Bryce Canyon National Park

We went to Bryce Canyon National Park only twice while we were visiting here mainly because we were dealing with Hurricane Rosa that came in from Mexico and it really was wet and cold while we were here.  The first day, we actually rode our bikes to the Visitor Center along the bike trail to check things out since it was just cool outside.  We had a great ride and ran into a herd of deer laying by the bike trail.

There is also a shuttle service all over Bryce Canyon City where you can just hop on the shuttle and it will take you to all the scenic stops and hikes all through Bryce Canyon National Park.  So, don't be afraid to leave the car in a lot and just hop on the shuttle.  They run often, so it's a breeze to get around Bryce this way.  Numbers 10-15 are in Bryce Canyon City so wherever your lodging is, there is a shuttle nearby.

We got to the visitor center and Scott locked the bikes up.  It takes awhile to do this because our bikes are quite expensive so we have to be sure they are double locked.  The visitor center was really packed with people.  For it being off season, there were A LOT of people here this fall.  Generally, there's only a handful of people around the Utah national parks this time of year.

Inside the visitor center, there are a few exhibits and movie area as well as a store.  You can see from the photos how crowded it was AND there were hardly and parking spaces anywhere outside.  Glad we rode the bikes!

The visitor center is the BEST place to get all the latest info on things to do at Bryce Canyon National Park.  Lists are posted when you come in the doors of activities each month during the day and evening hours.

Even outside lists are posted in case the visitor center is closed and there is still daylight outside.

The second time we went was on October 5th to see some of the hoodoos.  This time we drove through the park to Sunset Point.

We've been here many times before and didn't venture down the trail to the Queen's Garden.  The days were had actually been downright cold and windy so we only took small rides over the Ruby's Inn and around the lake.  I've over-sized the map so you can see all the hikes you can do in the hoodoos.  Every hike is excellent!  Some are short and others quite long.  There are a list of trails from easy, moderate to strenuous on the park website.  But, the Queen's Garden is the most iconic trail in this park.  Also, the last week of June is the Annual Astronomy Festival as Bryce has BEAUTIFUL, clear night skies.

While we were at the Sunset Point, we met the cutes kids and their mom.  The little girls LOVED playing with Roxy, Coco and Chanel.  We must have chatted with them for about an hour.  We had never been to Sunset Point in the late afternoon before, so it was a different look than before.  You could see people hiking down into the valley floor all bundled up.

Here are a few photos of down in the Queen's Garden Trail from a couple years ago so you can see part of the trail and how different it look from the bottom of the canyon floor.  The last photos are of Queen Victoria, to whom the trail is named after.

If you haven't been to Bryce, it's a MUST go to site!  Even hike is amazing and it's a stunning place to be.  Generally, the fall is the perfect time to go to all the Southern Utah National Parks, it was just cold, wet and windy this year.  Can't make it to Bryce Canyon, here is a URL of virtual tours to enjoy.  I know you'll love this park as much as we do.