Bryce Canyon is one of Utah’s ‘Mighty 5’ National Parks and is perhaps the most stunning. The staggering collection of towering hoodoos is so unique and will surely take your breath away! Continue reading to discover the best things to do if you only have one day in Bryce Canyon!
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How to spend one day in Bryce Canyon
Table of Contents
- Spend the night in a tipi at Bryce Canyon
- Morning Horseback Trail Ride
- Lunch at Old Bryce Town
- Afternoon Mossy Cave Trail Hike
- Late Afternoon Scenic Drive
- Evening Navajo Loop Trail hike
- Dinner at Ebenezer’s Barn and Grill
- A few more things to do in Bryce Canyon:
Spend the night in a tipi at Bryce Canyon
In order to make the most of your one day in Bryce Canyon, you’ll want to stay near the park. We chose to stay at the Soaring Hawk Tipi about a half-hour outside of Bryce Canyon in Hatch, Utah.
The accommodations are basic, don’t expect a luxurious glamping experience, but it is affordable and my boys thought it was so cool to sleep in a tipi under the starry night sky!
There are 3 tipis in this remote campsite. Each comes equipped with sleeping cots and some bedding, but I would recommend bringing your own as they don’t get washed very often.
Each tipi also has its own port-a-potty, but bring your own toilet paper and hand sanitizer.
There is also a communal fire pit so be sure to bring firewood and pack ingredients to roast hot dogs and smores!
The camp is situated on the crest of a hill with panoramic views over the valley and surrounding mountains. You can even spot the fiery orange rocks of Bryce Canyon in the distance.
It was such a peaceful spot to roast marshmallows as we watched the sun sink into the horizon.
It was also nice to enjoy some solitude before mingling with all the tourists at one of Utah’s most popular national parks!
*Related posts: If you love glamping, you’ll also want to check out Whispering Pines Conestoga Ranch near Orderville and Wander Camp at the Grand Canyon!
Other places to stay in Bryce Canyon:
- Best Western Ruby’s Inn: This hotel is centrally located just outside the entrance to Bryce Canyon and Old Bryce Town. Many of the local tours are also contracted out through the hotel.
- Best Western Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel: This lodge is about 15 minutes from the entrance of the park. It features an outside pool and hot tub, as well as Ebenezer’s Barn & Grill, an onsite restaurant that boasts a cowboy-themed atmosphere and meals.
- Bryce Canyon Pines: This budget-friendly motel is just outside of Bryce Canyon. The Bryce Canyon Pines Restaurant is known for its homemade pies!
- Vacation Rental: This vacation rental is great if you’re traveling with family or a larger group.
- Bryce Canyon Resort: Accommodations are basic, but the location is great and the rooms are clean and comfortable.
- Ruby’s Inn Campground: Offers tent and RV sites, cabins, tipis, a pool, and a hot tub. Located just outside of the park.
- Bryce Canyon Campground: The National Park Service has two designated campgrounds, as well as backcountry camping.
Morning Horseback Trail Ride
There is no better way to experience the beauty of the west than on horseback! We booked the 1 1/2 hour Dixie National Forest Horseback Ride and it was perfect.
A longer 3-hour horseback ride through Red Canyon is also available, but we preferred the shorter ride with kids.
The tour starts out at the Old Bryce Town Corrals then follows a trail through the Dixie National Forest.
We did the 8:30 am tour in the summer and not only was the weather cooler, but the dust mixed with the morning light was magical!
The trail leads to the rim of Bryce Canyon overlooking the creamsicle-colored hoodoos and striated mountainside. No matter how many times I visit Bryce Canyon National Park, it never ceases to take my breath away.
This was our first time riding horses at Bryce Canyon, and it was a unique experience to ride the same dusty trails where Butch Cassidy once roamed.
This tour takes you through the forest to the rim of Bryce Canyon. If you are looking for a horseback ride that takes you down into the canyon, then you can book that through Canyon Rides.
If you prefer to do a different activity in the morning, there are several options available.
Other tours and activities in Bryce Canyon:
- Guided ATV Tour: Take a 1-hr guided ATV Tour through the forest to the rim of Bryce Canyon.
- Helicoptor Tour: For a birds-eye view of this scenic canyon, consider splurging for a helicopter tour!
