• HOME
  • ABOUT
  • WORK
  • CONTACT
  • COURSE
  • DESTINATIONS
  • Nav Social Icons

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • WORK
  • CONTACT
  • COURSE
  • DESTINATIONS
  • Mobile Menu Widgets

    Connect

    Search

Bucketlist Bri

Bucketlist Bri

Adventurous Slomad Travel

  • Start Here
  • Destinations
  • Digital Nomad
  • Responsible Travel
  • Slow Travel
  • Van Life

The Perfect One Day in Bryce Canyon National Park

Last Updated: July 18, 2022 · Southwest, USA

With fiery orange and creamsicle-colored hoodoos, epic valley views, winding trails, and towering Douglas Fir trees, Bryce Canyon seriously tops the charts for one of the best national parks we’ve ever visited. It’s no wonder it’s a part of Utah’s “Big 5”! On our 2-week road trip across the Southwest, we decided to spend one day in Bryce Canyon National Park soaking up the best viewpoints and hiking the best trails. I’m so glad we did because Bryce Canyon is unreal!

What’s so cool about Bryce Canyon is that you can easily visit it in one day. Since it’s so much smaller compared to its neighboring national parks, you’ll have no problem visiting Bryce Canyon in one day before journeying on to your next destination.

Even with a day trip to Bryce Canyon, there’s ample time to do some hiking down in the valley amongst the hoodoos, visit several viewpoints, see the iconic Thor’s Hammer, and drive the Bryce Canyon scenic route.

If you are budgeting your time between the parks, here’s everything you need to know about how to make the most of your time with one day in Bryce Canyon.

Here’s how to spend an epic one day in Bryce Canyon! Before you go — make sure to snag a 2022-2023 national park pass and save on national park entry fees.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links that may earn me a small commission should you decide to click through and make a valid purchase (at no extra cost to you). Thanks so much for your support!

Table of Contents show
The Perfect One Day Bryce Canyon Itinerary
Viewpoints
Best Hikes to Do with 1 Day in Bryce Canyon
Queen’s Garden Trail (0.9 miles one-way)
Navajo Loop Trail (1.4-mile loop)
Where Is Bryce Canyon?
Where to Stay in Bryce Canyon
Bryce Canyon Maps
The Best Time to Visit Bryce Canyon
The Best Things to Do in Bryce Canyon National Park in One Day
Walking & Hiking
Viewpoints
Visitor Center
Camping
Stargazing
Save this 1 day in Bryce Canyon guide to Pinterest!

The Perfect One Day Bryce Canyon Itinerary

The best way to make the most of one day in Bryce Canyon National Park is to arrive in the morning between 8 and 9 AM (or earlier). That way you can get started on the hikes without the heat of the day. This will also give you more time for seeing more viewpoints!

Here’s my personal recommendation on how to organize one day in Bryce Canyon.

Note: Entry for 1 day in Bryce Canyon costs $35. If you plan to visit other parks in the Southwest, then consider buying the National Park Pass called America The Beautiful. It costs $79.99 and has limitless entries to over 2,000 federal recreation parks across the USA and is valid for one whole year!

usa national park pass

Viewpoints

The best viewpoint to start at is Sunset Point. Drive straight there and park. From here, you’ll walk along the edge of the plateau to Sunrise Point. Make sure to go slowly and take in the mind-blowing views of Bryce Amphitheatre.

When you park at Sunset Point, you’ll walk along the edge of the plateau via the paved Rim Trail and then start your descent on the Queen’s Garden Trail.

On your round-trip hike (assuming you continue from Queen’s Garden on the Navajo Loop trail), you’ll end up back at Sunset Point where your car is located. Then, hop in your car and finish visiting the other awesome viewpoints at Inspiration Point, Bryce Point, Fairyland Point, and Rainbow Point.

The scenic driving route is 18 miles long in total (one-way), starting at the visitor’s center and ending at Rainbow Point.

