Bryce Canyon National Park
Looking for the best hike in Bryce Canyon National Park? We recommend hiking down into Bryce Canyon via Peekaboo Loop Trail, then hiking Navajo Loop Trail, Queen’s Garden Trail, and back up and out to Sunrise Point. There is something special about being in the canyon.
Driving John’s Valley Road By RV
On to Bryce Canyon! To get there, the most direct route was down a 30 mile stretch of something just called John’s Valley Road which was unmaintained and narrow, but paved road. A few houses and ranches, but not much else. We came across one short bridge that was right at our tonnage limit and we hoped there were no more like that or something we couldn’t cross. There were few cars traveling although there were a couple of trucks and trailers behind us so we were a caravan of sorts. Ultimately, we made it without issue though.
Ruby’s Inn and RV Campground
We stayed at Ruby’s Inn and RV Campground which was a huge full-service place with a pool, general store, gas, lodging, etc. It is right next to Bryce Canyon and there is a shuttle stop right out front you can hitch a ride in and leave your tow car behind if you want.
After we got settled, we drove into the park around 5 pm, stopped by the visitor center to get a junior ranger handbook for Jeri (she said this was the hardest one by a mile!), and walked around the Bryce Amphitheater visiting both Inspiration and Bryce Point on two different vantage points of the rim. It started to rain a little since a thunderstorm was going by nearby but nothing serious. When it started to get dark, we headed to the main Lodge where there was a Ranger talk. The ranger was an older gentleman named Ben and he was quite the comedian with a goofy but fun presentation on astronomy including music and video clips.
Peekaboo Loop Trail
The next day, we rode the bus to the highest point Bryce Point again, and then hiked down into Bryce Canyon to Peekaboo Loop Trail, to Navajo Loop Trail, to Queen’s Garden Trail, then back up and out to Sunrise Point. The last part was grueling but could have been much worse if we did it in the opposite direction since we started at the high point of the canyon and came out at a lower point (but still had to hike up out of it). We saw some groups not wearing the right clothes or shoes going the other way, I wonder how they fared! Afterward, we ate our lunch at the top on this wood bench overlooking the canyon. Jeri says this was her favorite national park because of how orange it was, and that the main features of the park (called Hoodoos) reminded her of giant melted popsicles, plus hiking down into the middle of it all is pretty amazing. There were a couple of side trails in the amphitheater we took that was especially scenic as they had you walk on narrow paths out into the middle with the entire canyon rising around you.
Interested in other Utah National Parks? Take a look at our Utah articles. Where are we going next? Don’t miss an adventure, subscribe today.