- Soaring Southern Utah VR Ride: Soar over Bryce Canyon on a virtual reality ride!
- Ice Skating: Bryce Canyon is a magical place to visit in the winter. You’ll find beautiful snow-capped hoodoos and a fraction of the crowds! During the winter months you can even go ice skating at Ruby’s Inn. Other winter activities include cross country skiing, sleigh rides, and snowshoeing.
- E-bike Rental: Enjoy one of the many scenic bike trails at Bryce Canyon with an electric bike. Mountain bike and E-bike rentals are also available at Old Bryce Town next to the Sinclair station.
Lunch at Old Bryce Town
Dining options are limited in Bryce Canyon. However, Old Bryce Town is located just outside of the entrance to Bryce Canyon and here you’ll find a few dining options, including Canyon Diner.
Canyon Diner is a casual restaurant that serves traditional fast-food fare.
While the food is somewhat mediocre, it is convenient, affordable, and offers a variety of menu options for even the pickiest of eaters.
Aside from the usual burgers and fries, their menu also offers pizza, smoothies, sandwiches, fish & chips, and even pancakes.
After lunch, head across the street to the Old Bryce Town shops. This collection of rustic shops emulates the spirit of the Old West.
Enjoy a hand-scooped ice cream cone and fresh-baked goodies at the ice cream shop.
Pick up souvenirs and browse through the treasures at the Canyon Rock Shop.
Grab some snacks for the trail at Ruby’s General Store.
Take an old-time western photo at the Bryce Photo Shop and pose inside the jail cell and wooden cutouts situated around the shops.
Afternoon Mossy Cave Trail Hike
Bryce Canyon has always been one of my favorite national parks since coming here as a young girl. I have visited several times over the years but had no idea there was a waterfall hike in this canyon!
The Mossy Cave Trail is a short 0.8-mile round trip hike that is rated easy and offers spectacular views of the Bryce Canyon hoodoos.
There are two bridge crossings on the trail. The first bridge offers the best views of the hoodoos. My boys also loved skipping rocks and playing in the river here.
After about a quarter-mile, you’ll cross the second bridge then come to a fork in the trail.
If you head to the right, you will follow along an irrigation ditch that was hand-dug by early pioneers.
This 10-mile canal, also known as Tropic Ditch, was constructed over the span of two years to bring water to Bryce Canyon.
Follow alongside (or in) the stream until you reach the base of a 25-foot seasonal waterfall.
While water has flowed continuously through this canal for over a century, the waterfall can vary from a slow trickle in the winter to powerful surging falls in the late spring and early summer.
Just use caution during the monsoon season as the raging river can be quite dangerous and cause flash flooding.
If you take a left at the fork, the trail will lead to an overhang and shallow cave that is lined with lichen and moss (for which the trail was named).
The cave is not quite as impressive in the summer, but in the winter it is filled with colossal-sized icicles that will blow your mind!
The Mossy Cave Trail is just outside of the official Bryce Canyon park boundaries, so you don’t even need to pay to visit.
My kids loved this hike and it was the perfect way to cool off on a hot summer afternoon!
If you’re looking for more waterfall hikes in Utah, you’ll love Lower Pine Creek Falls Trail in Zion National Park, Kanarra Falls near Cedar City, and Stewart Falls in Provo Canyon!
Late Afternoon Scenic Drive
Avoid the heat of the day by enjoying the Bryce Canyon scenic drive along Hwy 63 in the comfort of an air-conditioned car.
The 38-mile round trip scenic drive in Bryce Canyon has 13 viewpoints along the way.
While you could easily spend all day taking in the views and hiking trails at each of the viewpoints, if you only have one day in Bryce Canyon I would recommend narrowing it down to a few stops.
Some of our favorites include Sunrise Point, Sunset Point, Inspiration Point, Fairyland Point, and Natural Bridge. For a more in-depth guide to each of the stops, this post is a great resource.
The scenic drive is an out-and-back road, not a loop drive so you can go as far as you would like then turn around.
If you are short on time, I would recommend making a few stops along the 12-mile drive to Natural Bridge then turning around at that point.
Evening Navajo Loop Trail hike
There are so many incredible hiking trails in Bryce Canyon National Park. However, if you only have one day in Bryce Canyon, the Navajo Loop Trail is the one hike you must do!