Tip: You could also do the viewpoints/hikes in reverse, but doing it this way makes you end with the most exciting/scenic parts of the hike and is the best option for a one-day itinerary.

One Day in Bryce Canyon National Park - Bryce Amphitheatre

Bryce Point Viewpoint (3rd level)

Best Hikes to Do with 1 Day in Bryce Canyon

To get a fantastic overview of Bryce Canyon in one day, I recommend combining the Queen’s Garden Trail with a portion of the Navajo Loop Trail (either Wall Street or Twin Bridges). Combined with the small walk from Sunset to Sunrise Points, this hike is approximately 2.9 miles total and will take 2-3 hours to complete.

Bryce Canyon Tunnel
bryce canyon national park

Queen’s Garden Trail (0.9 miles one-way)

Start with the Queen’s Garden Trail. It is a fairly short, 0.9-mile route that descends from Sunrise Point (you’ll walk there from Sunset Point, where you left your car).

From here, you’ll hike down winding dirt terrain into the valley of the hoodoos. The Queen’s Garden trail introduces you to all the gorgeous formations and stunning geology of Bryce Canyon – the hoodoos, the windows, and the fins. When you see signs to go left for the Navajo Loop, continue straight to reach the official end of Queen’s Garden Trail.

Here, at the end of the trail, you’ll be in the Queen’s Garden – there’s literally a hoodoo spire that is shaped like a queen looking out onto her “garden” of other hoodoos (there’s a sign pointing her out). There are a few shady trees to plop down on and eat a snack. Don’t feed the tiny ground squirrels or Uinta chipmunks that approach you! It makes them become overweight and dependent on humans for food.

Once you’re ready to leave, instead of hiking back up the Queen’s Garden trail, take a right onto the Navajo Loop Trail.

The best way to spend one day in Bryce Canyon is to combine these two trails into one awesome hike.

Navajo Loop Trail (1.4-mile loop)

The Navajo Loop Trail is a 1.4-mile loop that continues from the Queen’s Garden Trail. It gently descends further into the valley and levels out onto a flat walking path speckled with trees.

So now you have two options to see part of the Navajo Loop trail and finish your hike at Sunset Point.

You can either 1. swing left to continue onto Wall Street (my recommendation) or 2. hang a right on journey onward via Twin Bridges.

Note: Both the Wall Street and Twin Bridges hikes are 0.7 miles each and feature roughly 550 ft inclines.

Navajo Loop Trail

After another half mile off the Queen’s Trail and on the Navajo Loop Trail, you’ll come to another fork in the road. This is where the Navajo Loop Trail divides into the Wall Street Trail and Twin Bridges Trail.

Wall Street 

If you have to choose one, I’d recommend hiking Wall Street. This portion of the Navajo Loop trail just blew our minds. The landscape from the valley floor begins to change dramatically as you begin to enter into a narrow canyon.

You’ll see Bryce Canyon’s only slot canyon as you reach two towering 400-year-old Douglas Fir trees. (Make sure to bring your wide-angle lens to capture its enormity in one shot!)

After you pass the trees, you’ll climb a few steps into Bryce’s slot canyon. The perspective from here is breathtaking.

You’ll then reach Wall Street – the dizzying switchbacks that climb up over 500+ feet to the top. The views on the way up are so impressive and you’ll end your hike with a bang! Once at the top, turn around for even more epic views of the switchbacks that you just mastered!

wall street hike bryce canyon national park
Bryce Canyon 400-year-old Douglas Fir Trees

Twin Bridges

Twin Bridges is an alternative to Wall Street. It’s considered less scenic overall, but it does have a gorgeous switchback section as well. It also has Thor’s Hammer (although you can see this at the top once you come back from Wall Street too). Twin Bridges will be the only option if you’re hiking in winter, as Wall Street closes during that time. If you’re hiking in the summer and have extra time, you could totally do both. But if you have just one day in Bryce, it’s best to choose Wall Street!

One Day in Bryce Canyon - Twin Bridges Trail and Thor's Hammer

No matter which route you take, you’ll end up back at Sunset Point.

