1 Day in Bryce Canyon National Park Itinerary
If you only have one day in Bryce Canyon National Park, make the most of it with this helpful itinerary!
You’ll come away with an excellent overview of what makes this Utah national park so special with suggestions on where to hike, what to do, and what you can save for a later trip.
Bryce Canyon National Park, which is located in southwestern Utah, is known for its naturally occurring amphitheatres filled with red, orange, and yellow hoodoos.
On this itinerary, you’ll see those park icons along with other can’t-miss areas, and ways to expand your trip if you’d like just a bit more time here.
The itinerary below shares the highlights of this fascinating national park that are manageable within a single day’s visit from either Zion National Park or Capitol Reef National Park, or as an add-on to an I-15 road trip.
As with all of my national parks itineraries, everything here is family friendly, though it’s equally good for any beginning visitor to this area.
Just one of the gorgeous views from the Rim Trail at Bryce Canyon National Park
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Is one day enough time at Bryce Canyon National Park?
Me on the Rim Trail near Inspiration Point
If you’re on a vacation schedule (and who isn’t?), time is of the essence, so it’s important to make every moment count.
One day is enough time to get the overall view of what Bryce Canyon National Park has to offer, though you certainly cannot exhaust the hiking, camping, and other outdoor adventures in this area in that time.
Some of the smaller national parks such as Congaree in South Carolina or Black Canyon of the Gunnison in Colorado can be neatly packed into just a 1 or 2 day visit, but you’d need several days to see everything that Bryce Canyon has to offer.
Bryce Canyon covers 56 square miles, or nearly 38,000 acres. While that’s a lot of land to explore, it’s still only about a 10th of the size of Utah’s largest national park, Canyonlands near Moab, which offers up a whopping 338,000 acres to visitors.
Bryce Canyon National Park is divided into 2 major areas: the main entrance near Bryce Canyon City, which includes the Bryce Amphitheatre and Southern Scenic Drive, and the smaller entrance off of Scenic Route 12, which includes the Mossy Cave trail.
But, if you’re pressed for time here, just a day’s visit can introduce you to the sweeping views from the Paunsaugunt Plateau, the park’s hoodoos, and overlooks along the winding Southern Scenic Road!
Park Location
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Bryce Canyon National Park is located in southwest Utah. It’s a 3 hour and 45 minute drive from either Salt Lake City or Las Vegas, the 2 closest major metropolitan areas.
If you’re looking to do Bryce Canyon as a day trip, you could manage it easily from Torrey, Utah, next to Capitol Reef, which is 1.5 hours away. It’s 1 hour and 45 minutes from Springdale, Utah, next to Zion National Park.
The Bryce Canyon National Park entrance is adjacent to Bryce Canyon City, a tiny town that grew up as more and more visitors sought out this beautiful area. Bryce Canyon City is 50 minutes off of the I-15 interstate, making that a manageable detour if you find yourself near Paragonah, Utah, with a day to spare.
Overall, this part of Utah is remote with few options for dining or shopping other than the few places in Bryce Canyon City.
Because of its remoteness, you’ll need to have your own vehicle or rent a car before you arrive. There is no public transportation available other than the free shuttle inside the park at Bryce Amphitheater.
Visiting with Kids
If you’re planning to visit Bryce Canyon National Park with kids, I recommend seeing how it could fit into a larger Utah Mighty 5 national parks road trip.
I also have a family-friendly guide to Bryce Canyon National Park with kids, which further shows you how fun this park is with little ones!
Many of the items that we loved in Bryce Canyon could be compacted into just a single day, and nearly off of these are great for kids. I’ve noted the particularly kid-friendly options on the itinerary below, as well as options when a specific activity won’t work for younger visitors.
Can I bring an RV or travel trailer with me into the park?
The answer there depends on where you’ll be driving and what you ultimately want to accomplish here.
You will not find enough parking at the visitors center on an average day to accommodate anything but the smallest of Class B vans, so you’ll have to park your RV or travel trailer outside of the park near the Sinclair gas station and ride the free Bryce Canyon shuttle into the park.
Likewise, vehicles with a length of 23 feet or longer cannot park anywhere in the Bryce Amphitheatre area while the shuttle is running.
