Trip Idea

1 to 3 Hour Winter Visit

Multiple Parks

The amphitheater filled with red rock formations, covered in snow.
Duration Half Day
Topic(s) Animals, Geology, Native American Heritage, Natural Sounds, Night Sky, Canyons and Canyonlands, Forests and Woodlands, Scenic Views, Trails, Plateaus and Mesas, Wilderness, Farming and Agriculture, Freshwater Springs, Rock Landscapes and Features, Astronomy, Schools and Education, Climate Change, Photography more »
Activities Museum Exhibits, Cross-Country Skiing, Hiking, Front-Country Hiking, Scenic Driving, Park Film, Snowshoeing more »
Type Active, Relaxed
Parks Bryce Canyon National Park

An amphitheater of red rock formations covered in snow.
A snowy Bryce Canyon Amphitheater in winter.

NPS

A shorter visit should focus on the first 3 miles (4.8 km) of the park, known as the Bryce Amphitheater. After a stop at the Visitor Center just past the fee booths for restrooms, the park gift shop, and other amenities, continue 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to the turn for Bryce Point. The road to Bryce Point is 2 miles (3.2 km) long and ends at one of the park's most popular overlooks.

Return toward the main road, then turn right to then see Inspiration Point. Inspiration Point provides easy walks along the rim and a steeper (often icy) walk south to a higher overlook.
Continue on to the main road, and turn right back toward the Visitor Center. Your next right turn will be for Sunset Point. In addition to a beautiful view, visitors can enjoy a flat 1.0 mile (1.6 km) walk along the Rim Trail to Sunrise Point and back.

For more moderate day hikes, the Navajo Loop and Queen's Garden Trails descend from Sunset and Sunrise Points, respectively. Note that the Wall Street side of the Navajo Loop closes every winter. See the Alerts and Conditions page for trail statuses.

We strongly recommend traction devices for all winter hikes within the park. Rentals are available at the Ruby's Inn Winter Adventure Center and for sale at the Bryce Canyon Association bookstore.
Things to Do
  • Bryce Canyon National Park

    See the Bryce Amphitheater

    • Activity Fee: Yes
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Scenic Driving
    • Pets: Yes with Restrictions
    • Duration: 1–3 Hours
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time of Day: Any Time
    Red rock formations against a clear blue sky

    By far the most iconic section of the park, the Bryce Amphitheater is home to the greatest concentration of irregular rock spires (called "hoodoos") found anywhere on Earth. Viewpoints along the first 3 miles (4.8 km) of the main road provide access to views overlooking this area.

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  • Bryce Canyon National Park

    Go For a Winter Hike

    • Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations: Yes
    • Activity: Hiking
    • Pets: No
    • Season: Winter
    Two hikers walk on a snow covered trail with mountains in the background.

    Many hikes are available to visitors during the winter season, in both the front and backcountry, but might require some additional equipment. For much of the winter the most popular trails are so icy that steep sections cannot be safely traversed without some sort of additional traction device for your hiking shoes or boots.

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  • Bryce Canyon National Park

    Snowshoe Hikes

    • Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations: Yes
    • Activity: Snowshoeing
    • Age: 8 and Older
    • Pets: No
    • Location: Visitor Center
    • Duration: 90–120 Minutes
    • Season: Winter
    • Time of Day: Day
    A group of people snowshoeing amongst the trees.

    Here at 8,000 feet (2,438 m) the scenery changes dramatically in the colder months. Come experience this magical season by taking a snowshoe-hike! Snowshoeing is allowed throughout the park on all trails so you can head out on your own or join a ranger-led snowshoe hike. These hikes are offered in winter as weather and snow conditions permit and are designed for all levels of experience, from beginner to expert.

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  • Bryce Canyon National Park

    Go Cross-Country Skiing

    • Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Cross-Country Skiing
    • Pets: No
    • Season: Winter
    Two skiers ski amongst the trees.

    A great way to explore Bryce Canyon in winter is on cross-country skis. Though it is illegal to ski off of the rim into the canyon, you can enjoy a variety of routes above the rim. These include sections of the Rim Trail along the edge of the Main Amphitheater, the Bristlecone Loop Trail; Paria Ski Loop; and the unplowed Paria View and Fairyland Point roads.

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  • Bryce Canyon National Park

    Explore the Visitor Center Museum

    • Activity Fee: Yes
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Museum Exhibits
    • Pets: No
    • Location: Visitor Center
    • Duration: 15–60 Minutes
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time of Day: Day
    A couple stands among other people examining a relief map within the park museum

    The park museum is found within the Visitor Center and contains exhibits focused on scales of time: Geological, Ecological, Human, and with special exhibits on the Night Sky and Air Quality.

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  • Bryce Canyon National Park

    See the Park Film

    • Activity Fee: Yes
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Park Film
    • Pets: No
    • Location: Visitor Center
    • Duration: 24–30 Minutes
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time of Day: Day
    Title screen for A Song of Seasons film reads Bryce Canyon National Park

    "A Song of Seasons" plays in the Visitor Center theater every half hour when the Visitor Center is open.

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Trails
  • 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

    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

    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

    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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Last updated: October 10, 2024