Bryce Canyon Country is the perfect place to indulge completely in the outdoors. This expansive countryside is full of amazing hiking trails and camping spots for every adventurer. Early spring is the prime time to visit Bryce Canyon with less crowds, fewer expenses and cooler
temperatures.
With so many hiking and camping spots, we’ve highlighted a few excellent ones in Bryce Canyon Country for an all-around great adventure.
Hiking:
Fairyland Loop:
Hike up, down, through and around various towering, orange hoodoo formations for a complete spectacular 8-mile loop. Catch a few iconic sites along the way, including Tower Bridge and China Wall. This meandering trail is somewhat strenuous due to its length and multiple elevation changes. Fairyland Loop has less crowds, so you can experience the Bryce Canyon wonders in complete serenity.
Peek-A-Boo and Spooky Gulches:
Fully enjoy the red and orange rocks on these slot canyon adventures that may require you to take off your backpack and suck in your gut a bit to get through the tight crevices. Slots vary from deep descents to hugging walls. You may need to use your hands to crawl and scramble up the many small obstacles found within. If you like to climb and maneuver to reach amazing vistas, these slot canyons are worth a visit.
Lower Calf Creek Falls:
Take in the enchanting falls in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. This six-mile roundtrip hike will lead you to a 126-foot waterfall that plummets off a sandstone cliff into crystal clear, cool waters. Calf Creek Falls is named for its use as a natural calf pen in the late 1800s. Now families of all shapes and sizes can experience the colors and soft mist of the falls.
Camping:
Sunset Campground:
Be in the thick of it at Bryce Canyon National Park because this campground is located near the Bryce Canyon Lodge and is surrounded by ponderosa pines and natural, fresh forest smells. Enjoy a leisurely walk straight from your campsite to witness Bryce Canyon’s world renowned amphitheater full of twisting multi-colored hoodoos. The area has over 80 RV and tent sites available.
Wide Hollow Campground:
Truly experience the outdoors within the Escalante Petrified Forest State Park. The nearby 130-acre Wide Hollow Reservoir provides great fishing and fun water activities such as boating. You can also take advantage of the off-roading trails and great walking paths through the petrified wood forest. Enjoy history’s finest features of petrified wood, dinosaur bones, ammonite and shell fossils.
Calf Creek Campground:
Journey on Scenic Byway 12 to find this desert oasis campground on a first-come, first-served basis. It includes a 13-site campground, a day-use picnic area and the trailhead to the wondrous hike to Calf Creek Falls. Located in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, you
have access to great fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing amidst this beautiful red rock landscape.
For more great ideas of other fantastic hiking and camping locations, visit Bryce Canyon Country or call the Garfield County Tourism Office at 800-444-6689.
