Trip Idea

1 to 3 Hour Hikes

Multiple Parks

A visitor looks out over a landscape of red rock formations.
Duration Half Day
Topic(s) Birds, Photography, Forests and Woodlands, Coniferous Forests, Geology, Farming and Agriculture, Freshwater Springs, Canyons and Canyonlands, Night Sky, Astronomy, Trails, Rock Landscapes and Features, Scenic Views, Plateaus and Mesas more »
Activities Front-Country Hiking
Type Kid Friendly, Active, Educational, Inspirational
Parks Bryce Canyon National Park
A visitor looks out over a landscape of red rocks
A visitor looks out over the Bryce Canyon Amphitheater from the Rim Trail.

NPS Photo

Visiting for 1 to 3 hours but still want to do some hiking?

If you're a first time visitor, we recommend spending the majority of your time in the Bryce Amphitheater. This iconic area is located along the first three miles of the main road and is home to some of the most popular trails in the park, including Queen's Garden and Navajo Loop. These hikes offer an up-close and intimate look at the highest concentration of hoodoos in the world!

Scroll down to find easy and moderate hikes that can be completed in 3 hours or less!

Getting Around

Avoid full parking lots: Use the free shuttle to access the viewpoints and trailheads in the Bryce Amphitheater (April to October).

During shuttle hours, vehicles over 23 feet (7 meters) are restricted from parking in the Bryce Amphitheater area. Instead, park at the shuttle station and use the free shuttle.

Safety

Bryce Canyon is a high altitude park ranging from 8,000 feet (2438 m) to over 9,000 feet (2743 m) in elevation. Even mild exertion in the park can lead to altitude-sickness if you're not prepared. Visit our Hiking at High Altitudes page to learn more.

Wear hiking boots with good ankle support and "lug" traction. In winter, traction devices are strongly recommended. Wearing shoes or boots not designed for hiking is the number one cause of rescues and injuries that require hospital visits at Bryce Canyon National Park.
Easy Hikes
  • Bryce Canyon National Park

    Bristlecone Loop Trail
    • Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Front-Country Hiking
    • Pets: No
    • Location: Bristlecone Loop Trailhead
    • Duration: 30–60 Minutes
    • Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
    Red rocks topped with dark green trees slope down into a canyon of red rocks

    The Bristlecone Loop, an easy 1 mile hike, meanders through the forest atop this highest portion of the park, reaching elevations over 9,100 feet (2778 m). Here you will pass by bristlecone pines up to 1,800-years-old and experience vistas reaching into the Four Corners area.

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  • Bryce Canyon National Park

    Mossy Cave Trail
    • Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Front-Country Hiking
    • Pets: No
    • Location: Mossy Cave
    • Duration: 30–60 Minutes
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    A creek meanders through red rocks with red rock formations in the background.

    Mossy Cave trail is one of the lowest elevation hikes in the park as well as one of the only hikes that begins with a climb and ends with a descent. This trail provides access to Water Canyon in one direction and to a sheltered overhang known as Mossy Cave in the other. This area is filled with mosses in the summer and icicles in the winter. Please stay on the main trail and respect all posted signs. Pets are not permitted on this trail.

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  • Bryce Canyon National Park

    Sunset Point to Sunrise Point Hike
    • Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Front-Country Hiking
    • Pets: Yes
    • Location: Sunset Point
    • Duration: 20–60 Minutes
    Looking down from above over a scenery of irregular red rocks with the sun rising behind them

    The Rim Trail hike meanders along the rim of the iconic Bryce Canyon Amphitheater, giving you views of the hoodoos below. This portion of the Rim Trail, from Sunset Point to Sunrise Point, is the only paved section of this trail and is the easiest walk in the park. Pets are allowed on this trail but must remain on paved surfaces.

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  • Bryce Canyon National Park

    The Rim Trail
    • Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Front-Country Hiking
    • Pets: Yes with Restrictions
    • Location: Bryce Point
    • Duration: 1–7 Hours
    Two hikers pause along a path to view a red rock landscape of badlands and spires at a cliff\'s edge

    The Rim Trail stretches from its beginning in the south at Bryce Point 5.5 miles (8.9 km) north to Fairyland Point. As it follows the edge of the Bryce Amphitheater area of the park, it connects to the park's most popular viewpoints: Inspiration Point, Sunset Point, and Sunrise Point. This relatively easy hike (depending on how much of it you do) offers spectacular views of the park's most popular area.

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Moderate Hikes
  • Bryce Canyon National Park

    Queen's Garden Trail
    • Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Front-Country Hiking
    • Pets: No
    • Location: Queen's Garden Trail
    • Duration: 1–2 Hours
    An overhead shot of a landscape with irregular red rock formations

    The Queen's Garden Trail is the least difficult of the trails descending from the rim into the Bryce Canyon Amphitheater. Hike this out-and-back trail to the Queen Victoria hoodoo at the end of a short spur trail and experience the splendor of hiking amongst the hoodoos. This trail is commonly combined with the Navajo Loop to create a 2.9 mile round trip trail where you can descend at Sunrise Point and ascend at Sunset Point.

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  • Bryce Canyon National Park

    Navajo Loop Trail
    • Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Front-Country Hiking
    • Pets: No
    • Location: Navajo Loop Trailhead
    • Duration: 1–2 Hours
    Hikers descend sandy switchbacks heading into a canyon of red rock with trees

    The iconic Navajo Loop Trail begins and ends at Sunset Point. Its switchbacks wind between narrow walls of colorful limestone with views of towering Douglas-fir trees and the park's most famous hoodoo: Thor's hammer. The loop has two sides: Two Bridges and Wall Street. The Two Bridges side is open year-round, however, the Wall Street side is closed during the winter months. During this time Two-Bridges can be hiked as an out-and-back trail or combined with other trails.

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  • Bryce Canyon National Park

    Queen's/Navajo Combination Loop
    • Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Front-Country Hiking
    • Pets: No
    • Location: Queen's Garden Trailhead
    • Duration: 2–3 Hours
    Hikers walk along a trail towards an open archway in the red rock

    Our most popular hike in the park and the one we most recommend to first-time visitors. The Queen's/Navajo Combination Loop combines the open views and unique hoodoos of the Queen's Garden Trail with the iconic switchbacks and towering canyon walls of the Navajo Loop Trail. Descend Queen's Garden at Sunrise Point, ascend the Navajo Loop to Sunset Point, and then complete the loop back to Sunrise Point via the Rim Trail, enjoying views into the Bryce Canyon Amphitheater below.

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  • Bryce Canyon National Park

    Tower Bridge
    • Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Front-Country Hiking
    • Pets: No
    • Location: Tower Bridge Trailhead
    • Duration: 2–3 Hours
    A pale red rock formation covered in snow surrounded by green trees

    The Tower Bridge hike consists of the southern portion of the Fairyland Loop trail. This is an out-and-back trail that descends to a shady 1/4-mile spur trail leading to the Tower Bridge hoodoo. From there, hikers can return the way they came or continue to hike the entirety of the Fairyland Loop Trail.

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Last updated: July 5, 2023