Last updated on February 24th, 2026
Planning a trip to Bryce Canyon National Park? Whether you live nearby and want to make a day trip, are stopping along a cross-country road trip, or are visiting all of the Mighty Five in Utah, one day in Bryce Canyon National Park is a great idea, and this one day in Bryce Canyon National Park Itinerary will help you plan the best possible trip!
We absolutely love exploring the US National Parks. We’ve been to 52 of them so far, including Bryce Canyon National Park three times. And we have figured out all the best things to do and how to fit it all into one perfect day in Bryce Canyon National Park!
In this one day in Bryce Canyon National Park itinerary we include tips for your trip, where to stay nearby, and a super detailed itinerary. We hope this one day in Bryce Canyon National Park Itinerary helps make your planning easier!
About Bryce Canyon National Park
There are five epic national parks, nicknamed The Mighty Five, located in Southern Utah: Bryce Canyon, Zion, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef and Arches. Each park is completely unique and Bryce Canyon is no exception!
Bryce Canyon National Park is home to the world’s largest collection of hoodoos, which are rock columns that form due to erosion from ice and rain over millions of years. And despite its name, it is actually a collection of natural amphitheaters, not a canyon.
Bryce Canyon became a national park in 1928 and was named after a Mormon settler that lived near the park named Ebenezer Bryce. It was because of him that a logging road was built leading into the canyon. So locals began calling it “Bryce’s canyon.” But back in 1200 AD, well before European Americans and Mormons explored the area, it was occupied by Paiute Indians.
While this park might not be on the top ten most visited parks list, it still sees over 2.7 million people each year! And what we love about the park is that you can easily spend one day in Bryce Canyon and see its major highlights. So whether you only have time for a quick stop on a Southern Utah road trip, or make a trip to Bryce Canyon on its own, you can accomplish a lot in a short amount of time!
One Day in Bryce Canyon Itinerary Map
Want to Learn More as you explore?
We highly suggest downloading the Guide Along – Zion & Bryce Canyon or the Utah Bundle (totally worth the cost!!) audio tours to navigate you on the road. Even when you don’t have service it knows where you are and provides commentary and history about the area. As well as alerts you when to stop for specific sights. These guides are fun to listen to and the narrator feels like a fun friend in the car with you!
One Day in Bryce Canyon Itinerary
Watch the Sunrise
Start off your one day in Bryce Canyon National Park itinerary with sunrise at Sunset Point, which despite its name, is actually better at sunrise than sunset. Mornings here are magical! Alternatively, you can enjoy sunrise at Sunrise Point or anywhere along the rim between the two points. There is really no bad spot!
A+K Tip: Depending on when you visit, the mornings can be VERY cold here. Bring a hot drink and a blanket for your sunrise viewing!
Eat a Quick Breakfast
Unfortunately, Bryce Canyon does not have many options for eating out. For breakfast this morning we recommend making your own food if you can. But if that is not possible, you can go to Bryce Canyon Pines Restaurant.
Right after sunrise is also a great time to hit the trail and beat the post-breakfast crowd, so if you can bring breakfast on the go then you’ll get a lot more solitude!
Go on a Hike (or two!)
For the rest of your one day in Bryce Canyon National Park, spend as much time as you can hiking. Bring a picnic lunch to make the most of your time here. There are many hikes in Bryce Canyon to choose from, but here are the ones that we think are the best for you to choose from:
Navajo/Queens Garden Loop
3.5 miles, 662 ft elevation gain
The Navajo/Queens Garden Loop is a fairly easy hike that gives you close access to the hoodoos in Bryce Canyon. Our favorite part are the switchbacks through the hoodoos on the Navajo Loop section, plus getting to go through different archways in the hoodoos. We have done this hike three times now and can safely say it’s one of the best hikes in the park!
Fairyland Loop Trail
7.9 miles, 1,545 ft elevation gain
If you’re up for hiking a more challenging trail, check out the Fairyland Loop Trail! You’ll be rewarded with stunning views of the park and will see less people along the way. You can either start at the Fairyland Loop trailhead or at Sunrise Point.
If you start at Sunrise Point, we suggest going clockwise and if you start at the Fairyland Loop trailhead, we suggest going counter clockwise. This way, you get the “boring” part out of the way first.
