National Parks

Discover Utah’s Bryce Canyon to Share Fun and Adventure

Discover the pink spires at Bryce Canyon National Park. Photo Credit: National Park Service
Discover the pink spires at Bryce Canyon National Park. Photo Credit: National Park Service

One of Utah’s Mighty Five, Bryce Canyon National Park is a a must when road tripping through the Southwest. A quick drive from its neighbor, Zion, Bryce Canyon is painted in pinks and reds that resembles the sun setting as it fades from pink to orange to vermillion. As one of the smaller parks, Bryce Canyon National Park can be seen in a few hours or over several days. Bryce’s Paunsaugunt Plateau features dramatic scenery draws visitors from around the world. Here are the top things to do in Bryce Canyon with kids.

Table of Contents

Bryce Canyon at at Glance

Year Established: 1928
Located: Utah
Size: over 35,000 acres
Top Features: Pink, red and white hoodoo rock formations

 

Top Things to do in Bryce Canyon with Kids

  • Stop by the Visitor Center
  • Take a Hike
  • Attend a Ranger Program
  • Look at the Night Sky
  • Spend the Night in a Western Cabin

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Visitor Center in Bryce Canyon 

This is the first stop for many park visitors since it offers information, maps along with knowledgable rangers. The Bryce Canyon Visitor Center offers an interpretive film along with a display area.

Park rangers issue back country permits and hand out Junior Ranger booklets. Visitors will also find a bookstore along with restrooms and drinking water.

It is located on Utah Highway 63, past the Bryce Canyon National Park sign. Open daily at 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. during the summer and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the fall and spring (4:30 p.m. in winter).

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Take a hike when you explore Bryce Canyon with kids.
Kids love to hike and Bryce Canyon National Park offers several family hiking trails. Photo Credit: Catherine Parker

Hiking in Bryce Canyon 

Easy Hikes 

Sunset to Sunrise—A 1.0-mile (1.6 km) one-way hike on the rim.

Rim Trail—A 1.0 to 11.0 mile (1.6 km to 17.7 km) one-way hike along Bryce Canyon rim though not a loop. 

Bristlecone Loop—A 1.0-mile (1.6 km) loop through the bristlecone loop.

Moderate Hikes 

Queen’s Garden—A 1.8-mile (2.9 km) one-way trail down into Bryce Canyon, many consider it 

the easiest route. 

What to do in 2 hours

On my first visit, I had limited time so after grabbing a map at the Visitor Center I hopped a complimentary park shuttle. At the Sunrise Point stop, I headed to the Rim Trail, a paved path running next to the edge. To walk from Sunrise Point to Sunset Point is an easy 1.0-mile hike.

NOTE for Families: This path doesn’t feature a fence next to the canyon but is approximately 10 feet off the rim’s edge.

For more adventurous families, the Navajo Trail offers an up-close look at Bryce’s rock formations as the trail takes hikers into Bryce Amphitheater’s slot canyon. It starts at Sunset Point and is a 1.3-mile moderate trail.

I walked over to the Bryce Canyon Lodge to tour the historic park building. Inside I found restrooms along with a large gift shop, a restaurant and a ballroom that hosts ranger programs.

After exploring from Sunrise to Sunset Points, I headed for Inspiration Point. Close but yet another vantage point of the Bryce Amphitheater then boarded the shuttle bus for the roundtrip ride back to the visitor center.

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Bryce Canyon
Bryce Canyon credit: Pixabay

Horseback Riding in Bryce Canyon

Vistors can take a guided horseback riding trip into Bryce Canyon. With a two-hour or a three-hour trip, riders can see the Bryce Amphitheater on the Peek-a-boo Loop Trail. Guided trail rides run from April to October 31. 

Two-hour rides are $75 and three-hour rides are $100. 

Ranger Tours and Talks

Throughout the year, park rangers host ranger tours that are free to join. Visitors should check-in at the visitor center for the most up-to-date schedule. Popular topics include hoodoo geology talk, a rim tour of Bryce Canyon along with a constellation tour after dark.

During the summer season, ranger tour are held daily.

Special Events

Each June, Bryce Canyon hosts a two-day Astronomy Festival. For 2023, the festival is June 14 – 17.

