Best Activities in Bryce Canyon

More than likely if you’re heading to Utah, you’re probably checking out at least one of the five National Parks.  Bryce Canyon was the second Utah National Park we visited and it was absolutely gorgeous!  It’s truly hard to choose a favorite because they are all so different, but this was at the top of the list for my husband and two of our boys.

Scenic Drive + Red Canyon Visitor’s Center

The entire state has some pretty cool views, but Bryce Canyon was pretty spectacular!  As we headed from Kanab to Bryce Canyon, we made sure to take the scenic drive on the way in.  Just outside of Bryce Canyon is the Red Canyon Visitor’s Center. 

There were some quick hikes, good photo ops and the Visitor’s Center had some really reasonably-priced souvenirs. Plus the kids learned about sniffing the trees! Bryce Canyon is known for their Ponderosa Pine Trees. When you smell the bark, they don’t smell like traditional pine; they actually smell like vanilla or butterscotch.

Hoodoos

Utah is a place where the landscape changes pretty drastically in just a short drive. Zion really reminded me of something you would see in Jurassic Park, but Bryce Canyon was so much different.

Despite it’s name, Bryce Canyon isn’t really a canyon. Canyons are formed by running water such as rivers or streams, which Bryce Canyon doesn’t have. What Bryce Canyon is known for is hoodoos, which are pillars of sandstone and other fine-grained sedimetary rock created by uneven weathering and erosion. If you want to see these natural towers, Bryce Canyon is the place to go as it has the greatest number of hoodoos in the world!

Easter Baskets

This trip was over our kids’ Spring break so instead of giving a ton of candy and bringing Easter baskets, we filled their hats with some snacks, cash and “coupons” to use for souvenirs, a roadside snack and an airport snack. 

For Valentine’s Day, I found these cute coupon books at Walmart for things like “you pick dinner,” “movie night,” “no chores day,” etc. They LOVED these and are still turning in coupons months later! A lot of our trips have been to places that offer gift cards (i.e. Disney, Universal Studios, Big Cedar Lodge) so we purchased one for each of them to use on souvenirs and snacks. Since we couldn’t purchase gift cards for this trip, I created my own coupons! You can click the button below to download a free coupon printable to use on your own trip!

Bryce Canyon Visitor’s Center

Since it was still too early to check into our hotel, we headed to the Bryce Canyon Visitor Center to grab our maps and Junior Ranger workbooks. 

We planned to pack a lunch, but we really didn’t have any grocery store options on our drive in.  Rather than hiking immediately, we decided to stop at Ruby’s Inn and grab a quick bite to eat first.  There aren’t a ton of choices when it comes to restaurants, but Ruby’s Inn has a sit-down restaurant right inside their hotel.  Plus, it’s right outside the park entrance. Our kids got the quesadillas, which were pretty big and could have easily been split between them rather than ordering one for each.  I went with the salad bar, which included soup and ice cream as well.  I didn’t want something super heavy before we began hiking so this was a great option.

Hike #1: Navajo, Queens Garden, Wallstreet, Sunrise to Sunset Point

After we were fueled from lunch, we decided to start with one of the longest hikes we’d planned.  It actually was four hikes that made one big loop—Navajo, Queens Garden, Wallstreet and Sunrise to Sunset Point.  Although Bryce Canyon was a favorite for the majority of our family, this particular hike was not.  It took about three hours to complete, which is the main reason the kids “ranked” it so low.  The map said it was more of an “easy hike,” but I wouldn’t call it easy by any means! 

We started at Navajo and ended at Wallstreet and by the time we hit Wallstreet, we were pretty exhausted!  Wallstreet is super-cool though!  It consists of a bunch of switchbacks as you head back up the canyon. It’s certainly the most strenuous part of the hike so be prepared.  Now that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t recommend this hike because I totally would.  You see so much beauty so if you are capable of doing this hike, then be sure it’s on your list!

Best Western Grand Hotel

Once we finished our long hike, the kids were pretty much checked out.  They just wanted to go to the hotel.  We stayed at the Best Western Grand Hotel, which was really nice.  The rooms were clean and the free breakfast offered was plentiful. 

Once we got to the room, we decided to relax for a bit.  I sorted through our clothes and headed to the guest laundry room so I could wash our stuff.  Since we were packing so much for this trip, I decided to wash clothes half-way through.  I packed laundry detergent, but forgot to bring quarters. Unfortunately, there was not a quarter machine in the laundry room so I had to go to the front desk to get some.

While I washed laundry, the kids decided to take a dip in the hot tub.  The hotel had a pool too, but it was still closed for the winter.  Bryce Canyon’s elevation is around 9000 feet so it was much cooler than it was in Zion and Kanab.  The good thing is that they have a sister hotel, Ruby’s Inn, right across the street that has an indoor pool we could use.

IDK BBQ

We decided to head to IDK BBQ for dinner.  It’s only about 10 minutes away in Tropic, UT.  We tried their platter, which included brisket, pulled pork and chicken along with a couple of sides.  The sides we went with were mac and cheese and baked beans.  We also got some of their peach cobbler for dessert.  All of the food was really good.  If you enjoy BBQ, definitely check it out!

Swimming at Ruby’s Inn

When we got back to our hotel, the kids wanted to swim so we headed next door for some pool time.  They also have a huge store so we shopped around while we were there too.  We decided to head back to the hotel and get some rest before our next day in the park.

