We love Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah. The landscape there is very unique and breathtaking, regardless of the seasons. However, we were lucky enough to be able to visit this park right after a big snowstorm in the winter. The once familiar Navajo Loop to Queens Garden Trail became something straight out of a storybook. There is something magical about the way the white snow blanketed the tall red hoodoos, making their color even more vivid. Even though it is a shorter trail, the Navajo Loop to Queens Garden Trail in Bryce Canyon packs full of wonder everywhere you look. And in the winter, you can have the whole place to yourself most of the time.
Note: Please make sure to respect this beautiful place and the surrounding areas. Always practice LEAVE NO TRACE. This means no loud music, no graffiti, no taking artifacts or fossilized items, and pack out what you pack in! Please help us protect this place for generations to come!
Stats
Where
Since this is a loop, you can start at either spots below:
Sunrise Point
37°37’42.4″N 112°09’46.6″W
Sunset Point
37°37’21.8″N 112°09’57.7″W
Parking
There are plenty of parking spaces at both lots. You can also take a shuttle from April to October
Restroom
There are restrooms at the trailhead
Fee
There is a fee to enter the Bryce Canyon National Park. Please check the park’s website for updated info. You can also use your America the Beautiful Pass here.
Important Things
- If you are visiting in the winter, make sure to bring traction devices such as micro-spikes or crampons.
- Dress appropriately. It gets very warm in the summer and very cold in the winter.
- If you’re visiting from April – October, there is a free shuttle that goes from the town outside the park, all the way to Bryce Point.
Distance
- Navajo Loop is 1.3 miles.
- From Navajo Loop (Two Bridges side) through Queens Garden trail back to Sunset Point is 2.6 miles.
Elevation Gain
592ft
Level
Moderate
Time:
3-4 hours
Pet-friendly
Dogs are not allowed on this trail.
Ideal Time
This is a popular hike so go early if you’re visiting during busier seasons. It is beautiful year-round. However, in our opinions, winter is the best time to visit. There are less people and the sceneries are just magical.
Weather
Video
About Navajo Loop to Queens Garden Trail
The Navajo Loop to Queens Garden is a loop so you can start at either Sunset Point or Sunrise Point. Most people start at Sunrise Point. We prefer Sunset Point because we like seeing Thor’s Hammer first. Either way, this trail is no lacking in beauty. To complete the loop, you can either take the Wall Street side or the Two Bridges Side of the Navajo Loop. Both sides are spectacular so whichever trail you take, you won’t regret it. Keep in mind, in the winter, Wall Street is usually closed.
The Adventure
Getting Started
Every time we visited Bryce Canyon National Park in the winter, there were hardly any cars in the parking lot. Even if there were a few, most of the visitors usually stayed near the viewpoints. This time around, with the freezing temperature around 8 degrees. Dustin and I were the only ones attempting the Navajo Loop to Queens Garden Trail.
Our adventure starts at the Sunset Point viewpoint. You should see a sign pointing toward the way. The trails here are very well-maintained and defined so you won’t have to worry about getting lost. Although, it might get a bit challenging if you’re visiting right after a big snowstorm. Depending on the level of snow, you can either use snowshoes or just traction devices such as micro-spikes or crampons. Usually, with fresh and heavier snow, snowshoes work the best. As for the heavily trafficked trails, most of the snow has already been packed down, therefore, according to the park ranger, microspikes will be easier to hike with.
The Start of the Trail
The Navajo Loop to Queens Garden Trail follows a small trail, protected by a guard rail leading down to the amphitheater below. Once you get past the guard rail, you can either go right and go down through Wall Street or go left on Two Bridges toward Thor’s Hammer. Thor’s Hammer is one of Bryce Canyon’s famous hoodoos. If you haven’t ever heard of a Hoodoo before, you can learn all about them here. Please note that Wall Street is usually closed in the winter.
Hiking Down Wall Street
We personally prefer hiking down Wall Street. We went through this way 2 years ago in the fall. The switchbacks are a lot steeper but it is more scenic. They are buried between the big hoodoos and opened out into a short slot canyon. At the end of the slot canyon, you’ll go down a small set of stairs that curved around the iconic tree of Wall Street. I’m sure you have seen it in a photo somewhere on the world wide web before. Once past the tree, the trail widened up with distance hoodoos and pine trees and stayed flat for most of the way. You’ll eventually come to a meeting point where you can either go straight to go to Queens Garden and back to Sunrise Point or make a left and complete the Navajo Loop through Two Bridges.