This shuttle circulates around the Bryce Amphitheatre area of the park, providing you access to the Rim Trail, Sunset and Sunrise Points, and trailheads to Queen’s Garden, Navajo Loop, and others.
The shuttle does not take you down the Southern Scenic Drive.
You can take your RV down Southern Scenic Drive, but note that the turnaround area is often congested with cars on either side of the road. There’s no place to back up if your longer Class A, fifth-wheel or travel trailer can’t easily maneuver this area.
On the other area of the park, where Mossy Cave is, the overflow parking area is huge and can easily accommodate all but the most gigantic Class A motorhomes. (They would fit in the parking area, but I would be nervous about getting out of the spaces and making any turnarounds.)
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How to Spend One Day at Bryce Canyon
One of the shuttles in the Bryce Amphitheatre section of the park
To make the most of. your limited time in Bryce Canyon National Park, you’ll want to start early in the day and work through the activities below at a steady clip.
I’ve balanced the must-see activities with the understanding that most people need some downtime between each. If you really wanted to, you could add even more to your single day at this national park, but you might want to train for the experience!
You’ll approach the entrance to Bryce Canyon National Park either from Utah Scenic Highway 12 or from Johns Valley Road, depending on which direction you’re approaching from.
There is a roundabout at Bryce Canyon City which will lead you to the national park entrance straight ahead. You’ll pass by the ever-expanding Ruby’s Inn offerings, which started as a hotel prior to the national park’s founding, and has added a campground, tours, another hotel, shopping, and much more.
Beyond that, you’ll pass through a section of road with forests on either side, and a portion of the Bryce Canyon multi-use path. This 18-mile paved hiking and biking path runs through Bryce Amphitheatre in the park, out through Bryce Canyon City, and towards the Red Canyon section of Dixie National Forest. (More on how biking this trail below.)
Entrance Station and Visitors Center
Arrival time: 8 AM
Approximate duration: 30-45 minutes
You’ll come to the entrance station, where you’ll need to either show your annual pass or pay for a regular visitors’ pass.
NOTE: If you plan to visit more than 2 NPS sites with entrance fees in a 12 month period, you should get the America the Beautiful pass. We get one every year and have saved hundreds using it!)
Just beyond the entrance stations is the visitors center, which is worth stopping at for a few moments before you head further into the park.
This visitors center is large, but, since Bryce Canyon National Park is the second most visited park in Utah, it also stays very busy. During peak season—essentially late spring to early fall—you might find parking here a hassle.
If you’ve started your day early, you shouldn’t have a problem as the lot doesn’t fill up in earnest until after 10 AM even in the middle of summer.
My son inside the prairie dog exhibit at the visitors center
Inside the visitors center, you’ll find a ranger desk, where you can ask any questions you have, pick up a souvenir, watch the park movie, or explore the interpretive exhibits.
We loved the exhibits as they were hands-on and encouraged visitor interaction. There’s a huge 3D map of the Colorado Plateau, a prairie dog exhibit with tunnels to crawl through, and a video journal of native peoples recounting their ties to this land, among other displays.
If nothing else, plan to spend about 20-30 minutes in the interpretive exhibits area to provide needed context on the national park’s history, geology, and wildlife.
Morning Hike at Bryce Amphitheatre
Arrival time: between 8:30-8:45 AM
Approximate duration: 2-2.5 hours
Since you’re only here for a day, the next place you’ll want to head is the Bryce Amphitheatre.
If you want to ride the shuttle, wait for it at the stop outside of the visitors center. Otherwise, you can easily walk across the main park road to the Amphitheatre area.
Since you are limited for time, you’ll need to make a decision here, both of which will allow you to see the famed Bryce Canyon hoodoos: either go for a longer hike, or go for a bike ride along the multi-use path.
Other hikers head down into the amphitheatre on Navajo Loop Trail
If you go for a longer hike, know that the park’s 2 most popular—Navajo Loop and Queen’s Garden—have about 500 feet of elevation change and that coming back up to the rim is the most challenging part.
Queen’s Garden is 1.8 miles with 450 feet of elevation change. It will take 1-2 hours for an average hiker. This is less challenging than the Navajo Loop if you’re looking for a trail into the hoodoos that won’t wear you out too much.