From here you can hop into your car and visit the viewpoints I suggested above. For our itinerary, we drove to Inspiration Point and Bryce Point and hiked up to the 3rd level of the viewing deck to get one of the best views of Bryce Canyon.

View from atop Wall Street just below Sunset Point

I hope this one-day itinerary helps you plan your trip to Bryce Canyon National Park!! Below are more travel tips and essential information you should know before visiting. 🙂

Where Is Bryce Canyon?

Bryce Canyon National Park sits in the southwestern part of Utah and is easily reached by car from Zion National Park or Highway 89 or the scenic Highway 12.

Since they’re so close, most people visit Bryce Canyon on a day trip from Zion National Park. Here are the driving times for getting to Bryce Canyon from nearby destinations.

  • Springdale, UT (south entrance of Zion) – Bryce: 2 hours (1.5 hours if you’ve already driven through the park and exit at the east entrance of Zion)
  • Escalante, UT – Bryce: 1 hour
  • Las Vegas, NV – Bryce: 4 hours
  • Horseshoe Bend (Page, AZ) – Bryce: 2.5 hours

Alternatively, you could stay overnight near Bryce Canyon and experience both sunrise AND sunset. Plus, we’ve heard that Bryce Canyon has some of the best stargazing because of the insane dark sky thanks to zero light pollution.

Also Read: Grand Canyon North Rim vs South Rim – Which Should You Visit?

Bryce Point Viewpoint

Where to Stay in Bryce Canyon

The Lodge at Bryce Canyon — The Bryce Lodge is the best option for comfy accommodation inside Bryce Canyon City (located inside Bryce Canyon National Park past the visitor’s center). The Bryce Lodge gives you front-door access to the best of Bryce – right in between the Sunrise and Sunset Viewpoints where you’ll have the best view of the Bryce Amphitheatre.

North & Sunset Campgrounds — The only two campgrounds inside BCNP. North Campground can be found just beyond the visitor’s center to your left. The Sunset Campground lies just off the road on the right further down between Sunset and Inspiration Point Viewpoints. If you’re camping in tents, take note that Bryce Canyon sits at an 8,000 ft elevation so nights and mornings can get pretty chilly!

Bryce Canyon Maps

Here are two handy maps of the Bryce Canyon area so you can get a better idea of where the viewpoints and hikes are.

Note: Disregard the little stick man. This loop via Queen’s Garden/Navajo Loop/Wall Street takes 2-3 hours to complete!

Download the large map of Bryce Canyon here (includes scenic drive points).

Download the detailed map of Bryce Amphitheatre here (for detailed hiking trails and names).

The Best Time to Visit Bryce Canyon

April – October are the best months to visit Bryce Canyon. Bryce sits at 8,000 ft elevation (2438 m) which is considered high altitude. That said, you might have some difficulty breathing while at Bryce! I didn’t really notice, but Paul did note having a harder time breathing when hiking.

The cool thing about Bryce Canyon is you could visit virtually year-round. In the late fall and winter, it’s special to see Bryce’s crimson hoodoos blanketed in the snow while the late spring and summer are perfect for hiking and stargazing.

Most of the hikes and viewpoints are open during winter, except for the Wall Street trail which is routinely closed in winter (probably due to the steeper switchbacks), and the portion of the Rim Trail from Inspiration Point to Bryce Point.

We went to Bryce Canyon in mid-August and found the temperature pleasant – much more than at Zion. It was sunny with a mild breeze and perfect for hiking. Then suddenly around noon, while we were standing looking out at the top-tier of Bryce Point, it started raining and became extremely cold! We were shocked at the temperature difference that took only minutes to change. So make sure to bring a jacket and some warmer clothes as a backup or in case you are spending early mornings or evenings in Bryce.

The Best Things to Do in Bryce Canyon National Park in One Day

Walking & Hiking

Obviously, one of the best things to do in Bryce is actually exploring it on your own two feet! There are dozens of trails to do – from short to long (65 miles in total!). We found hiking to be the highlight of our visit to Bryce because we were able to get right up under the hoodoos down in the Bryce Amphitheatre.