While many visitors try to hit this trail first thing in the morning, I would recommend visiting in the evening.
Since the sun doesn’t set until around 9 pm in the summer, you will still have plenty of sunlight to enjoy an evening hike.
The weather will also be cooler and you won’t be sharing the trail with throngs of hikers.
Sunset is especially gorgeous as the golden light brushes the tips of the hoodoos and casts long shadows throughout the canyon.
The Navajo Loop Trail is a 1.4-mile trail that begins at Sunset Point and ends at the adjacent Sunrise Point, two of the most stunning viewpoints in the park.
While you can opt to hike the loop trail in either direction, I would recommend hiking the trail counterclockwise.
This will take you to Wall Street, one of the most photographed spots in Bryce Canyon. Here you’ll descend over 500 feet down into the canyon through a series of steep switchbacks.
As you continue along the trail, you’ll walk under tunnels, climb down sandstone steps, and enter a narrow slot canyon.
As you reach the bottom, you’ll find two towering Douglas Fir trees that are more than 750 years old.
From here, you will continue along the base of the canyon before beginning your ascent back to the top.
As the trail begins to ascend, you’ll have a chance to view Two Bridges. These two natural stone bridges connect high above the canyon walls.
The Amphitheater, Thor’s Hammer, the Silent City, and the Temple of Osiris can also be viewed from the trail.
While the steep switchbacks can be challenging, it is a relatively short hike that packs in so much beauty!
Dinner at Ebenezer’s Barn and Grill
By the time you finish hiking the Navajo Loop Trail, you will be more than ready for some hearty down-home cooking!
Ebenezer’s Barn and Grill serves up generous portions of cowboy grub, including BBQ chicken, biscuits, steak, baked potatoes, and pulled pork.
A night at Ebenezer’s is more than just dinner, you’ll enjoy live country music while you dine! The restaurant is open seasonally from the end of April through the end of October.
Other places to eat in Bryce Canyon:
- Ruby’s Inn Cowboy Buffet & Steak Room: Choose from the dinner menu or sample a variety of dishes at the cowboy buffet.
- Bryce Canyon Pines: This rustic restaurant is known for their soups and homemade pies. Try a slice of the Banana Strawberry Cream Pie!
- Stone Hearth Grille: For a little more upscale dining experience, enjoy decadent dishes and mountain views on the outdoor patio.
I hope this guide has helped you plan the best way to spend one day in Bryce Canyon! If you have more time to spend in Bryce Canyon, here are a few more things to do.
*Related posts: For more travel guides to Utah’s Mighty 5, check out our guides to Zion National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, and Arches National Park!
A few more things to do in Bryce Canyon:
- Red Canyon: Red Canyon is the sister canyon to Bryce Canyon. You’ll pass right through it as you drive along scenic Byway 12 to reach Bryce Canyon National Park. This all-American byway is one of the most scenic drives in the southwest. You’ll pass under rock arches spanning across the road that were featured in the Pixar Cars movie. Red Canyon boasts much of the same landscape as Bryce Canyon, but there is no fee to visit and you won’t find the usual crowds. Stop by the visitor center for hiking trail maps and information. Two of the most popular trails include the 0.8-mile Birdseye Trail and the 3-mile Losee Canyon Trail.
- Bryce Canyon Country Rodeo: If you happen to be visiting Bryce Canyon on Wednesday through Sunday during the summer months, be sure to snag tickets for the local rodeo!
- Willis Creek Narrows: This trail is located about 45 minutes from Bryce Canyon. The easy 4.8 mile roundtrip trail includes a stream hike through a slot canyon. The road is a bit rough to get there, a high clearance 4WD vehicle is recommended.
- And if you’re looking for more things to do in Southern Utah, be sure to check out our guide Three Perfect Days in Southern Utah!
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Oh my gosh, that starry night photo with the teepee is absolutely wonderful. How beautiful are Bryce Canyon night skies!? I’ve never done the Mossy Cave trail, and I’ve been to Bryce three times within the past year. I’ll have to do that for sure! Navajo Loop is a must do, as well!
Thank you! It really is incredible to see the stars without all the light pollution. And so awesome that you have visited Bryce so much this past year, you’ll have to do the Mossy Cave Trail next time for sure!