Then in July, Bryce Canyon hosts a two-day Geology Festival. For 2023, the festival is July 15 – 16.

The Christmas Bird Count is another popular event.

Animals in Bryce Canyon 

See a variety of wildlife in Bryce Canyon, like mountain lion, mule deer, prong horn and prairie dogs. In add, there are 59 different mammals in Bryce Canyon. 

Birding is another way to see animals in the park. Western Birdbirds and Robins are in the park in the late winter at the lower elevations. Several varieties of thrushes are also found in the park. Year-round birds include chickadees, woodpeckers and raptors. 

Wildflowers and Trees of Bryce Canyon 

Wildflowers bloom in Bryce Canyon from Spring until Fall. Find blue flax, a couple of varieties of penstemons. western iris, and a Bryce Canyon Paintbrush among others.

Enjoy a blaze of fall color with Quaking Aspen. Also at Bryce Canyon, find evergreen trees like the Great Basin Bristlecone, Ponderosa Pine and Colorado Pinyon. 

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Bryce Canyon National Park night sky
Stay after dark and see the Milky Way in Bryce Canyon. credit: Pixabay

Night Sky Viewing in Bryce Canyon 

Bryce Canyon in an International Dark Skies Park, earning the designation in 2019. With a higher elevation and minimal light pollution from urban areas, Bryce is ideal for stargazing. 

The park’s dark rangers, who specialize in the night sky, host programs to see a world beyond the naked eye. This is one of the top things to do in Bryce Canyon with kids.

Outfitted with high-powered telescopes, dark rangers point viewfinders on the Milky Way and nursery nebulae. On full moons, dark sky rangers guide visitors through Bryce Canyon on moonlit hikes. Kids can even earn the Night Skies Junior Ranger badge at Bryce Canyon. 

What to do with Kids and Dogs in Bryce Canyon 

The Junior Ranger Program is the go-to program for families to learn more about the Bryce Canyon National Park. It’s free and takes about two hours to complete. My kids love the badges that the Rangers present them after completing their booklet. 

Pick up a booklet at any visitor center then complete the age-appropriate activities. Return for a souvenir badge and certificate. It is one of the top things to do in Bryce Canyon with kids.

BARK program

Bryce Canyon National Park welcomes pets as long as they practice the principles of the BARK program.

B–Bag waste and dispose of it in the trash

A–Always leash your dog for their safety and others

R–Respect wildlife

K–Know where you can go

Dogs can walk on the paved areas of the park, like pull-outs. They are also welcome on the Rim Trail between Sunrise and Sunset. For more information, check out the BARK page.

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History of Bryce Canyon National Park

What started as an inland sea approximately 40 million years ago until 20 million years ago when the Colorado Plateau began to rise and dry out. Bryce Canyon’s rainbow-colored limestone layers actually represent different eras of time.

Bryce Canyon is located on the top portion of the Grand Staircase, a sequence of sedimentary rock layers in northern Arizona and southern Utah. It offers a geologic survey of 525 million years displayed in exposed rock. Where Grand Canyon National Park represents the bottom of the Grand Staircase, Zion National Park offers a glimpse of the center.

Ebenezer Bryce, a Mormon Pioneer and Bryce Canyon’s namesake, settled in the area and at times seemed obvious to its haunting beauty. Bryce Canyon National Park earned its national park designation in 1928.

The People of Bryce Canyon

Through archeological studies, scientists discovered people have used the area for over 10,000 years. Due to the harsh winters, people didn’t live in the area year-round. It was a seasonal hunting ground.

Paleo Indians and pueblos people hunted for game. Paiutes harvested pine nuts and hunted rabbits. 

Mormon pioneers came to the area for agriculture in the 1800s. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) arrived in Bryce Canyon in 1933 to build infrastructure for the new park, like trails, campgrounds, parking areas and buildings. 

Where to Eat in Bryce Canyon

General Store

The General Store sells hot and cold grab-and-go items, beverages along with camping supplies and firewood. Showers are available at the general store as well.

Located near the North Campground. Open seasonally from March until the end of December.

The Lodge at Bryce Canyon

Diners can enjoy continental breakfast favorites, like bakery items, cereal and fruit. The lunch menu features salads, sandwiches and burgers. For dinner, guests will find a selection of chicken, steak and fish options. A separate children’s menu is available.

