Do you want to go hiking in Bryce Canyon? The Queens Garden Navajo loop trail is one of the best hikes in Bryce Canyon. Read all about it now.
What makes Bryce Canyon such a special destination?
Bryce Canyon National Park is one of the most beautiful National Parks in the USA. It is a whimsical landscape full of bright red rocks with hoodoos. A landscape that you can hardly see anywhere else in the world. In the park, you can visit several beautiful viewpoints.
The best way to see the scenic landscape is by hiking in Bryce Canyon. Heb je maar weinig tijd? Keep on reading, because the combination of the Queens Garden Trail and the Navajo Loop Trail is one of the most beautiful hikes in Bryce Canyon.
The most scenic hike in Bryce Canyon is a combination of the Queens Garden Trail and the Navajo Loop Trail. Many websites tell you to start at the Navajo Loop and then continue the hike on the Queens Garden Trail. I myself hiked the trail the other way around because then you have much more shade when you have to climb up again. And that’s what you want on a hot summer day!
- Distance: 2.9 miles (4.7 kilometers)
- Duration: 1.5 to 2 hours (depending on your condition and how busy it is)
A description of the hike.
Sunrise Point
From the parking lot, you walk towards one of the most famous viewpoints of Bryce Canyon: Sunrise Point. Right next to the viewpoint is the start of the Queens Garden Trail.
Queens Garden
After only a short descent, you’re standing in the middle of the hoodoos. From the viewpoints, you can only see them from the top and it’s such an incredible view to see them up close!
The landscape seems to change when you descend further into the canyon. You’ll see more and more trees and it’s getting a little cooler, which is nice if you’re hiking during a hot summer day. The red rocks and the green trees are a perfect match for a colorful picture.
In Queens Garden, you might see a hoodoo that looks like Queen Victoria (hence the name). I completely missed it during my hike, but Google tells me it looks like this.
In the Canyon
To get to the bottom of the canyon, you have to go through an arch, which I thought was really cool. There are also a lot of squirrels wandering around looking for food, so keep yours in your bag.
At the bottom of the canyon, it looks like you’re walking in a forest with red walls. What an amazing landscape!
Navajo loop & Two Bridges
After a short walk at the bottom of the canyon, it’s time to climb up again. You will see an intersection with two routes to go up again: Wall Street (with good-looking hoodoos) or Two Bridges. I chose to do check out the Two Bridges and it was definitely an interesting view.
The climb up has a lot of steep switchbacks (luckily for me they were still in the shade). Make sure to stop a couple of times to enjoy the view, it’s well worth it.
Sunset Point
Right before you reach Sunset Point (the end of the trail) I looked back at the canyon and I was finally able to see the Queen Victoria hoodoo!
A nice ending for this great hike in Bryce Canyon.
Extra information & tips for hiking in Bryce Canyon
Are you going hiking in Bryce Canyon? A few extra tips for the Queens Garden Navajo loop trail and other fun hiking trails:
- Do you want to go hiking in Bryce Canyon during the hot summer months as I did? Start before or around 8 in the morning. In that case, you will be out of the canyon before it gets too hot.
- Take plenty of water. You won’t find any in the canyon.
- Don’t forget to take a break every now and then and enjoy the fantastic views.
More great hikes in Bryce Canyon National Park
In addition to the Queens Garden Navajo loop trail, there are other scenic hikes in Bryce Canyon. You might like to check out these trails as well:
- Mossy Cove: short hike (1.3 kilometers) across the canyon floor along a river. It is an easy walk with no differences in height and you arrive at a small waterfall. This is a very popular trail, so it’s best to walk it early in the morning or late afternoon.
- Rim Trail: this trail runs along with the amphitheater between Fairyland Point and Bryce Point. You can make it as long as you want. There is little difference in height, it is a fairly easy hike. If you want to walk the entire trail, it is 18 kilometers or 11 miles (9 kilometers one way). However, you can also shorten it by walking back whenever you feel like it.
- Fairyland Loop Trail: A beautiful trail on the north side of the park of 8 miles (13 kilometers). The trail is considered difficult because you have many height differences. You follow a short part of the Rim trail and then go into the canyon.
All hikes in Bryce Canyon can be found on the official website.
Book your USA road trip
Would you like to go on a road trip in Southwest USA? These websites are useful for booking your trip:
- You can usually find the cheapest flights via Skyscanner.
- Check Rental Cars or Discover Cars for the best deals on rental cars.
- Do you prefer to travel with an RV? Check RV Share.
- Need a place to stay? Check Booking.com or VRBO.
- Don’t forget your travel insurance! Check out Insubuy for options and prices.
- Check Get Your Guide for fun tours and activities.
Want to read more about Utah and Southwest USA?
Would you like more information about the beautiful Bryce Canyon and the other US National Parks? These are a few great travel guides:
Lonely Planet Zion & Bryce Canyon National Parks
Fodor’s Utah: with Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Capitol Reef & Canyonlands National Parks
I myself traveled from Europe to the US many times and that is why you can find a lot of information on this website about traveling to the United States of America. You might like to check out these articles:
- Angels Landing: the scariest hike in the USA
- Visiting Arches National Park: a must-see in Utah
- West Coast USA road trip: a spectacular itinerary
In addition, I regularly share fun travel stories and tips for the most beautiful destinations in my monthly newsletter. Subscribe here.
This article was published in June 2017. Last update: February 2022.
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