11 Best Sights in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Even if you're eager to hit the hoodoos, the visitor center—just to your right after the park entrance station—is the best place to start if you want to know what you're looking at and how it got there. The exhibits are well-designed, and there's an excellent 24-minute film about the park. Rangers staff a counter where you can ask questions or let them map out an itinerary of "must-sees" based on your time and physical abilities. You can also use the Wi-Fi, pick up backcountry camping permits, and browse the books, maps, and other goods sold in the Bryce Canyon Natural History Association gift shop, whose proceeds help to support park programs and conservation.

One of the best—though often most crowded—places in the park to watch the sunset, this lofty promontory with sweeping vistas into the Bryce Amphitheater is easily accessed by car—the parking lot is down a short and well-signed spur road near the start of Bryce Point Road. But for a more exciting approach and a bit of fresh air and exercise, consider hiking to this dramatic spot via the relatively easy and flat Rim Trail; from Sunset Point, it's a ¾-mile trek south, and from Bryce Point, it's a 1½-mile hike northwest. From either direction, the views are spectacular for virtually the entire hike.

Architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood was already a national park specialist, having designed lodges at Zion and the Grand Canyon, before turning his T square to Bryce in 1924. With its distinctive, wavy, hunter-green shingle roof and artful interior, this National Historic Landmark has been faithfully restored, right down to the lobby's huge limestone fireplace and log and wrought-iron chandelier. Inside the historic building, the only remaining hotel built by the Grand Circle Utah Parks Company, are a restaurant and gift shop, comfy sitting areas, and information on park activities. Just a short walk from the rim trail, the lodge's landscaped brick terrace is an enchanting place to relax after a hike. The lodge also offers accommodations in several historic log cabins and two lodge-inspired but motel-style buildings nearby on the wooded grounds.

Snaking for 18 miles along the canyon's rim, the park's only true thoroughfare accesses more than a dozen scenic overlooks between the entrance and Rainbow Point. Major overlooks are rarely more than a few minutes walk from the parking areas, and from many of these spots, you can see more than 100 miles on clear days. Remember that all overlooks lie east of the road, meaning that you may be looking into the sun early in the day but can enjoy spectacular color and light closer to dusk. Allow two to three hours to travel the entire 36-mile round-trip—more if you set out on any hikes along the way. The road is open year-round but sometimes closes temporarily after heavy snowfalls. Be on the lookout for wildlife crossing the road. Trailers are not allowed at Bryce Point and Paria View, and vehicles longer than 20 feet are prohibited from parking at most of the major stops in and around the Bryce Amphitheater from mid-May through late October; during these months, you can travel throughout the park via the free shuttle and park your larger vehicle at the shuttle station parking lot in Bryce Canyon City.

Formed over millions of years by wind, water, and chemical erosion, this 85-foot-tall, rusty-orange arch formation—one of several rock arches in the park—is an essential photo op from one of the more popular overlooks on the park's scenic drive. Beyond the parking lot lies a rare stand of aspen trees, their leaves twinkling in the wind. Watch out for distracted drivers at this stunning viewpoint.

This hike is the easiest way down into the amphitheater, with 450 feet of elevation change leading to a short tunnel, quirky hoodoos, and lots of like-minded hikers. It's the essential Bryce "sampler." Allow two hours total to hike the 1½-mile trail plus the ½-mile rim-side path and back. Easy.

By walking this extended 3-mile loop, you can get a clear sense of what makes this park so special; it takes a little more than two hours. The route passes fantastic formations and an open forest of pine and juniper on the amphitheater floor. Descend into the amphitheater from Sunrise Point on the Queen's Garden Trail and ascend via the Navajo Loop; return to your starting point via the Rim Trail. Moderate.

Just a half-mile apart, Rainbow and Yovimpa Points offer two spectacular panoramas facing opposite directions. Rainbow Point's best view is to the north overlooking the southern rim of the amphitheater and giving a glimpse of Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument; Yovimpa Point's vista spreads out to the south. On an especially clear day you can see all the way to Arizona's highest point, Humphreys Peak, 150 miles away. Yovimpa Point also has a shady and quiet picnic area with tables and restrooms. You can hike between them on the easy Bristlecone Loop or tackle the more strenuous 8.8-mile Riggs Spring Loop Trail, which passes the tallest point in the park.

A 1-mile section of this level trail connects Sunrise and Sunset Points and is an ideal way to launch or wrap up your day. Take your time strolling. Evening is the best time for photos, as much of the rim looks out to the east over the amphitheater. Listen for songbirds, look for a silent swooping owl, and watch the sun’s last rays dance on the hoodoos. This section of the trail is wheelchair accessible, and pets on leashes are welcome. More ambitious walkers can enjoy the full trail, which extends 5½ miles between Bryce Point and Fairyland Point—this longer trail does have some elevation changes. Easy to moderate.

Named for its stunning views at dawn, this overlook a short walk from the Lodge at Bryce Canyon is one of the park's most beloved stops. It's also the trailhead for the Queen's Garden Trail and the southern end of the Fairyland Loop. You can also walk to Sunrise Point along the easy Rim Trail from Sunset Point (to the south) or North Campground (to the north).

Starting at Bryce Point, the trail travels 23 miles to Rainbow Point, passing through The Pink Cliffs, traversing Agua Canyon and Ponderosa Canyon, and taking you by several springs. Most of the hike is on the amphitheater floor, characterized by up-and-down terrain among stands of ponderosa pine; the elevation change totals about 4,500 feet. It's the park's longest trail, but four trailheads along the main park road allow you to connect to the Under-the-Rim Trail and cover its length as a series of day hikes.  The connecting Agua Canyon Trail from Ponderosa Point was closed indefinitely due to storm damage in 2023; check with the visitor center and/or the current conditions section of the park website before you visit to find out if it has reopened. Allow at least two days to hike the route in its entirety, and although it's not a hoodoo-heavy hike, there's plenty to see to make it a more leisurely three-day affair. Those camping along the trail must obtain a backcountry permit from the visitor center before they set out. Difficult.