.
Although you could spend a few days exploring everything it has to offer, you can see all of the must-see sights in one day in Bryce Canyon National Park. We visited the park for one day and were able to see and hike everything we wanted. It was a long day, but worth it!
If you want to spend one day in Bryce Canyon National Park, you are in the right place! This guide has everything you need to know to create the best one-day itinerary in Bryce Canyon National Park.
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Tips for Spending One Day in Bryce Canyon National Park
Start your day early. Bryce Canyon National Park is very popular and can become very crowded. The parking lots in the park are also pretty small, and they fill up quickly. I recommend arriving at the park as early as you can. I found that arriving before 9:00 AM worked well.
Start or end your day with hiking. Some of the most popular attractions in Bryce Canyon National Park are hikes, and the trails become crowded quickly. Navajo Loop is one of the most beautiful and popular hikes in the park, and I recommend starting or ending your day hiking it to avoid most crowds.
Pack food and water. There aren’t any places to buy food in the park, so I recommend packing your lunch, snacks, and water. Doing so will also help you avoid traffic coming back into the Bryce Canyon National Park. If you drive your car through the park, you can pack a cooler with everything you need! There are a few restrooms throughout Bryce Canyon National Park that have water fountains, so you can fill up your water bottle as you explore the park.
Pack layers. As you drive through Bryce Canyon National Park, you gain elevation, and the endpoint is over 9,000 feet high, which means the weather can vary throughout the park. I recommend packing a few layers to accommodate the change in temperature and weather!
Use the Bryce Canyon National Park shuttle if the park is busy. Because Bryce Canyon National Park experiences heavy crowds, it can be difficult to find parking spots in the small parking lots. Luckily, the park offers a free shuttle that brings you to many of the must-see sights.
Always remember to leave no trace. It’s crucial to pack out what you pack in and leave no trash. Some of these spots have trash bins, so you can easily throw your trash away. If they don’t have trash bins, you can throw your trash away at a nearby gas station or convenience store.
How to Get to Bryce Canyon National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park is located in the southwest corner of Utah near Zion National Park. The closest airports to Bryce Canyon are Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City International Airport in northern Utah. Both airports are about four hours from Bryce Canyon National Park.
I highly recommend renting a car to drive to Bryce Canyon National Park because there is not a direct bus route to the park from either Las Vegas or Salt Lake City.
Where to Stay For One Day in Bryce Canyon National Park
If you plan on spending a night near Bryce Canyon National Park during your one-day itinerary, I recommend finding accommodations in the town of Bryce, which is right outside the park entrance. Bryce has everything you need, including hotels, restaurants, and grocery stores.
Because Bryce is the closest town to the park, the accommodations are expensive. Many other small townsnearby have lodging options that may be cheaper.
If you have or can rent camping gear or a campervan, I highly recommend it because there are campgrounds close to Bryce Canyon National Park. If you are interested in renting a campervan, I highly recommend renting from Escape Campervans!
Best Hotels:
Best Campgrounds:
What to Pack for One Day in Bryce Canyon National Park
Hiking Boots: If you want comfort and support on your trip, hiking boots are the go to.
Hiking Socks: Having moisture-wicking and comfortable hiking socks are just as important for exploring.
Hiking Backpack: You need something to carry all your food, clothes, and anything else you need while adventuring, so having a supportive hiking backpack is crucial.
Hydration Reservoir/Water Bottles: While hiking or just exploring, it is important to have enough water! I always pack a hydration reservoir.
Jackets: The weather is unpredictable, so I always pack a rain jacket and insulated jacket.
Ten Essentials: The Ten Essentials are crucial for hiking!
Microspikes: If you plan on winter hiking, you will need to bring microspikes.
Snowshoes: Also if you hike in the winter, you may need snowshoes.
The Best One Day in Bryce Canyon National Park Itinerary
It is time to begin your fun-filled day in Bryce Canyon National Park! If you are not looking to tackle any big hikes, many beautiful lookouts do not require hiking. Bryce Canyon National Park also has many short and easy trails that are perfect for the entire family.
watch the sunrise at Sunrise Point Or Sunset Point
Sunrise Point and Sunset Point are near the Navajo Loop trailhead and are popular viewpoints in Bryce Canyon National Park because they offer beautiful views. You’ll be able to see the Navajo Loop from both points!
