Bryce Canyon is an exceptional example of this. I keep wondering when each stop is going to cease to get better than the last. Well, it hasn’t happened yet. I think Bryce may have been a little less crowded than Zion and it showed on the hiking trails. This has been the best hiking so far. At Zion it was all about the views up or down the canyon. At Bryce, you hike among the hoodoos and this is a whole different experience. You still have amazing views of the canyon that’s not a canyon but then you walk up, over and around the hoodoos.
The Park
Elevation is much higher here. At Zion, the altitude was 4,500 to 6,700 mostly on the hikes. I think one I did was over 7,000. Bryce you are between 6,000 and 8,200 most of the time. I think the highest point is around 9200. I did notice the difference. On average at 8,000 feet you are getting about 70% of your normal oxygen so you have to pay attention and listen to you body. While I could tell the air was thinner all the time. It just feels a little different when you breath. The air is dryer also, which means I’ve had to start using lip balm some. The main time I really felt the altitude was when I would climb an incline. Going up really makes it noticeable.
I managed two hikes and the 18 mile scenic drive while at Bryce. I would have liked to do at least one more hike but weather was an issue. Evidently, Bryce is a big lightning rod. Both the trees and the hoodoos attract lightning and rain or storms seemed to roll in most afternoons. The park recommends you hike in the morning when possible. I still work full time so it was 2pm local time each day before I could leave the camper.
Fairyland Loop
My first hike was the Fairyland Loop Trail. You actually access this one from a road before you get to the park gates. This was an 8+ mile hike. For some reason I’m finding that most people do loop hike clockwise. My research on this trail indicated that you should do it counter-clockwise. I know this may confuse people under the age of 30 but you can google it.
Anyway I believe the recommendation was correct. It’s an easier climb out if you go counter clockwise. The trail takes you along the rim for couple of miles before descending into the hoodoos. You get views from above, beside, below and both sides of the hoodoos and canyon walls. I think it’s the thing I liked most about the hike.
I did take a short detour down the Tower Bridge Trail to get some photos of the Tower Bridge formation. When hiking at altitude and in dry climates where you often don’t realize you are still sweating. It’s important to take a lot of water. Your pack will get lighter as you consume it so don’t worry if your pack starts out a little heavy.
This trail is not in the main part of the park and is a little less traveled. One of the reasons I’ve chosen some of the hikes that are longer is that they tend to be less crowded and you get to see a lot on one hike. You do however need to know your limits. I mean once you’ve gone so far you have to finish whether you have the energy or not. Also, plan for the hike to take longer than the average you see on AllTrails. You may need to rest more often at altitude and my big slow down, you will want to take lots of pictures.
This gets me to another equipment note. Take a battery pack to charge your phone. The camera eats a lot of battery power and you don’t want to miss the wildlife or sunset shot because you are out of juice. I also download the trail and use the AllTrail App to keep me on course. I’m finding that not all trails are well marked and you could be without data services so if you have the trail downloaded you can still follow on GPS alone. One other recommendation would be to carry a headlamp. Yes a headlamp and not a flashlight. This way if you don’t make it off the trail by dark you can illuminate the trail where you are looking and keep your hands free for balance or scrambling.
The other trail was also a longer hike and it started from one of the more popular overlooks, Sunset Point. Several trails converge or cross here. This particular trail, Navajo Loop to Peek-A-Boo Loop, is actually a combination of two loop trails. It takes you past many of the parks major formations.
Navajo Loop to Peek-A-Boo Loop
This is a challenging hike with an ascent and a decent from two major sets of switchbacks. You also have a another set of switchbacks to climb on the Peek-A-Boo Loop portion. There is another obstacle on the Peek-A-Boo Loop, Horse poop. This loop joins with a horse trail and you will have to dodge it. Luckily I only smelled it once or twice. A positive is that there is a restroom on this trail and it’s a good opportunity to process all that water you will drink on the way there.
This hike had a lot more variation in terrain and scenery and took you amongst more of the named hoodoos. It was more strenuous overall than the Fairyland Loop hike. I even encountered some melting snow at one point.
The other thing I did on my last day was the scenic drive. You basically enter the park and drive 18 miles to the end which has a parking lot, restrooms and some trailheads. I think this may be the highest point in the park also, well over 9,000 ft in elevation. Then you drive back stopping at pull offs along the way. Each offers a different view into the canyon. All the pull offs have large vehicle/RV parking as well as car parking. Please be considerate and park you regular cars and trucks in the car parking. Yes, I saw people parking in the RV spots.
The Town and Campground
The town of Bryce Canyon kinda follows suite with the other National Park towns. Small and expensive. It appears Ruby owns 75% of the town and I stayed at Ruby’s Inn Campground. I will give Ruby good reviews. The campground was nice, well maintained even with all the one or two night type traffic it gets. The office and small camp store was nice and had staples as well as souvenirs. The campground sits about a mile from the Park entrance and actually has a shuttle stop right on the grounds. They offer bike rentals and other tours at the campground. I’m pretty sure there was a pool. The laundry was large and modern and the bathroom/showers were clean and secured with a code. Firewood was available at the store and not horribly priced.
Ruby also owns an Inn, and a really good restaurant with both a menu and a buffet. A Diner that serves burgers and pizza, this is like fast food. There’s a dinner show that I’m guessing she owns too. I did not try it. Oh there is also a regular rodeo starting in May.
I tried to eat at the Lodge in the Park one day but tour busses had stopped there and it was a two hour wait. The food was recommended and looked delicious but that was too long to wait.
There were no breweries in the area. The food choices were way more limited than around Zion and you should stock up on groceries before arriving. There is not a grocery store within 40 miles. Ruby’s General Store has a small grocery section that will get you by but I highly recommend shopping before you get away from civilization.
I think overall Zion is more popular, has more restaurants and stores in the little town and I think part of this is that it’s so close to Las Vegas and major airports. But I enjoyed Bryce more and thought it was more scenic with better, less crowded hikes. I’m through 3 of Utah’s so called Mighty Five National Parks and Bryce is my favorite overall.
I continue to be surprised at how many foreigner travelers are at these parks and how many of them rent RV’s for the trips. I sat through a whole dinner without hearing English except from my server. This is not a complaint. I’m happy to live in a country with so much beauty that it draw people from around the world. I’ve chatted with several folks from other countries and they are as amazed as I am. It’s great to talk to them and get inside information on their home for when I get to travel over there.
- Campgrounds, Curveballs, and Cold Beers
This summer was supposed to be spent in the great state of Wyoming, checking off some more national parks. The President and Mr. Musk had different plans. Due to the federal cuts, the national park scene has a lot of uncertainty. - Chateau Le Coeur
Just a short ways off of I-10 you will find a winery named Chateau Le Coeur. The owners moved to northern Florida from the Great Northwest. They have wineries and vineyards in Washington and Oregon. They have an interesting story they tell about starting the winery. - Sunday Morning Musings Ep. #6
“We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” – T. S. Eliot - WildEdge Brewing Collective
The food was delicious, at least the chicken salad sandwich, was very, very good. The locals were friendly and as I often do I spent a few beers in bar side communion with them. I am a little bummed that I did not pick up any packaged beer or swag from here.
