Bryce Canyon National Park-Trip Recap

Hi friends! Time for another trip recap. I’m taking my time writing these recaps from our January trip, and at the rate I’m going, it might take me most of the year! But that’s okay—there’s no rush. Today, it’s all about our visit to Bryce Canyon National Park. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Dixie National Forest

After hiking The Narrows the previous day, we were on a high and excited to hit the road the next morning to visit Bryce Canyon National Park. Our first stop was Dixie National Forest, about an hour and a half’s drive from our base in Springdale.

On the drive there, we saw a bald eagle—and we just about lost our minds! These guys aren’t easy to spot, so we felt incredibly lucky. Somehow, I even managed to snap a couple of very blurry photos from the moving van.

We arrived at Dixie National Forest at 10 a.m., and Sam’s childhood dream of seeing snow finally came true. Yay! Haha, he would always make us laugh, saying that he had a great childhood, but the only letdown was that we had failed to take him to see snow. Finally, Steve and I are off the hook—we took him to see snow at age 20! We only missed his childhood by a few years 😉

There wasn’t much snow at this stop, but enough to make a couple of tiny snowballs that turned into dust when we tried to throw them at each other.

Bryce Canyon National Park

We jumped back in the van and drove another twenty minutes to the Bryce Canyon Visitor Center. All the visitor centres we stopped at were fantastic. They had clean restrooms and water refill stations where we could top up our bottles. The staff were super friendly and helpful, too. We didn’t have a ton of time, but we still managed to skim through the exhibits and pick up a few interesting facts about the area’s history, geology, and wildlife.

Bristlecone Loop Trail

Next stop: Bristlecone Loop Trail, where the views were, once again, absolutely breathtaking. I took so many photos and videos, hoping to capture the stunning scenery. But as I look back at them now… they just don’t do it justice. Aargh, I really wish everyone could experience these incredible destinations for themselves so you’d understand exactly what I’m talking about! In all my videos, you can hear me gasping and saying just one word, “Wow!” Haha, the beauty was so intense I couldn’t even form a sentence. Being left totally speechless really became a recurring theme for me throughout the trip.

Bryce Canyon is amazing because all the trails and viewpoints are so close to each other, so we got to explore different spots and soak in all the beauty from different angles. After we hiked the Bristlecone Loop, we drove to the “Hike the Hoodoos” trail near the Bristlecone Benchmark. Each stop was incredible, and we couldn’t get enough of the views! Between all the “wows,” I kept saying, “I can’t believe I’m really here!”. What a master of language!

Hike The Hoodoos and Black Birch Canyon

Then back to the van, but first a snowball fight!

I know, I know—there wasn’t much snow, but for us, it was more than enough for an epic snowball fight!

Bryce Point, Rim Trail, Navajo Loop & Wall Street

From there, we went Bryce Point, where we got one of the best panoramic views of the amphitheatre. The layers of red and orange hoodoos were unreal! We drove along the Rim Trail for a bit before heading down to the Navajo Loop Trail, which took us through Wall Street, the famous narrow section with towering rock walls and tight switchbacks. It was so cool being down in the canyon, looking up at those amazing formations!

Sunset Point and Drive Back

Then back in the van for the ride home. We spotted bison!

We got back to Springdale at around 5 pm and stopped at a cute gift shop called Bumbleberry.

Then we wrapped up the day with dinner at Oscar’s Cafe. I’m not usually a beer drinker, but on this trip, I decided to try a beer with every meal.

A beer with my first-ever Philly cheesesteak sandwich–Y’all! Haha!

We had an amazing visit to Bryce Canyon National Park, and it’s definitely a place I’ll never forget—how could I not? Every stop was unforgettable, and I’m so glad we got to experience it all with my very fun family. If you ever find yourself in Utah, make sure to add Bryce Canyon National Park to your must-see list. It’ll wow your socks off!