Bryce Canyon Trail Rides

We scheduled horseback rides for the next morning through Bryce Canyon Trail Rides.  They offer a couple of tours, but we went with the two-hour one because our youngest was able to ride.  Kids have to be at least seven years old and they ride on their own horse or mule. Cost for the ride was $75/person.

I booked the tour so I knew we were going down into the canyon, but my husband and kids just thought we’d be riding through pastures or something.  When they realized what trail we were going on, they all got a little nervous.  Besides a quick pony ride, we really didn’t have any experience riding, but it didn’t matter. 

They asked us if we’d ever ridden and matched us with horses we could handle.  Once everyone was on their horses, they grouped us with tour guides.  Our tour guide, Carter, was fantastic (plus he looked like a real-life Rip for you Yellowstone fans)!  Our youngest kiddo was 7 ½ so Carter actually kept him right with his horse.  We rode down through the canyon and headed back up giving us pretty amazing views.

Prepping for your ride

Be sure that you dress for the weather when you’re on your ride.  It was still chilly when we went so we dressed in layers.  You can’t carry a backpack and if you get hot, you have to let your guide know before you start taking off layers so you don’t scare the horses.  One thing I purchased for our last trip to Universal Studios was a lanyard for my cell phone.  It was seriously one of the best purchases because I can wear my phone around my neck and not have to worry about dropping it.  That was especially important on our horseback ride!

Hats are also important since there isn’t any shade. They do a good job keeping the sun off your face. You just need to make sure they have ties so they don’t fly off. You can opt for baseball hats too.

When we were done, we asked the kids how they rated this experience and they all gave it 5 stars!  Once we headed into the canyon and they realized they just needed to trust their horse, their nerves let up and they were really able to enjoy the ride.  It was a really cool experience for all of us so I’d highly recommend using this company to take a horseback ride in Bryce Canyon!

Route 12 Grill

After our horseback ride, it was time for lunch.  I saw some posts recommending Route 12 Grill.  It’s a little restaurant inside a gas station in Tropic, UT (right down the road from IDK BBQ).  It ended up being a great choice!  I had a quesadilla, my kids had burgers and wings and my husband had a Philly steak sandwich.  All of our food was really good so I’d highly recommend stopping when you’re in Bryce Canyon!

Hike #2: Mossy Cave

On the way back to Bryce Canyon, we stopped at Mossy Cave, which is a short hike right off the main road.  I wouldn’t say that “Mossy Cave” was really anything to see, but the hike was still a good one. 

There was a stream that ran alongside the trail that was semi-dry so you could go down in it and hike.  As you get closer to Mossy Cave, you can take a left and head to the cave or go to the right to check out a waterfall.  The waterfall was cool—you could actually walk behind it.  The kids enjoyed cooling off a bit.

Junior Ranger Badges

We headed back to the Visitor’s Center so the kids to get their Junior Ranger Badges.  I decided to start collecting magnets for all the parks so I grabbed one of those while we were there too.  We headed back to the hotel to relax for a bit.

Ruby’s Inn

For dinner, we went across the street to Ruby’s Inn again to eat at the Cowboys Buffet & Steak Room. They had a variety of options and the food was pretty good. Cost when we were there was $26 for adults and $13 for kids.

Across the street from Ruby’s Inn, they also have some cute little shops that look like a little town. It was closed for the season when we were there, but is open during the busier late spring/summer months. 

Easy Hikes

Although we did some more strenuous hikes, even if you have smaller kids or have trouble getting around, there is still plenty to see.  The hike from Sunrise to Sunset Point is paved and only takes about 30 minutes round-trip.  Most of the hikes we did after dinner were also pretty do-able. 

The Mid and Upper Inspiration point were more strenuous, but the Lower Point was pretty easy to access and get done.  Bryce Point and Rainbow point were also paved, short and easy to access.  All of these hikes offer pretty spectacular views and give you a good feel for how amazing Bryce Canyon really is! Plus, as you’re heading to these spots, there are several pull-offs that allow you to see some awesome views without hiking at all!

And if you’re an animal lover, be sure to stop by the big fields to watch for prairie dogs.  You can see them running around and popping up.

I’d definitely recommend at least a couple of days in Bryce Canyon—especially if you’re going to do an activity like horseback riding.  We were able to get everything done in about 1.5 days and were able to leave right after breakfast to head to our next destination—Capitol Reef.

Dark Night Sky

One thing I wish we made time for was stargazing. Bryce Canyon is one of the darkest places in North America. The sky is so dark, that on a moonless night, you can see thousands of stars. My goal was to get a good photograph of the Milky Way; however, the time it shows up depends on when you’re there.

In spring, it was around 3am and I wanted my sleep more than seeing that night sky. In the summer, you can see it shortly after sunset so it’d be a lot easier to stay awake for that. If you have the opportunity, you can head back into the park and view the sky from Sunrise or Sunset Point.

There are some astronomy programs offered at the park. You can find more information here.

What do you recommend?

Have you checked off Bryce Canyon from your bucket list?  If so, what were your favorite hikes or must do’s when you’re there?

If you’re heading to Utah, check out some of our other posts on Utah’s Mighty 5, Zion National Park, Kanab, Utah, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands and Arches.