How to See Bryce Canyon in Half a Day

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Bryce Canyon National Park is one of the Mighty Five parks in Utah alongside Zion, Canyonlands, Arches, and Capitol Reef National Park. Most people combine Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park on their trip due to their proximity of being 1.5 hours apart, so it’s a no-brainer to see it. Visitors use the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway from Zion National Park to connect to Bryce Canyon and this is the drive where you don't want to fall asleep because there are so many photo-worthy pit stops that may take you longer to get to your destination.

How much time do you need to see Bryce Canyon National Park?

You can see the top highlights of Bryce Canyon in half a day by hiking one short trail and driving to the popular viewpoints. We left Zion National Park at 9 am and finished by 2:45 pm in October.

Best time to visit:

Spring (May-June) and Fall (September-October) is the best time to visit with manageable weather and fewer crowds. I came in mid-October and it happened to be 40 degrees but the weather can vary throughout the week. Expect to see snow in December and certain trail closures.

Months to avoid: July to August to avoid over-crowding and lightning storms.

Note: March to April has possible snow storms and muddy conditions.

Should you take the free shuttle?

The National Park service offers an optional free shuttle for visitors who have a park entrance receipt or annual pass (along with everyone that arrives in the same vehicle). The shuttle runs between April to October and it can get congested during the busy summer months with parking being limited. If you know that you are arriving in the late morning or afternoon, I would advise to take the free shuttle because it comes every 15 minutes. If you arrive early morning before 9 am or during the shoulder months like October, you should be okay with parking. For the most updated schedules, you'll want to visit the official Bryce Canyon park service website.

Bryce Canyon Activities to Complete in Half a Day

Stop by the Bryce Canyon's Visitor Center

Before you start exploring, stop by the visitors center to get your final questions answered by the friendly park rangers. They are very resourceful and provide great tips. My sister and I always like to get our national park souvenirs either before or after our visit.

Tip: Always grab a map in case you get lost. There is no signal on the trails.

Hike the Navajo Loop and Queens Garden Trail

Navajo Loop and Queens Garden Trail is the most popular trail at Bryce Canyon that can be completed in 70 minutes without stopping, but I already know you will stop because the views are out of this world. Navajo Loop and Queens Garden Trail are connecting trails that take you through the bottom of the pink canyons. Start counter-clockwise on Navajo Loop to see Wall Street instead of clockwise like the park ranger suggests because you’ll avoid the steep incline and the switchbacks at the start of the trail. There’s amazing scenery throughout the hike, but the switchbacks through the canyon are stunning. If you decide to go counter-clockwise, be careful of the descent because most of the injuries happen when people walk down (instead of up). You’ll want to slap on plenty of sunscreen and bring water because most of the trail is exposed to the sun. I came at the end of October, so I imagine it’s blistering hot during the summertime.

• Length: 2.9 miles

• Difficulty rating: Easy

Sunrise Point

No hiking is necessary to see the vista point at the start of Queen Gardens Trail. You can easily walk to Sunset Point within 5-10 minutes along the Rim Trail. A great place to see the sunrise with the name and all.

Sunset Point

Vista point at the start of Wall Street/Navajo Loop that connects to Sunrise Point within a short walk along the Rim Trail. I'm sure the viewpoint must be stunning here during sunset. It was a cloudy day in October, and we left by mid-afternoon so we didn't get a chance to see any sunsets.

See a Bird's View at Bryce Point

The highest viewpoint of Bryce Canyon stands at 8,296 feet elevation. No hiking is necessary to see Bryce Point so you simply park your car and the view is before your eyes! Luckily Bryce Canyon seems to have less visitors, so parking was not difficult.

This Mammut waterproof jacket kept me warm and dry.

What to bring:

• Sunscreen: I currently love Blue Lizard sunscreen for it's hypoallergenic formula, along with paraben-free and fragrance-free and reef-friendly

• Disposable bag. Leave no trace of your trash by packing in and packing out what you bring

• Snacks and water. They have a small convenience store, with limited food options

• Proper hiking shoes. I use the Merrell Women's Moab 3 Mid Waterproof Hiking Boots

• Sweater or jacket (for Spring, Fall, or Winter). I used the Mammut waterproof rain jacket on this trip and it kept me warm and dry.

• Hiking backpack

Shop Hiking Essentials

Visitors usually combine their road trip with a visit to Zion National Park too, so I also recommend reviewing a 1-day itinerary at Zion National Park too.

Comment if you have any more questions about Bryce Canyon National Park.