From Sunrise Point, you can see Thor’s Hammer and the Silent City, and from Sunset Point, you can see Wall Street. You can either drive to each or hike an easy and flat 0.5 miles from one viewpoint to the other.
Hike Navajo Loop During Sunrise
Navajo Loop is one of the most popular hikes in Bryce Canyon National Park because it allows you to get an up-close and personal experience with its hoodoos. It is an easy 1.5-mile roundtrip hike that is great for all levels!
Since you will be at Sunset Point for sunrise, you can immediately start hiking hiking Navajo Loop first thing in the morning. Since the trail becomes crowded quickly, morning is the perfect time to enjoy it with fewer crowds.
Navajo Loop starts at Sunset Point and immediately begins descending to the canyon floor over a series of switchbacks. Once you reach the canyon floor, the trail passes some of the park’s most well-known hoodoos, including Wall Street, Twin Bridges, and Thor’s Hammer. Navajo Loop continues winding through the canyon before ascending back to the rim over a series of switchbacks.
Explore Inspiration Point
Inspiration Point is the next beautiful viewpoint on your one-day itinerary, and it is my favorite spot to watch the sunset, although it is beautiful at any point in the day. Inspiration Point only requires a short walk from the parking lot and offers incredible views overlooking thousands of hoodoos.
The next viewpoint on your itinerary, Bryce Point, is much more popular than Inspiration Point, so Inspiration Point tends to be quieter, which is nice!
Walk to Bryce Point
Bryce Point is on the same road as Inspiration Point and is one of the most popular viewpoints in Bryce Canyon National Park. The viewpoint only requires a short walk from the parking lot and has breathtaking views of Bryce Amphitheater.
View the Natural Bridge
As you drive through Bryce Canyon National Park, there will be many beautiful overlooks, but one stands out over the rest. The Natural Bridge is an 85-foot arch created from years of erosion and surrounded by hoodoos. There is a beautiful contrast of color around the Natural Bridge between the red rock of hoodoos and the deep green of the forest. There is no hiking required to see the Natural Bridge, so it is a quick stop during your one day in Bryce Canyon National Park!
Explore Rainbow Point and Yovimpa Point
When you reach the end of the scenic drive through Bryce Canyon National Park, you will arrive at two beautiful viewpoints. Rainbow Point and Yovimpa Point are the highest viewpoints in the park and offer incredible views of the surrounding area.
The area is also the perfect place to see Bryce Canyon National Park’s “Grand Staircase” of rock layers. There are informational areas at the viewpoint that provide insight into how beautiful the Earth is!
If you are up for a short and sweet hike, you can hike the 1-mile Bristlecone Loop that connects Yovimpa Point and Rainbow Point.
Explore the waterfall near Mossy Cave
Now that you have explored the entire Bryce Canyon National Park scenic drive, it is time to head to the east section. If you do not have time, feel free to skip this in your one-day itinerary! In the town of Tropic, only ten minutes from the park entrance, you will find an incredible and hidden waterfall.
Mossy Cave is an easy 1-mile roundtrip hike that brings you to a cave and a beautiful waterfall. The trail starts off following along a stream through a canyon before coming to a fork. The left will bring you to Mossy Cave and the right to a waterfall. I recommend hiking to both since the trail is so short. Mossy Cave will become one of your favorite hikes in Bryce Canyon National Park.
Watch the Sunset at Your Favorite Viewpoint
To end your epic one day in Bryce Canyon National Park, you will choose your favorite viewpoint to watch the sunset. Most people head to Sunset Point, but I think there are much better viewpoints to watch the sunset.
The Best Hikes for One Day in Bryce Canyon National Park
One of the best ways to experience Bryce Canyon National Park is to hike. If you want to fill your one-day itinerary in Bryce Canyon National Park with hikes, you are in the right place!
Navajo Loop & Queen’s Garden Loop for sunrise
Navajo Loop and Queen’s Garden Loop is one of the most popular hikes in Bryce Canyon National Park because it allows you to get an up-close and personal experience with its hoodoos. The 3-mile roundtrip hike is one of the best ways to experience the beauty of Bryce Canyon National Park!
