Bryce Canyon National Park
About Bryce Canyon National Park
The contrast created by the bright orange hoodoos and green trees is stunning. Bryce Canyon is definitely one of my favorite places that I have been. There is an endless amount of beauty to see at Bryce Canyon. One of my favorite aspects of the park is how easily accessible it is. You can drive up to any of the most popular lookout spots and hop out for some great views.
Best View Near Bryce Canyon
If you are driving in from the west to Bryce, you will pass through Red Canyon which has similar orange rock structures to Bryce. It is less well known but still has plenty of sights to admire. It is a great spot to watch the sunset over the orange rocks. Bryce isn’t the best because the sun sets on the far side of the park with no hoodoos.
Navigating Bryce Canyon National Park
Once you enter Bryce you are given a map and can find plenty online as well. You can purchase a pass to enter online or at the drive-up gate. There is a visitor center right after the entrance with lots of great information and a shop.
I drove along the road and stopped for a few minutes at each of the lookouts. They are all pretty close together but have very different perspectives of the surrounding scenery. My favorite lookout spots were Farview Point and Sunset Point, although it is all pretty amazing.
Best Bryce Canyon Hikes And Views
There are plenty of great hikes to do at Bryce Canyon that vary in difficulty. One of the most popular hikes is along Wall Street and passes by the iconic Thor’s Hammer. It is only about two miles long but there is some elevation switch so I would recommend hiking shoes and water.
I drove around to all the sites marked around the park which took me a couple hours and did a hike on Wall Street. I then drove to a nearby restaurant called i.d.k barbecue which was amazing, especially since I had been camping and driving around a lot on the trip.
My favorite part about Bryce Canyon was the stars. Bryce Canyon is one of the few places in the U.S. with close to no light pollution. I was easily able to see the Milky Way and make out lots of constellations in the night sky. The park is open all night and you don’t have to pay to get in at night or early in the morning either, which if you are up early enough could mean free entry to the park.
Camping near Bryce Canyon National Park
There is camping and a lodge at the park but you need to book a reservation in advance. There is also quite a bit of space just outside of the park to stay. If you are looking to camp for free there is plenty of room just outside the park back behind the big national park sign. There is also a lot of free camping in the Red Canyon which is only about 15 to 20 minutes away.
Conclusion
Bryce Canyon has tons to see and it is all super accessible which is great. Bryce Canyon has plenty to offer during the day and night and I would highly recommend staying up a bit later and venturing a couple miles into the park to stargaze. The sunrises are also incredible because the sun is rising directly over the hoodoos and the way the light shines off the orange rocks is amazing. It is also very close to Zion National Park. I would definitely recommend going to both if you are in the area.