Hiking Down Two Bridges
With Wall Street closed off in the winter, we headed down the Two Bridges side. If you can wake up early enough, Thor’s Hammer is magnificent at sunrise. The trail starts off with 3 big switchbacks. After 0.2 miles, you will now be up close and personal with Thor’s Hammer. I think that when it comes to the hoodoos, you really need to get down amongst them to really appreciate their scale. Even though we haven’t made it down that far, the views along the way are spectacular, especially in the snow.
After leaving Thor’s Hammer, you will round a corner to find yourself standing at the top of a set of 9 switchbacks set in an absolutely beautiful canyon. We were happy to see these because they look pretty similar to the switchbacks on the closed Wall Street trail. It can get pretty windy here at the switchbacks and also quite colder too.
Two Bridges
A short way after getting to the bottom of the switchbacks, we came to a small fork in the road with a sign pointing to a detour for Two Bridges. The side trail is only about 50 feet and definitely worth taking a peek at. It just takes you into a smaller canyon that has 2 interesting natural arches. Unfortunately, you can’t get that close to these arches. This is why this side of the Navajo Loop is named Two Bridges.
After checking out the arches, we continued on. Around the 0.6 miles, there is an intersection on the trail with directional signs. Going right will take you to either Wall Street or Peek-a-boo Loop. Going left will take you through Queens Garden and back to Sunrise Point. We went left to continue on with our adventure from Navajo Loop to Queens Garden.
The Start of Queens Garden Trail
After the intersection, the trail flattens out and winds between the hoodoos and pine trees. On your left, you will be looking uphill where you will see beautiful hoodoos and trees made out of bizarrely twisted wood. On your right, you will be looking across a valley to a stunning mix of forest, and coppered pillars that continue way out into the distance. The white blanket of snow definitely enhances the already breathtaking landscape.
The Small Slot Canyon
We are now closing in on my favorite part of the hike. I can’t really narrow it down to a single thing, but more like the entire second half of this hike. Soon, the walls of the canyon will start to get closer and closer as you start to make your way toward Queens Garden. At one point, the trail goes halfway under a hoodoo. Whether that is man-made or not, it was pretty cool. About 200 yards after the half tunnel, at the 1.3 miles, you will go through a very short slot canyon.
Queen Victoria and Her Garden
From the slot canyon, it is a short distance until you come to a fork in the trail. There will be directional signs there. If you go left, the trail will lead to where the famous rock formation known as Queen Victoria resides. It is a short detour. If you go right through the small hole in the way to continue on the Queens Garden trail. If you decided to visit Queen Victoria, you should be able to find a small informational sign in front of it. Although, the rock formation is actually smaller than we thought and located quite far back. It is not the whole hoodoo, but just a small statue on top of a hoodoo. It is supposed to resemble Queen Victoria.
Continue on Queens Garden Trail
After saying bye to the Queen, we followed our way back and went through the hole in the wall. Once we went through this doorway in the rock, it seems like the trail had gotten even more beautiful. Right after this doorway, there is a ledge with gorgeous views of the valley below. If you turn around and follow the trail, you’ll come to the massive hoodoo amphitheater behind you. The trail will be heading toward the amphitheater so you will get a chance to see it nicely and close.
Second Door Way
A short uphill 0.3 of a mile later, you should reach another rock doorway. Be sure to take a look off to the right as you cross through the door. We loved these little narrow hallways in the hoodoos that opened up to big scenic viewpoints. The snow here also got a bit deeper as well. Our feet kept sinking in as we hike along.
The Switchbacks and the Last Door Way
About 0.1 miles after the 2nd doorway, you will come to the steeper portion of the trail. It comes in the form of some very photogenic switchbacks. The steepness of the hill mixed with the altitude had us breathing a little heavily as we zig-zagged our way up the hill. Luckily, we had crampons on so we were sliding at all. As we reached the top of the switchbacks and walk up a short hill, you came to the third and final doorway. This part of the Navajo Loop to Queens Garden Trail is super beautiful. After you cross through the doorway on your right side, you should have another gorgeous view across the canyon. The hoodoos here look like little red chimneys out of a storybook. The trail soon opens up to an expansive view of the canyon as you get higher.
Going Up to Sunrise Point
This is the point where the main climb of the trail begins. Over the next half a mile, you will be climbing over 300 feet with a combination of switchbacks and steeper hills. The funny thing about the climb is that it seems like the higher you climb, the view keeps changing. I felt like we kept stopping to take photos of the same thing over and over as we went along because the view seemed to get better and better. Luckily, you will probably be so taken aback by how beautiful your surroundings are that you won’t fully be able to comprehend how out of breath you truly are!