Navajo Loop is only a true loop hike in the summer months, so let that factor into your decision as well. When it is fully open, expect to hike 1.3 miles with 515 feet of elevation change. This will take between 1 and 2 hours if you keep a brisk pace.
NOTE: You can combine the Queen’s Garden and Navajo Loop into one big hike, but keep in mind that the two together takes up to 3 hours. I don’t recommend this combination hike if you only have 1 day to spend in Bryce Canyon unless this hike is your top priority and you don’t care about doing the Southern Scenic Drive, Mossy Cave, or other hikes.
Ultimately, you’ll want to plan to hike for no more than 2 hours here, as there’s still plenty to see and do!
Lunch in the Park
Arrival time: between 11-11:30 AM
Approximate duration: 60 minutes
After you’ve completed your chosen hike, head over to the Lodge at Bryce Canyon. This is the only place in the park where you can get lunch, but you do have 3 options within the lodge:
Valhalla Pizzeria and Coffee,
The Bryce Canyon Food Truck, and
The Lodge at Bryce Canyon Dining Room.
NOTE: The food options here are only open when the lodge is open. Exact open dates for the lodge change yearly, but it is typically open from the beginning of April to early November.
The cabins at the Lodge at Bryce Canyon
If those options don’t appeal to you, I’d recommend bringing along a cooler of food from your camper. Keep in mind that there are very few grocery stores in this area of Utah, so this would be a lunch option that would require some pre-planning.
For those visitors interested in bringing a picnic, there are a few tables outside of the General Store adjacent to the North Campground. You can access these tables by walking along the multi-use path from the horse corral near the lodge, moving in the direction towards the entrance of the park. The General Store is at the top of a small hill.
Renting Bikes in Bryce Canyon
Arrival time: between 12:30-1 PM
Approximate duration: 60-90 minutes
If you’re up for another quick adventure in this part of the park after you’re done with your lunch, head over to the Historic Service Station near the Lodge and the walkway to Sunrise Point.
Here, you can rent both adult and kids’ bikes for just $25 for a 2 hour rental. This fee includes a helmet, bike lock, and short orientation.
This is a fun way to explore out to Inspiration Point, while spending more time in the crisp, cool area of the park.
You can take the multi-use trail on your bike ride, which provides a generally flat, easy riding experience. Between the Service Station and Inspiration Point, there’s very little incline other than in the last push up towards Inspiration Point.
I did this ride with my 7 and 11 year olds, and they had a blast. My 7 year old did have to push his bike up that last section, but did fine otherwise.
Since you’ve only had time for 1 good hike in this very short itinerary, biking throughout the rest of Bryce Amphitheatre will allow you to see multiple viewpoints along the Rim Trail.
All of the areas of the park that are accessible via the multi-use path
Southern Scenic Drive
Arrival time: 3 PM
Approximate duration: 90-120 minutes
When you return the bikes, you’ll then head out onto your final adventure of the day. You’ll leave the Bryce Canyon National Park and head south on the 2 lane Southern Scenic Drive.
While most visitors focus their time on Bryce Amphitheatre, that’s just one section of the park. You’ll get away from the crowds by adding on the Southern Scenic Drive. For the most part, the parking at the overlooks is easy, other than at the very end of the drive near Yovimpa Point.
As you drive throughout the park, don’t forget to use the GuideAlong audio tour for Bryce Canyon National Park. This excellent tour will start and stop automatically as you drive to points of interest. You’ll learn about the park’s history, important figures, wildlife, geology, and much more. We use these guides in every national park we visit, and we always learn so much!
If you did every single overlook on the Southern Scenic Road and lingered a few minutes at each, it would take 2-3 hours to drive the full loop and arrive back at Bryce Amphitheatre.
The Natural Bridge overlook is at mile 12.5 on the Southern Scenic Drive.
There are 9 overlooks:
Swamp Canyon (mile 6)
Piracy Point (mile 10.5)
Farview Point (mile 10.5, shares a parking area with Piracy Point)
Natural Bridge (mile 12.5)
Agua Canyon (mile 13.5)
Ponderosa Canyon (mile 14.75)
Black Birch Canyon (mile 16.5)
Yovimpa Point (mile 18)
Rainbow Point (mile 18, shares a parking area with Yovimpa Point)
Since you don’t have time to waste on your single day here, I’d suggest doing Piracy Point/Farview Point (there’s a small trail to Piracy Point), Natural Bridge, and Yovimpa Point.
