Hoodoos Galore

Home to the most hoodoos in the world, Bryce Canyon National Park is unlike anything I have ever seen. Located in southern Utah, the park is about a two and a half hour drive north of Page, Arizona. We arrived on a very busy Sunday in late May. Headed straight for Bryce Amphitheater, we were taken back by the crowds we encountered. Compared to every other place we visited, Bryce Canyon National Park is the most condensed for the amount of visitors it receives, making the park feel even more crowded and small.

The main attraction in the park is actually not a canyon but an amphitheater, Bryce Amphitheater. Here there are trails along the ridge and others that go into the amphitheater. We started our day on the Navajo Loop where we then connected to the Queen Garden trail and then to the Rim trail. Along the rim we also checked out Sunrise and Sunset point. With unbelievable views of the hoodoos and easily accessible trails along the rim and into the amphitheater, the Rim trail is by far the most popular part of the park.

Around every corner the hoodoos jutted out of the ground to towering heights. Our hike was beautiful but about halfway through big storm clouds started to roll in. We had to hurry out of the amphitheater as big booms came from the clouds and the rain began. Nonetheless, we spent a beautiful morning in the amphitheater and a cozy afternoon in the car.

Once the storm cleared up, we headed to Fairyland Point. A less visited area of the park with similar views, we enjoyed our short walk out to a point. From Fairyland Point, there is Fairyland Loop Trail, a 7.4 mile trail. Maybe next time we will opt for this trail, somewhat away from the crowds at the rim.

That night we disperse camped outside the park on National Forest land and returned the following morning to explore the other end of the park. At only 18 miles long, the main road in the park is easily driveable in about an hour, with several stops at lookouts. We drove all the way to Yovimpa Point at the end, before turning around, checking out some other vistas, and hitting the road to Zion. While Bryce Canyon National Park is very unique and home to the most hoodoos on the planet, you can only see so many hoodoos before you are sick of seeing hoodoos. By our second day in Bryce we were ready for a change and more than ready to leave Bryce.