To learn more about the Fairyland Trail, read our guide to the Fairyland Trail hike!
Figure Eight Trail
6.3 miles, 1,499 ft elevation gain
We loved the Figure Eight Trail trail because it combines several of the park’s best hikes into one trail. You’ll see the Navajo and Queens Garden Loop, Wall Street, and the Peekaboo Loop. Our favorite part is the Wall of Windows, a section with two “windows” in the hoodoos. The hoodoos in this section of the hike are very condensed and narrow, which is different from other areas of the park.
Mossy Cave
0.9 miles, 121 ft elevation gain
Mossy Cave is unlike any other hike in the park. It’s short and sweet, with a great reward! Here you’ll get to see a small (and gated off) mossy cave. Which sometimes freezes over in the winter and has icicles!
But our favorite part of the hike is the waterfall (depending on conditions). It’s always so fun to see water in the desert! Because of this, you may be wondering, “why is there water here?” Back in the late 1800s, Mormon pioneers carved an irrigation ditch and diverted water from the East Fork Sevier River into this canyon. And ever since, minus one year, it has provided the nearby communities of Tropic and Cannonville with irrigation water.
This hike is located outside of the main park area, so it will require a little bit of a drive. Also, parking can be tight, but there is an overflow lot just past the trailhead with room for more cars, plus RVs.
Grab some pizza!
Did you know that Bryce Canyon National Park has a pizza shop? Neither did we until our most recent visit! Valhalla Pizza is located right behind the Bryce Canyon Lodge and cooks fresh, made to order pizzas. While it may not be the world’s best pizza, it tasted pretty dang good after hiking for hours! And can you really beat having a hot pizza in a National Park?
Stop at the Viewpoints
After you’re done hiking for the day, take it easy by admiring the park’s many beautiful viewpoints. We suggest stopping by the Rainbow Point, Natural Bridge, Inspiration Point, and Bryce Point overlooks. Each of these are accessible by car, with some requiring a tiny walk.
Watch the Sunset
For the last stop during your one day in Bryce Canyon, watch the sunset at either Inspiration Point or Bryce Point. Either are great options for beautiful views!
Eat Dinner
For dinner, either cook over a campfire (if you’re camping) or head to i.d.k. barbecue, Bryce Canyon Pines Restaurant or Stone Hearth Grille instead.
Go stargazing
If you’re able to stay awake, do some stargazing or night photography! Bryce Canyon has some incredibly dark skies and we saw thousands upon thousands of stars on a clear night. A park ranger told us their favorite spot for stargazing is Inspiration Point, so we opted to go here. And it was beautiful!
Planning your one day in Bryce Canyon National Park
How to get to Bryce Canyon National Park
Bryce Canyon is located in the small town of Bryce, Utah. The drive is about 1 hour 45 minutes northeast of Zion National Park. It is not close to any major cities, with about a 4 hour drive from both Las Vegas and Salt Lake City.
If you’re flying here, then you can fly into either Salt Lake City or Las Vegas and drive to Bryce Canyon National Park. But we highly recommend adding the four other Utah National Parks to the trip in one big southern Utah road trip!
Once arriving, you will want to make sure you’re stocked up on supplies. Both Salt Lake City and Las Vegas will be your best bet. But if you decide to wait until closer to the park, Ruby’s Inn General Store does have some groceries. It is just not as big of a selection, and prices are a bit higher.
When to visit Bryce Canyon National park
You can visit Bryce Canyon National Park any time of year since it is open all year long. However, it’s important to note that different seasons bring a different experience!
Winter
Throughout the winter and even into early spring you’ll get to see snow on the hoodoos, which is truly magical. You’ll also see much smaller crowds this time of year, which is a nice bonus!
However, this magical snow also brings a little more difficulty hiking. Some trails and roads close in the winter from the snow and ice. You will also want to bring microspikes to safely hike on any snow or ice. And bring layers because the mornings can be pretty cold!
Summer
As with most national parks, the summer months are the busiest by a long shot. Plus the temperatures can get extremely hot, with highs occasionally well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. So if you must spend your one day in Bryce Canyon National Park during the summer, then be prepared for lines and crowds, and bring lots of water and sunscreen.