The best time for hiking in Bryce is in the morning, so count on arriving sometime between 8 and 9 AM to make the most of your day trip. That way, you’ll have a couple of hours to hike before the peak heat of the day. Don’t forget, all the trails lead down into Bryce Canyon, meaning the return will have to be uphill!

Viewpoints

Viewpoints and the scenic drive are the second best thing to do in Bryce Canyon. Many people only come for the viewpoints and skip out on the hiking, but I personally feel that offers a limited view of Bryce Canyon. Nonetheless, the viewpoints do offer incredible panoramic views of Bryce Amphitheatre and merely walking in between the viewpoints is somewhat of a trot itself.

Visitor Center

When you arrive in Bryce Canyon, your first stop will likely be at the Visitor Center. Now’s a good time to get important trail updates, ask rangers questions, or reserve your backcountry permit (required for backcountry hiking). The Bryce Visitor Center has bathrooms, exhibits, pamphlets, and a movie. The gift shop also has tons of souvenirs and all purchases directly help support the upkeep of the park!

Camping

The North and Sunset campgrounds are the only two campgrounds within the Bryce Canyon National Park. Together, they have over 200 tent and RV sites available on a first-come, first-serve basis, apart from a dozen or so sites at each that can be reserved in advance. If you go camping, pack for cold weather and bring your own firewood and most of your supplies!

Stargazing

If you have the opportunity to stay overnight in Bryce Canyon, do it! Bryce Canyon is said to be one of the darkest places in the world. You can see the Milky Way sparkle in its entirety and see the hoodoos under the moonlight. Ask about ranger-guided night hikes or stargazing opportunities at the visitor center during your visit.

There’s so much to do in Bryce Canyon in one day. I hope you can make the most of your time in Bryce with this itinerary! If you have any questions about the hikes or viewpoints for one day in Bryce Canyon, then feel free to reach out and drop me a message or comment.

Save this 1 day in Bryce Canyon guide to Pinterest!

  • Share on TwitterShare on Twitter
  • Share on FacebookShare on Facebook
  • Share on PinterestShare on Pinterest
  • Share via EmailShare via Email

By: Bri · In: Southwest, USA · Tagged: Hiking

you’ll also love

hiking trail in lake atitlan guatemala with view on San Pedro volcano9 Incredible Hikes Around Lake Atitlán
Couple standing atop Indian Nose summit overlooking Lake Atitlan in GuatemalaHiking Indian’s Nose in Lake Atitlán with a Geologist
woman atop Cerro Don Lauro in San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas, MexicoHiking to the Sacred Mountain of Cerro Don Lauro in Chiapas

Join the List

Stay up to date with the latest adventures and travel guides.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Next Post >

A Beginner’s Guide to Hiking the Narrows in Zion

Primary Sidebar

hello!

I’m Bri, an adventurous digital nomad living abroad full-time since 2015. It is my hope to inspire you to live a life of adventure, seek out meaningful experiences, and travel slowly and mindfully!

About Me

Connect

join the list

Featured Posts

Goddess art statue "Ven a la Luz" in Tulum Mexico

Ultimate Tulum Itinerary: How to Spend Your Days in Tulum

cenote cristal in tulum mexico

The Ultimate Guide to Cenotes Cristal y Escondido in Tulum

6 Best Places to Stay in San Pancho (Tested + Approved!)

QUICK LINKS

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • WORK
  • CONTACT
  • COURSE
  • DESTINATIONS

Search

Let’s Connect!

@bucketlistbri

Tips from a long-time nomad ⬇️✨ 💻 WORKIN Tips from a long-time nomad ⬇️✨

💻 WORKING ONLINE
While not all nomads/remote workers have online-specific jobs, it’s the easiest way to sustain an income for full-time or long-term travel. Here are some jobs you can do as a digital nomad!