The Sunrise Viewpoint
Once you reach Sunrise Point, you will see a small ramp on your left. This heads up to a small viewing area where you can see the bizarre-looking Walking Tree. Walking Tree is a Limber Pine. It is a testament to the rate that Bryce Canyon is eroding to the west, approximately 2-4 feet every 100 years. Much of its root systems are completely exposed after human foot traffic has compacted and worn away the soil. These roots and the entire tree’s health are in jeopardy, as little rain can infiltrate compacted soil. Furthermore, as people step on the exposed tree roots, their shoes wear away the protective covering of bark, which weakens and eventually kills the tree.
Please (especially you photographers), be a responsible nature enthusiast and stay on the trails. Please stay behind the railing so as not to further erode or compact the soil near this little tree. Doing so would ruin future erosional data this tree could provide.
The Rim Trail Portion: From Sunrise Point to Sunset Point
From the viewpoint at Sunrise Point, you can make your way along the Rim Trail back to Sunset Point where you park your car. It is an easy half-mile walk along the rim. The actual Rim Trail is about 25 feet or so from the edge, but there is a smaller trail that goes right up to the edge. Be sure to watch your step. From this point, you should be able to look down and see most of the trail that you just did! If you’re doing this hike when the shuttle is running, you can actually take the shuttle back to where you started. However, you can do that last 0.5 miles hike! It is not that bad.
We love the Navajo Loop to Queens Garden and we hope you do too! Every inch of it is gorgeous. We would gladly go in any season, but the snow definitely made it even more magical. If you’re looking for things to do in Bryce, check out cross-country skiing. Also, don’t forget to check out Zion National Park when you’re here. It’s only a few hours away. Angels Landing in the snow is breathtaking. Also, the off the beaten path hikes there are also amazing.
These are the gear that we personally use and find them helpful for this particular adventure. Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.
adventure gear
- Sunscreen: even in the winter, the sun can be brutal. Make sure to use your sunscreen. We use eco-friendly, reef-safe sunscreen, Stream2Sea SPF 30, and tinted, organic All Good Organic Sunscreen Butter.
- Traction device: if you’re hiking in the winter, the trails and even the parking lot can be icy. Make sure to bring micro-spikes or crampons for added traction. You don’t need anything fancy. Just the simple one like this one would work. If you forget to bring yours, you can either purchase them at the Visitor Center or rent them at the Ruby’s Inn Winter Adventure Center.
- Neck gaiter – depending on the weather, it can be very cold, especially if there’s wind. We love these Smartwool Neck gaiter.
- A warm jacket that is waterproof. It would be good if it has a hood. Vy actually use this jacket from R.E.I and she loves it. It’s lightweight, waterproof, and perfect for layering.
- Layering your clothes! This way, you can take them off or put them on as the temperature changes. We love our Smartwool baselayer. For pants, this is Vy’s version, and this is Dustin’s version. For the top, here’s Vy’s, and here’s Dustin’s.
- Snow pants or waterproof pants – This helps you stay dry and warm when walking in the snow.
- Snow gloves or waterproof gloves – Make sure they are waterproof. There is nothing like wet gloves in the icy cold weather.
- Beanies to keep your head warm.
- Wool socks – Cotton socks don’t keep warm, so your feet will get cold fast. Wool socks, even though they are more expensive, last longer and will keep your feet warmer.
- Waterproof Hiking Shoes – You’ll want to keep the snow off those little toes. When the shoes get wet, you’ll be more prone to frostbite.
- Hydration pack – if you’re hiking, make sure to bring enough water. Although you don’t feel like drinking water, it is good to stay hydrated. We use the Camelback L.U.X.E.
- Sun-glasses – that white snow will reflect the sunlight. It can get very bright.
- Snow chain – the weather can get very predictable up here, make sure to bring chains for your car so you don’t get stuck
- Food and Snacks. Always good to bring some snacks with you. For healthy and easy snacks, check out some of our recipes.
camera gear
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2 Comments
Jessica
Oh nice! I’ve never been to Utah and never done hiking in the US. Closest thing I did was sightseeing at Grabd Canyon. Looks like this is something to look forward to!
Vy
Grand Canyon is definitely a beauty of its own! If you have a chance, make sure to hike Bryce Canyon though. ;D