Spring & Fall
We recommend the shoulder seasons of spring and fall for almost every national park, and this one is no different. Other than during spring break time, you’ll see smaller crowds during these seasons. It’s also when you get the best, most comfortable weather for hiking and being outside.
Plus, if you visit in early spring, you will still have a chance to see snow on the hoodoos, like we did during our most recent visit at the end of March.
Cost to enter
To enter Bryce Canyon National Park it will cost you $35 per car or $30 per motorcycle, which covers 7 days of entry.
But if you have any interest in visiting the other 4 national parks in Utah for a Southern Utah road trip (which we highly recommend you do!) or any other national parks within the year, then you should buy the America the Beautiful pass, which is $80 per year and will get you into any national park, monument, or forest for free.
Where to stay at Bryce Canyon National Park
We highly recommend arriving the night before your one day at Bryce Canyon National Park, so you can get an early start. And it will be helpful to stay the night after your full day, since it will end late. Here are some suggestions of where to stay!
Camping
Bryce Canyon has two campgrounds on site, Sunset Campground (closed in the winter) and North Campground (has one loop open year round).
Ruby’s Inn is a great spot for camping and even has some tipis you can camp in! We stayed in one of the tipis and it was super fun! It’s also a super quick drive to the park.
Tom’s Best Spring is an awesome FREE, dispersed camping area about 15 minutes from the park. We have stayed here multiple times in our van and it’s one of our favorite campsites in Utah! There are many spots spread out among the miles of dirt roads, including some very private options.
Resorts and Hotels
The Lodge at Bryce Canyon (located in the National Park)
Best Western Plus Ruby’s Inn
Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel
Vacation Rentals
Cabin with King Bed at Bryce Canyon Log Cabins
Quaint and spacious cabin in the heart of Bryce Canyon Country
Tips for your one day at Bryce Canyon National Park
There’s several things you’ll need to know and consider when planning a one day in Bryce Canyon itinerary. We’ve included all of the most important information here to help you plan a perfect trip.
Free shuttle
There is a free shuttle that is offered in Bryce Canyon, but we don’t think it’s necessary to use. There has always been plenty of parking when we have been, so we recommend driving yourself around the park.
But it is important to know that between April and October, any vehicle over 23 ft long (like our van!) cannot drive in the main amphitheater area during shuttle hours. So this might mean you have to take the shuttle instead. There is a lot more information about the shuttle hours, stops, and oversize parking here.
The park is at higher elevation
It can get pretty cold in Bryce Canyon National Park compared to some of the other southern Utah parks. This is because of the higher elevation (around 8,000 feet!). So we highly recommend you bring some warmer clothes along with you on this part of your trip. Layers are key!
How to beat the crowds
We normally recommend hiking at sunrise the most to avoid the crowds, however we have found that Bryce Canyon gets super busy at sunrise because it is the best time for photos of the canyon. But early morning after sunrise is a bit quieter, since people likely go eat breakfast or get coffee after seeing sunrise. During our latest visit, the trails were pretty quiet between right after sunrise and 9 AM, so take advantage of that window to do a hike!
Looking for more things to do in Utah?
- 3 Days at Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks
- 12 Best Hikes in Zion National Park
- The perfect 2 day Zion National Park itinerary
- 10 Day Utah National Parks Road Trip Itinerary
- Hiking the Fairyland Loop Trail at Bryce Canyon National Park
- How to hike to Observation Point at Zion National Park
- Hiking the Narrows at Zion National Park
- How to hike to Kanarra Falls near Zion National Park
- All of our Utah Vlogs
- All of our Utah Guides
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About the author
This article was written by Tori, one of our Adventures of A+K team members. Learn a bit about her below!
Hi, I’m Tori! I live in Nashville, TN with my husband and two daughters. We travel as much as possible throughout the year, around a 9-5 schedule and with babies in tow! My travel blog, Tori Pines Travels, aims to help people plan action-packed and culture-rich vacations around their busy jobs, fitting in as much exploring as possible. When I’m not working for Adam and Kathryn or entertaining my little ones, I’m writing, cooking, crafting or exploring Music City!