• Blogging (This is what I do full-time!)
• Content Creation / Brand Sponsorship
• Virtual Assisting
• Social Media Management
• YouTube or Podcasting
• Graphic / Web Design
• Coding / Development
• Photography / Videography
• Freelance Writing (How I started)
• Marketing / Amazon FBA / Ecommerce

📍PICKING YOUR DIGITAL NOMAD DESTINATION
There are many countries out there offering digital nomad visas, but you don’t even need one to just travel as a tourist and stay in-country for 30, 60, 90, or 180 days. Nomads go everywhere as long as there’s a Wi-Fi connection, some countries you may consider are Portugal, Mexico, Costa Rica, Thailand, Vietnam, Croatia, Canada, Colombia, Indonesia, Brazil, and beyond! Even lesser-known places such as Namibia are starting to offer nomad visas to entice long-term travelers to visit.

🏡 FINDING HOUSING ABROAD
Read my blog post for the full guide on this, but basically, check local Facebook groups for renting local housing for extended stays and then use Airbnbs for shorter stays or to negotiate longer contracts with the owner. There are even more “nomad rental websites” these days to make finding accommodation even easier. Don’t overlook co-living/working spaces too like Selina where the digital nomad community tends to congregate.

💛 EXPLORING LOCALLY/RESPONSIBLY
As always, be mindful and respectful when you visit these communities. Many small towns are struggling with rapid growth and overdevelopment so be mindful of your choices of where you stay, how you spend your money, and who you support.

My best advice + detailed guides are all on the blog, free for you to use! Let me know if you have any questions about digital nomad life! 

Lastly, don’t overthink it. Moving countries isn’t as intimidating as you may think! It’s become second nature for us now after several years! 🐈‍⬛💃🌎✨
I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to discover t I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to discover this incredible country beyond the resorts and beaches, having lived temporarily in 5 out of the 32 Mexican states (Nayarit, Quintana Roo, Chiapas, Oaxaca, and now Baja California Sur) as a digital nomad who’s been slow traveling/living in and out of Mexico since 2018. 

There is so, so much cultural and natural beauty in Mexico — I wish more people could experience this country for themselves and not through the eyes of the media.

***Please visit Mexico as a digital nomad (or tourist in general) responsibly and mindfully. Stay local, eat local, drink local, shop local, support local. Leave No Trace and be conscious of your choices and impact!*** 

Here are the cities/towns we’ve slow traveled/lived in for extended stays.

• Oaxaca City — a colorful, historic open museum rich in indigenous culture and gastronomy 
• San Cristóbal de las Casas — an endearing pueblo mágico in the Chiapas Highlands
• La Paz — the capital city of BCS teeming with marine life, diving, fish tacos, and desert vibes
• San Pancho — an eco-conscious town in Nayarit famous for its sunsets and community
• Tulum — no introduction needed (and I wouldn’t go back here as a nomad due to overdevelopment)

Other great cities/towns/destinations for digital nomads are:

• Guadalajara (state of Jalisco)
• Santiago de Querétaro (state of Querétaro)
• San Miguel de Allende or Guanajuato City (state of Guanajuato)
• Playa del Carmen (state of Quintana Roo)
• Valladolid or Mérida (state of Yucatán)
• México City/CDMX (state of México)
• Sayulita (state of Nayarit)
• Puerto Vallarta (state of Jalisco)
• Puerto Escondido (state of Oaxaca)

I’d love to know what you think about Mexico and where you’ve been in the comments! 🇲🇽💛

And for the detailed guide of 13 places to live/visit, read my blog @bucketlistbri .com (just type in “places to live mexico” in the quick search bar if you can’t find the post under my “Mexico” category).

