Bryce Canyon NP

Journey map

The two parks are so close that, a map would be useless.

• from Kodachrome Basin SP to Bryce Canyon NP: 30 miles and 1h10 on road

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Sunday, June 7

Wake up at 6 am and breakfast; we get washed with hot showers. Latest photos of the park and we set off at 8:10 am, the thermometer indicates 46°F.

We arrive at the entrance of Bryce Canyon NP just before 9am (outside temperature: 48°F); we use the restroom, put sunscreen even if the sky is so blue than yesterday, take our backpacks and here we go towards Sunset Point at 9:37 am with still a cool temperature. We well bear our fleece jacket; keep in mind that we're at a pretty high altitude (8,000 feet).

If the first impression we had in Grand Canyon was fabulous, here there are no words, it takes at least a stream of words: fantastic, wonderful, all conceivable onomatopoeias (woo...!).
Needles of rock ranging from orange to white through all possible shades.

Shortly before 10am, we begin the descent of Navajo Loop Trail, on Wall Street side. Looking at the little figures at the bottom of the descent, we can imagine what we'll go up on the way back!
Except for very few pine trees, nothing grows in the descent. The bottom is reached half an hour later and we meet a little squirrel, sitting quietly on a bench and we just bother it!

Some flowers on the section between Navajo Loop Trail and Peek-a-Boo Loop Trail and we go on the second part of this hike. Ouestusa.fr tells us that this hike is uncrowded because fairly hard; indeed, we alternate up and down, and we believe that each is the last one!
But the scenery is so beautiful that many photo stops allow us to catch our breath .

We stay just under 2 hours for this loop and return to "our bench" to find again our friend the squirrel (or one of its cousins) who tries to explore our backpacks; a superb blue bird comes to see us.
It's now 12:40 pm and we plan to have lunch on the bench, but there is too much people and we're left searching for a quieter place; a tree trunk away from the path will do it.

An hour later, we continue on Queen's Garden Trail and arrive at Sunrise Point, after a climb not so hard than envisioned (unless we end up being trained ). Walk on the Rim Trail towards Sunset Point where our car is parked; we have walked a total of almost 8 miles, but what a splendor!

Before beginning the visit of the different points of view along the road, we prefer to check that there is no problem for our reservation at the campground and identify the location for a return possibly late, sunset oblige. We check the booking and talk 2 minutes with the "guardian"; everything is OK and we can go to the end of the ridge road, Rainbow and Yovimpa Points.
We stop at all points of view on the way back towards Sunset Point, all at an average altitude of 8,800 ft.

We finally arrive at Inspiration Point where there are two possibilities: either stay at the bottom of hill on the "parking for tourists", where all busses stop, or climb to Upper (it's worth a bit) and find out what both of us have found the best place.
f you have only little time at Bryce Canyon, made at least this point (we'll come back, but that's another story).

We return to the parking lot of Sunset Point at 6pm with 64°F on the thermometer and we go buying a few postcards at General Store until the sunset.
We admire (once again) the beautiful landscape but the sky is cloudy and we end up giving up, "defeated" by the cold at 7:40 pm while the thermometer registered 57°F.
Back at the campsite, a small wood fire and we enjoy dinner; after, we use the restroom (and the power sockets) to unload the pictures on the laptop which battery was empty. A lovely long sleep as soon as possible because tomorrow morning sunrise!

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Monday, June 8

Wake up at 5am with a temperature of 41°F, a little bit chilly! We leave quickly the camp, without making too much noise so as not to disturb other campers and we arrive at Sunrise Point at 5:30 am. There are already many people.
We have the chance (privilege?) to have a beautiful sunrise, once will not hurt! Few words to describe how we feel and I hope these pictures will help you a little bit to "be" there.

Back to the campground at 6:45 am for breakfast and toiletries (Isabelle, perhaps not well awake, noted 6:45 pm on our journey diary!!!). We leave camp at 7:45 am and then we head to Fairyland Canyon, located just before the park entrance.

Soon, we say goodbye to Bryce Canyon NP. The park will remain for us the park of the MOST :

• The most beautiful landscapes,
• The highest altitudes (at now),
• The lowest temperatures (34°F),
• The steepest slopes, in particular on Peek-a-boo Trail!