Fairyland Loop at Bryce Canyon National Park

Hike: Fairyland Loop 

Hike Difficulty: Moderate/Strenuous

Hike Distance: 8 miles

Time (Round Trip): 4-5 hours

Elevation (Min/Max): 7163ft/8152ft

Elevation Change: 2309ft climbing and 2309ft descending

If you can only do one hike at Bryce Canyon, I think I would recommend the Figure 8 Loop. It is just so big and impressive. However, it also has a lot of crowds at the beginning and the end. If you have some extra time and want to get away from the crowds and feel like you've really seen all this amazing park has to offer, definitely do the Fairyland Loop. We saw very few people on this hike, and it's long enough that I really got into that hiking zone in my head. That mental state where I never want the hike to end and that this is what life is about. 

The National Park Service website describes this hike as starting at Fairyland Point and taking the loop clockwise. We started at Sunrise Point going counter-clockwise. Either way, you spend the last 2.5 miles on the Rim Trail. Although there are incredible views from the Rim Trail, it does seem like a little bit of a slog at the end there. Keep in mind I haven't done it this way, but I might recommend starting from Fairyland Point and hiking the Rim Trail first. That way you get those views first and then head down to experience all the hoodoos and wildflowers close up.  

I will be describing our hike as starting from Sunrise Point. We parked in the Sunrise Point parking lot and easily found the Fairyland Loop Trail off the Rim Trail (it depends on where you park whether you'll head north or south on the Rim Trail to find the Loop Trail but hopefully you'll have a map and can find it no problem!)

After about a mile and a half, there will be a sign to turn off for Tower Bridge. Definitely worth a quick stop, but I would have felt a little disappointed if I had hiked just to see it.

Tower Bridge

After viewing Tower Bridge, we made our way back to the loop and continued right on the trail. There isn't much in the way of tricky navigating on this loop hike, so I am not going to detail all the twists and turns. We just followed the trail and all its ups and downs until meeting back up with the Rim Trail.

Weirdest flower ever. Like gumdrops or gummy bears.

Our lunch spot 

Once we climbed back up to Fairyland Point, we went left on the Rim Trail and made our way back to Sunrise Point. I was so excited to find an abundance of Sego Lilies (Utah's state flower) along this section of the Rim Trail.

After our hike, we spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out at our campsite at Sunset Campground. We hung our hammock and took a nap in the sun with the breeze making beautiful music in the trees.

After having an early dinner, we decided to check out some of the viewpoints in the southern portion of the park. Favorite viewpoints were Rainbow Point (the one all the way at the end of the road) and Bryce Point (the highest point in the park).

Rainbow Point? 

The Grottos

Bryce Point 

Best View of Bryce Amphitheater! 

It was really fun to drive out this way and look down on all of the places we had been hiking over the last couple days. We could definitely see some of the trails and follow them winding their way through the hoodoos. 

Figure 8 Loop (Queens Garden, Peek-A-Boo, and Navajo Trails) at Bryce Canyon National Park

Hike: Queens Garden/Peek-A-Boo/Navajo (Figure 8) Loop

Hike Difficulty: Strenuous

Hike Distance (Round Trip): 6.5 miles

Elevation Change: 3570 feet total gain; 3574 feet total loss (starting at about 8,000 feet)

If you are in Bryce Canyon for one day and want to go on one spectacular hike that gives you a sense of all the park has to offer, this is your hike! We arrived on a Sunday afternoon, so we were worried that the trails were going to be a bit crowded. And the Queens Garden and Navajo portions of this hike were (for good reason!), but the good thing is you get to soak in the Peek-A-Boo Loop with very little company. 

The park's brochure shares a pretty clear message: wear shoes with good traction (i.e. hiking boots). We only had our running shoes, and it is true that the dirt is pretty slippery. I saw people on the Navajo Trail with straight tennis shoes with zero traction behaving completely insane. I highly recommend decent shoes (and steering clear of the crazy not-so-experienced hikers!)

We didn't really do this trail as a Figure 8. We just did the loop counter-clockwise. To begin, we started at Sunset Point and walked toward Sunrise Point along the Rim Trail until we found the sign for Queens Garden Trail and began our descent. (Tip: There were lots of people sitting around the sign, so look carefully or you may miss it!)

Obviously, we had plenty of sunscreen and wore hats because that sun was strong! But I really enjoyed the contrast between the orange/red rock and the blue, blue sky in the middle of the day.

At the bottom of the canyon, we reached a junction that was rather confusing for us (lots of people and multiple trail signs). I believe there are three options. We went left to head toward Peek-A-Boo Trail (straight or right take you on the Navajo Loop). 

At Peek-A-Boo Loop, we took the left trail and went clockwise. I think more people take the trail the other way (for a true figure 8), so we felt like we had the trail to ourselves for a good portion of it. I can't imagine the other way would offer more views and/or be any easier, so I guess it's up to you!

Peek-A-Boo Loop is 3 miles long and climbs and descends a lot (exact numbers on various websites/blogs are conflicting because people start in different places and include different trails in their hike. Just trust me....lots of climbing on this one!)

A peek at the Wall of Windows

When I came around the corner to this view, I literally gasped. I don't know that I've ever had that reaction hiking before. This spot literally (and yes, I'm using this word correctly) took my breath away. I can't even begin to describe how incredibly grand the wall of windows is. Please go check it out for yourself because my pictures don't come close to doing it justice.

Once we completed the Peek-A-Boo Loop, we headed back on the trail towards Navajo and Queens Garden. At the same junction as earlier, we took a left towards Wall Street. I completely understand why the Navajo Loop/Wall Street is a popular hike at the park. It is incredible. However, the massive crowds and irresponsible hikers really detracted from my experience. I definitely still enjoyed it, but it certainly wasn't the spiritual experience I had 45 minutes before on Peek-A-Boo Loop.

I believe these are Douglas Fir trees.

Where's Waldo?

I realize my pictures make the trail look not crowded. I do this on purpose so I can appreciate what is meant to be beautiful. But trust me, there were people in slippery tennis shoes pushing their way up the 28 switchbacks. 

The switchbacks are steep. And with as many people as there were, I highly recommend doing this loop the way we did it, and finishing the loop going up these switchbacks. Seems more enjoyable and safer to me. 

After the hike, we headed back to our campsite at Sunset Campground, but went back to Sunset Point to "watch the sunset". I use quotes because you are not looking west, in the direction of the sun setting. However, it was still beautiful to watch the sky change and the sun shine on the Bryce Amphitheater in all its glory. A perfect end to a near perfect day!