Long range views from Yovimpa Point
These are all different in terms of terrain and views to provide an overview of what’s available on the Southern Scenic Drive. Natural Bridge, in particular, is fascinating to see if you’ve been to the stone arches at Arches National Park (including Sand Dune and Broken Arch) or the Hickman Natural Bridge in Capitol Reef National Park.
If you can spare a few moments, I would encourage you to linger at Yovimpa Point, which has the most incredible long range views from the end of the Paunsaugunt Plateau, including areas of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
If you want to do a very quick hike here, the Bristlecone Loop is going to be your best bet: it’s only a 1 mile loop with 200 feet of elevation gain, and should take 30-45 minutes.
By the time you do all of this, it should be around 5 PM, which means you’re likely ready to head back to your hotel or campsite for dinner and to prepare for wherever tomorrow takes you!
What Else to Know about Visiting Bryce Canyon National Park
You don’t need reservations for Bryce Canyon.
Unlike Arches National Park, Glacier National Park, and others, you do not need to make a reservation to access any part of Bryce Canyon.
This flexibility is great for a day trip, when you might be making a decision last minute to run over to Bryce Canyon from one of the nearby towns or other national parks.
You will need to pay the entrance fee at the ranger booths when you arrive, but, other than that, you need zero pre-planning.
The park is open year round, but many things are closed in winter.
Navajo Loop Trail in the snow
You’ll still be able to go hiking, though I’d recommend bringing crampons for your hiking boots as the majority of the trails will get icy, which creates a challenge on the already sloped trails.
In the winter, the visitors center will have reduced hours, and the shuttle will not run as it does during the summer. The Sunset Campground closes completely, while the North Campground only offers sites in Loop A.
The Lodge at Bryce Canyon also closes, which eliminates the only food options in the park.
The Southern Scenic Drive does stay open all year, but it may be temporarily barred in heavier snow storms.
There are far fewer crowds in the winter, but you’ll need to come to the park being more or less self-sufficient since so much is closed or has reduced hours.
You can camp in the park, but there are also other good options nearby.
Camping inside Bryce Canyon means you’re steps from the beauty of the park, but there are also limited hook-ups and no amenities.
Ruby’s Inn in Bryce Canyon City is a popular choice with full hook-ups and larger sites, while Bryce Canyon R Journey in Cannonville (about 15 minutes away from the park’s entrance) is cost effective and with great amenities for the entire family.
>> Read my complete review of the Bryce Canyon R Journey campground here. <<
Compare the different camping options in and near Bryce Canyon and the other Utah parks in this guide to the best RV camping at the Utah national parks.
Ready to extend your visit to Bryce Canyon?
If your plans change, and you decide to extend your stay at Bryce Canyon, there’s SO much more to do!
In the park, here are some additional things to do that are excellent (but just didn’t fit in a single day’s visit):
Near the trailhead to Mossy Cave
Hike the Hoodoos program: collect coin rubbings from medallions on the trails across the park to receive a special prize
Junior Ranger program: for the young and young-at-heart, this free program encourages visitors to dive more deeply into the wildlife, geology and history of the park with interactive activities
Mossy Cave Trail: this fun, easy trail is located in a separate section of Bryce Canyon not accessible from the main entrance.
Ranger programs: These free programs are put on by rangers daily and cover a wide variety of topics to help visitors learn more about the park. Check at the information desk at the visitors center for times and locations.
There are also many incredible places and experiences just outside of the park, too, including:
The Camping Kiddos with our ATV rental in the Dixie National Forest
ATV rentals. We had a blast exploring Dixie National Forest on a UTV, and it was one of the highlights of our entire time in Bryce Canyon City. Learn about renting an ATV in Bryce Canyon, including tour comparisons, local trails, and more.
Red Canyon. This section of Dixie National Forest is just a few miles from Bryce Canyon City, and offers up some excellent hiking.
Kodachrome Basin State Park. Located in Cannonville, a 15 minute drive from Bryce Canyon City, this state park has an archery course, nature trail, camping, and hiking trails.
Panguitch, Utah. Step back into the Old West when you visit this cute town. The burgers at Cowboy’s Smokehouse Cafe on Main Street are fantastic!
