Hikes We Completed:
- Figure-8 Combination, 6.4 miles, 1575 feet elevation gain, strenuous, this hike combines three hikes: Queen’s Garden,
Navajo Loop, and the Peekaboo Loop - Natural Bridge Overlook, short walk to overlook, Mile 12.25 of the 18 mile Southern Scenic Drive
Hikes We Missed:
- Mossy Cave Trail, .8 miles, 150 feet elevation gain, easy
- Fairy Land Loop Trail, 8 miles, 1900 feet elevation gain, strenuous
Visiting Bryce Canyon
We originally bypassed Bryce National Park to arrive earlier at Zion. However, while driving through the area and seeing the gorgeous colors in the rocks, we knew we had to return and visit this national park. This is a park you must visit to see the hoodoos, the irregular columns of rocks. The hoodoos have layers of colors that make them jaw-dropping beautiful. Cameras do not do it justice.
If you are an early riser or enjoy sunsets, Sunrise Point at Bryce Canyon is said to be an amazing spot to sit and watch the sun glide over the hoodoos. Unfortunately, as we were truck camping without our RV, we did not arise and pack up early enough or stay late enough to see this phenomenon. However, this is on our list when we return to Bryce Canyon.
When you visit the park, also check out Sunset Point. It is in the same parking area as Sunrise Point and many trailheads. Sunset Point offers some of the most famous and breathtaking views of Bryce Canyon’s hoodoos. Per the NPS. gov website, “Nowhere are the colors of Bryce Canyon’s rock better displayed than from Sunset Point”.
Hikes in Bryce Canyon
Originally, we planned to hike the Queen’s Garden Trail, the Navajo Loop Trail, and the Peekaboo Loop Trail separately. However, after reading about the Figure 8 trail that combines all three trails into a more challenging trail, Jessica wanted to try it.
The Queen’s Garden Trail is a lovely trail that begins at Sunrise Point. You hike through hoodoos and rock archways. Simply walking from the parking lot to the trailhead you have astounding views of Wall Street and the colorful hoodoos. Although we enjoyed our hike through Queen’s Garden, Peekaboo Loop blew us away.
The Peekaboo Loop was our favorite part of the Figure 8 trail. The overlooks as you hike up provide you with the most gorgeous views of the hoodoos. We still remember the beauty of this trail. Unfortunately, there are a lot of horses and mules on this trail. We had to stand aside a couple of times to let them pass and then sidestep the remains of the animals. Otherwise, this is a must do hike in Bryce Canyon.
The Figure 8 Combination Hike ended with the Navajo Loop Trail. We won’t lie. We were tired by the time we reached the end of this trail. However, this trail has impressive and unique rock features not found on the other trails. The Navajo Loop also contains the park’s most famous hoodoo: Thor’s hammer. At the end of the trail, we stopped at a huge area between the rock to cool down before attempting the Wall Street switchbacks.
While in the park, be sure to stop at mile 12.25 along the Southern Scenic Drive. You will want to see Natural Bridge, which is a majestic arch at Bryce Canyon. The arch is huge and well worth the stop to see.
Dispersed Camping
While visiting Bryce Canyon National Park, we boondocked at Tom’s Best Spring Dispersed Camping in the Dixie National Forest GPS: 37.728, -112.2487. Right off Highway 12, you turn onto a gravel road. As we were only in the truck we turned into the first right for smaller designated campsites. However, larger rigs can continue further down the gravel road for a campground with larger sites.
We enjoyed this campground and would easily leave our little travel trailer unattended. It is quiet and no one bothered us. In fact, the couple in the Class A parked at the first campsite came over to say hi and introduce themselves. The campground is about half an hour away from Bryce Canyon.