How to see Bryce Canyon National Park

I have quite a bit to say about my trip to Bryce Canyon and so much to show you but if I were to sum up my trip to this place I’d just have to say the sights here were some of the prettiest I have ever seen. If you — like me — love rocky destinations, you know what I mean.

Even though I would have liked to see Bryce Canyon in another season and not when there was snow there (not that I have anything against the snow; I just would have liked to see the park in its red glory), I am still tipsy from the trip to Bryce Canyon National Park.

Today, as I give you an account of my trip to this national park that is known for its red-rock hoodoos, I’d like to suggest an itinerary for you, if you haven’t been there as yet (I’ll tell you why at the end of this blog post.) And if you don’t think you’d be able to trip to this gorgeousness in the state of Utah, this is your trip there. Come, let me show you around.

How to see Bryce Canyon National Park

As I was planning the trip to Bryce Canyon, I read through the NPS site, Nat Geo and a few other sites and blogs, and everybody had different things to say when it came to the navigation of this park on western edge of the Colorado Plateau. By the end of all that homework I did, I had a strong feeling about how I should be seeing this park, and I’m glad I went with my gut.

We entered this national park from the north. After we made a stop at the visitor center we headed straight south instead of stopping at one of the most popular POIs in this park — the Bryce Amphitheater. We saved that for the last and it was the best decision of the day!

The 17-Mile Drive

The 17 mile drive (on Bryce Canyon Road) towards the south of the park leads to Rainbow Point, which looks out into the grand staircase of the Colorado Plateau. The overlooks there showcase all the different types and different colors of rocks that comprise the area.

As you drive down south there are several other places you can stop at. They are all well-marked and there are decent-sized parking lots, too. My strategy was to stop at those points that had parking space available, as we drove south and if parking looked difficult, to just drive on and stop on the way back. With most of those stops being on the side of the northbound lane, it felt like a good plan.

On the way to Rainbow Point, we stopped at Swamp Canyon Overlook, Fairview Point, Natural Bridge, Panderosa Canyon, & Agua Canyon.

Rainbow Point is a must-stop point. The views at most vista points offer sweeping views but this one gives you much more than a 180-degree view.

The views from the stops along Bryce Canyon Drive:

I would have loved to hike to the Yavimpa Point too; it was high on my list but we decided to give it a skip because of the season that it was. We had to head back to southern Utah before dark as the roads were icy and these parts were expecting a storm later that night. And before we left the park and started that 2.5 hour drive back to our vacation rental, I had to see and show my family that grand view at the most popular part of the park.

However on our way back down the Canyon Road, something told me I had to stop at Agua Canyon, which we had left out on the way down. When we got there,  I hopped out of our rented Jeep to peek at the sights and I was thankful for listening to my gut again. There, I saw some majestic rocks that were way taller than the hoodoos I’d been seeing that day. These seemed to stand out and demand attention. I just had to get the family out to take in one more view along the scenic drive.

Bryce Amphitheater

Now onto that sight I had saved for last — Bryce Amphitheater. I’d seen this picture — of a large stone bowl filled with upright rocks — so many, many times and I knew what to expect. But I swear, all that homework, and all that drooling over the amphitheater’s pictures on the gram hadn’t prepared me for the beauty of this natural wonder!

My jaws dropped — literally!

Laying my eyes on this amphitheater that’s spread over 6 square miles was the perfect way to top that trip to Bryce Canyon National Park.

(I did look out for the road to Fairyland Canyon on our way out but it was closed for the winter. I should have been disappointed about that and not having been able to do a proper hike in this national park. I would have loved to try the Queen’s Garden Trail or the Fairyland Loop but there was a little too much snow down there and we had to get to Washington, UT before dark. It was a winter day hence a short one. Well, yeah — I should have been disappointed but somehow I was intoxicated by that site of Bryce Amphitheater and my heart felt full. Yes, it did! 🙂

Suggested Itinerary for Bryce Canyon National Park

• When you get to the park, do the drive to Rainbow Point first
• Let Bryce Amphitheater be the ‘grand finale’ of the trip to this national park.
• Except of course, if you don’t have much time here and can only see an attraction or two, in which case you just have to see the amphitheater, first (or second)!
• If you have only a couple of hours to spend here, let that be at one of the points on the rim of the Bryce Amphitheater. There’s Bryce Point, Sunset Point …
• If you’re going in winter, make sure to take some snowboots along. You don’t want slippery paths preventing you from taking in the sights of what must be one of the prettiest national parks in the United States of America.

More —
from Utah, USA
from US National Parks

Linking to —
Pictorial Tuesday
My Corner of the World

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