I recommend hiking Navajo Loop and Queen’s Garden Trail first because the trail becomes crowded quickly. Sunrise will have the least amount of crowds.
Navajo Loop starts at Sunset Point and immediately begins descending to the canyon floor over a series of switchbacks. Once you reach the canyon floor, the trail passes some of the park’s most well-known hoodoos, including Wall Street and soon comes to the junction with Queen’s Garden Trail. If you do not want to hike the entire loop, you can finish the hike on the Navajo Loop.
If you want to continue the larger hike, you can follow the Queen’s Garden Trail as it brings you past beautiful hoodoos, including Queen’s Garden, which resembles Queen Victoria. The trail will slowly ascend back to the rim and follow the flat Rim Trail from Sunrise Point to Sunset Point.
There are a few ways you can hike the Navajo Loop and Queen’s Garden Trail. The one described above is the most common way. The second most common is to descend on the Navajo Loop towards Thor’s Hammer and Two Bridges. Both sections of Navajo Loop are beautiful, so if you aren’t sure what you want to do, you could always hike the Navajo Loop and Queen’s Garden Trail separately!
Peek-A-Boo Trail
One of the most popular viewpoints in Bryce Canyon National Park is Bryce Point because it offers stunning views of Bryce’s Amphitheater. A great way to escape the crowds is to hike the 5-mile roundtrip Peek-A-Boo Trail.
The Peek-A-Boo Trail begins at Bryce Point and immediately descends into the canyon for about a mile over a series of switchbacks before coming to the loop junction. You can hike the loop either way, but I recommend hiking the loop clockwise.
Once you are at the trail junction, you will head left and continue looping through the canyon, passing many beautiful hoodoos and rock formations, including the Cathedral and Wall of Windows. The trail will connect back to the junction and begin ascending toward Bryce Point. The Peek-A-Book Trail is one of my favorite hikes in the park!
Bristlecone Loop
Bristlecone Loop is a short and sweet 1-mile roundtrip hike that links the two highest viewpoints in Bryce Canyon National Park. Yovimpa Point and Rainbow Point are at the end of the scenic drive and offer stunning views of the surrounding area and Bryce Canyon National Park’s “Grand Staircase.”
You can begin the Bristlecone Loop at either point and travel along the rim to the other. Although it is a short and easy hike, it provides stunning views!
Fairyland Loop for sunset
To end your epic day hiking through Bryce Canyon National Park, you will hike Fairyland Loop. The loop is similar to Navajo Loop but experiences fewer crowds because of its difficulty and length. It is my favorite hike in the park because the views are breathtaking!
Fairyland Loop is an 8.3-mile, strenuous hike that is worth the sore legs! I recommend allocating at least a few hours to hike Fairyland Loop.
Fairyland Loop begins at Fairyland Point, which is just outside of the park entrance. The trail follows the rim before descending into the canyon. Once you arrive at the canyon floor, you will pass the Tower Bridge junction.
I highly recommend taking the short trail to see the epic Tower Bridge! Fairyland Loop continues winding through the canyon, passing incredible hoodoos and rock formations, before heading back to the rim.
Once you finish the hike, you can watch the sunset from Fairyland Point or head back into the park towards one of your favorite viewpoints.
This guide is the perfect place to start when planning one day in Bryce Canyon National Park. If you want to spend more than one day in Bryce Canyon National Park, you can spread out the must-see sights and plan your hikes for different days.
If you are looking for an epic Utah road trip to all five of its national parks, you can create the ultimate 7-day itinerary. If you have more days in Southern Utah, you can spend one day in Zion National Park or 3 days in Bryce Canyon and Zion!
Hey, I’m Nichole!
I am the creator behind Nichole the Nomad, the home of my explorations around the world, mountain hikes, and beautiful pictures taken along the way. I have a deep passion for capturing the world in a beautiful light and sharing my experiences.
I created this blog to share my travels, show how beautiful the world is, provide tips and tricks for traveling, and encourage you to explore. Whether you want to travel across the world or explore what’s in your backyard, I hope this blog inspires you to get outside and find your adventure!
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