#mexicomagico #digitalnomad #visitmexico #livingabroad #fulltimetravel #mexicotravel #mexicodestinations #nomadadigital #nomada #mexicomaravilloso #slowtravelling #mindfultravel
PSA: Your anxiety, problems or (bad) habits will f PSA: Your anxiety, problems or (bad) habits will follow you around the world until you face them no matter how much you travel or move countries 🙃 

I know I’m not the only one that feels restless at times and idolizes moving to a new region/country/continent to shake my feelings of anxiety or self-doubt or fear! (Also, I tend to think about moving to another country even when I just moved to a new one 😅)

I know because I have lived abroad for 8+ years. I used to try to drown out my icky feelings and past traumas with lots of alcohol but now I carry them with me like I do my mismatched socks — they add to the quirkiness and remind me I don’t have to be, and am not, perfect. 

And that life is more interesting that way, anyway. 

Anddd that most importantly, whenever I get lost, I can and will be found again — I just may look and think differently after new adventures but I am still loved and never lost forever 🧦 ✨💛 

In sum, whether you travel full-time or not, take care of yourself ✨💛

#nomadness #nomadlife #lifeofadventure #livingabroad #fulltimetravel #offbeattravel #remoteworklife #homeawayfromhome #slowtravelstories #mentalhealthawarness
The 4 core ingredients to a recharged Bri: 💛 P The 4 core ingredients to a recharged Bri:

💛 Paul
😻 Yoda
🌍 Traveling & adventuring
👩🏼‍💻 Blogging & writing

Among other things like nature, photography, reading, animals, journaling, art, playing Zelda/games, dancing/music, culture/languages, enjoying rly good food and drinks! 😋 

What about you? What recharges you?? 

#rechargemysoul #blogging #adventures #writing #soulfulliving #mindfulliving #mindfultravel #nomadcouple #creativeliving
1 WEEK COSTA RICA ITINERARY👇🦋✨ 🌋 ARENA 1 WEEK COSTA RICA ITINERARY👇🦋✨

🌋 ARENAL // LA FORTUNA (2 days)
- Hike in the Arenal Volcano National Park
- Indulge in a local chocolate/coffee tour (s/o to @northfieldscafe)
- Go on a wildlife safari float (s/o to Raúl for pura vida vibes!)
- Lounge in natural hot springs (highly recommend the budget-friendly Relax Termalitas in Fortuna)
- Visit La Fortuna waterfall
- Check out the Butterfly Conservatory

🦥 QUEPOS // MANUEL ANTONIO (2-3 days)
- Take a guided or DIY tour of Manuel Antonio National Park
- Chill out on the Espadilla beach
- Explore the cute towns
- Watch for wildlife in the trees!

🌿 MONTEVERDE // SANTA ELENA (2 days)
- Visit/hike in the Monteverde Cloud Forest
- Go ziplining
- Birdwatching on a canopy tour
- Monteverde coffee tour
- Do a nature night walk

My sister and I surprised our mom with this bucket list trip on her birthday, and we had a blast! 🥹

Send this itinerary to someone you know who has always wanted to go to Costa Rica 🦋💛✨🌿🦜🐒

#costarica #bucketlisttrip #puravida #costaricaitinerary #lafortuna #manuelantonio #monteverde #ecotourism
Swimming with the biggest fish in the world is a q Swimming with the biggest fish in the world is a quite a humbling experience, and one that’s been at the top of my bucket list for ages! 🥺

Right now is prime whale shark season in La Paz in Baja California Sur, Mexico, so Paul and I made sure to go before we jetted off to see family for the holidays! I’m still in awe of these gentle giants and the fact that we got to swim alongside them!

Read all about the best whale shake tours in La Paz + ethical whale shark tourism in my latest blog post! Link in bio 💛

Send this to a friend who loves whale sharks! 🐳🦈

#whalesharks #lapaz #bajacaliforniasur #ethicaltravel #responsibletravel #ecotourism #golapaz #mexicotravel #bucketlist #seaofcortez
Follow My Adventures

Footer

On the Blog

  • Start Here
  • Destinations
  • Digital Nomad
  • Responsible Travel
  • Slow Travel
  • Van Life

Info

  • Work With Me
  • Blog Course
  • Shop
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

adventures await x

Copyright © 2023 · Bucketlist Bri | All Rights Reserved

6.0K shares