On our first day we did the "drive by" to get oriented. At the very end of the road we were sick of the car and decided to take this short trail...it is very nice. The forest is alive with birds and you end up with a grand overview of the entire valley.
The terrain was easy to walk, there were some great vistas, some with nice log benches strategically placed. A lot of the cliff edges were not fenced in so I would not have wanted to do this walk with younger children.
We didn't have much time at Bryce, so we took this quick hike. The trail was easy and well maintained. There are several areas that open up to beautiful outlooks. Nice mix of forest and open vistas.
The hike involves first going down into the area to a "bridge" of sandstone. Then you have to hike up. We were looking for some exercise and my 7 year old made it with a few stops on the way up. It is a trail which has a beautiful view of bristlecones and hoodoos.
We decided to meander the trail towards the evening around 5ish. There were storm clouds but it only sprinkled a little. Great views. Only took about 35 minutes for us but our 13,11 year olds were in a hurry (as usual) they liked it though as did we.
Lots of the walks in Bryce are quite long this one is just over 1 mile so manageable for most. If you are lucky you will see birds of prey soaring in the sky above the pines.
We enjoyed our walk on Bristlecone Loop. It was one of the easiest hikes that we did. It went thru trees so you had some shade for some of the walk, but it also looped around to give you some good views on the cliffs. They had been doing a lot of tree cutting with the trees left wherever they fell, but none blocking the trail. We did see a sign that said there had been a black bear sighting in the area. We hiked with a 7 and 8 year old and felt very comfortable doing so. There were some edges that were unprotected, but the trail was far enough away from those that it did not pose a problem for us. Remember if you are coming from Zion, Bryce Canyon is MUCH cooler than Zion. We were quite surprised by the temperature difference. Even in June, you might need a jacket in the morning. It was also very windy at times.
I think this was one of the nicer hikes in the park. It was an easy hike and it went through a beautiful forest with side views of the hoodoos. I went in the morning and it was really secluded which is unusual in Bryce in June.
This was a very nice hike at the end of the day. Situated at the very end of the access road, this hike brings you through the pine forest at 9000 feet of elevation. There are some nice views, and the hike is very relaxing and enjoyable.Easy and flat - no more than 100 feet of elevation differential from beginning to end. Do it, you'll like it.DG
This is by far my favorite hike and Bryce Canyon. There were few people there, and I had the trail mostly to myself. The views from several different points along this trail are amazing. And it's really neat to be able to see the Bristlecone Pines which are so old and so amazing in their tenacity. Even with an injured foot, this is a pretty easy trail to hike. I would highly recommend it.