Open seasonally from March until November. 

Valhalla Pizzeria and Coffeeshop

Another option at Bryce Lodge, The Valhalla Pizzeria and Coffeeshop sells pizzas, salads, pastries along with beer, wine and coffee drinks. 

Open seasonally from May until October. 

Stay in a historic cabin when you explore Bryce Canyon with kids.
Reserve a cabin steps from Bryce Canyon’s rim to make memories with your kids. Photo Credit: Catherine Parker

Where to Stay in Bryce Canyon National Park

For lodging inside the park, the Bryce Canyon Lodge offers rooms in the 1925 historic lodge. It is listed on the Register of Historic Places. Each room features a king or two queen beds along with a mini-fridge, a microwave and a coffeemaker. Four suites outfitted with one king bed and a pull-out sofa is available. Rollaways are available.

For guests desiring more space, reserve a western cabin, steps from the canyon’s edge. Each offer rustic elegance in a more private setting with two queen beds, a gas log fireplace with a mini-fridge, a microwave and a coffeemaker. Western cabins also feature a covered porch with 

The Bryce Canyon Lodge features a restaurant, a pizzeria and a gift shop.

Camping in Bryce Canyon

North Campground 
  • Year-round
  • Reservation accepted from May until October, Then First-come, first-serve
  • 99  sites, no hook-ups
  • Potable water and flush toilets, no showers
  • Dump station
Sunset Campground 
  • Spring to Fall
  • First-come, first-serve
  • 100 sites, no hook-ups
  • Potable water and Portable toilets, no showers 

Getting Around Bryce Canyon

Shared Use Path

Consider the paved 18-mile shared use trail that runs from Red Canyon at Paunsaugunt Plateau to Bryce Canyon’s Inspiration Point. It’s open to foot and non-motorized vehicles along with leashed pets. 

Free Shuttle 

Before entering Bryce Canyon National Park, find the Bryce Canyon City Shuttle Parking lot. Shuttle buses run every 15 minutes seasonally from early April until the mid-October. Find seven stops within Bryce Canyon along with five stops in the neighboring town.   

Gateway Town

Right outside of Bryce Canyon National Park, find Bryce Canyon City. It’s a small community with several lodging options, including an RV park. Also find a gas station with a convenience store (think loaf of bread, drinks). 

Where’s Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park is located approximately 270 miles from Las Vegas, Nevada, to the south and 270 miles from Salt Lake City, Utah, to the north. Both cities offer international airports.

Bryce Canyon National Park offers a difference landscape and included in national park itineraries. It’s located 85 miles from Zion National Park. The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is 158 miles away.

Bryce Canyon National Park is open 365-days a year and 24-hours a day. Use an America the Beautiful annual pass ($80) or purchase a 7-day pass for $35 per private vehicle.

Bryce Canyon National Park offers a free seasonal shuttle bus from the visitor center every 15 minutes and stops at the lodge, the campgrounds and Sunset, Bryce, Inspiration and Sunset Points.

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Know Before You Go

  • Bryce Canyon has frequent thunderstorms during Monsoon season, June through August. For your safety, when thunder roars, head indoors.
  • Bryce Canyon doesn’t have a partial fence around the canyon like Grand Canyon. Hike with the kids within arm’s reach.
  • Take it easy at Bryce Canyon, elevations range from 6,600 to 9,100 ft
  • Seasonal road closure can occur during the winter.

Part of Utah's Mighty Five, Bryce Canyon National Park is just down the highway from Zion National Park. With its pink spires, add it to your Utah Road Trip. Use this National Park guide to help plan your next trip. Find out Where to stay, Where to hike and other activities like horseback riding. Where to go in Utah | The National Parks of Utah | Cabins in Bryce Canyon | What do to in Bryce Canyon #NationalParks #Utah
credit: Pixabay

 

Catherine Parker has a passion for travel and seen all 50 U.S. States. As a former flight attendant with one of the largest airlines, there isn't a North American airport that she hasn't landed in at least once. Since clipping her professional wings after 9/11, she combines her love of the open road with visiting architectural and cultural icons. She is based out of Central Texas dividing her time between writing and restoring a pair of 100-year-old houses. She shares her life with her three kids and her husband.

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