.png)
July 29, 2017
If ever you wanted options on a trail, the Rim Trail at Bryce Canyon National Park is the way to go. Being at Bryce Canyon for only half a day this summer, we wanted to get in as much hiking as possible. After hiking Navajo Trail with enough daylight to take in some more of the gorgeous views, we decide to do a portion of the Rim Trail starting at Sunset Point.
Rim Trail offers two main routes, but really, you can take it for as long as you'd like. We chose to start at Sunset Point directly after finishing Navajo Trail, making our way to Inspiration Point and then heading back to Sunset Point for a hike of about 2.8 miles.
Looking for a shorter hike? A popular option is to take Sunset Point to Sunrise Point, or vice versa. This makes a 1.8-mile hike in total and is the most accessible portion of the trail, usable by wheelchair and pet-friendly.
Looking for something longer? Take the trail from Fairyland Point to Bryce Point for a 5.5 mile hike, and head back again for a round trip of 11 miles.
The entire length of the trail from Sunset to Inspiration Point is completely open to views of Bryce. I'm not exaggerating when I say that between the 3 of us we took close to 500 pictures, just on this short hike. (blurry, bloodshot editing eyeballs, here we come).
Although there were a few elevation changes on the trail, a good portion of it is definitely family-friendly, just be sure to keep little ones away from the edge!
I warned you...lots of pictures.
There were a few spectacular overlooks on the trail, sans guardrails. They definitely aren't for everyone (please - do NOT let your children wander onto these), and even more not-for-everyone if you're like me and even the slightest bit afraid of heights. Lucky for me and my photography obsessed brain, Leo isn't afraid of heights and loves getting as close as possible to things that make me crazy anxious...so I was able to get a few shots of him and Yazzy hanging out on the edge.
Personally, I enjoyed hanging back from the edge a bit, especially in one area of the trail that offered up some gorgeous, bright green bushes and trees that felt out of place yet breathtaking against the bright orange backdrop.
There was also this tree, which I just found completely fantastic, I've no idea why. Most likely those roots...imagine hanging onto bare rock, right at the edge of the rim like that, with nothing around to protect you from the wind. It's passed it's time now, but still, what a lovely thing.
We only passed two other groups of people hiking until we reached Sunrise Point, so we were able to enjoy the hike in quiet delight. It was wonderful!
The Rim Trail is yet another perfect hike for first-timers at Bryce, especially if you don't have a lot of time to enjoy it. There are plenty of options depending on how long you'd like to hike for, and it ranges from easy to moderate depending on how much you do. If you plan on going from Sunset to Inspiration and back like we did, you'll get to enjoy awesome views of hoodoos and red rocks the entire way. Coupled with vibrant blue skies, it was truly a treat!
Bonus: Leashed pets are allowed on this trail, so feel free to bring your pup (or cat that thinks they're a dog) out for a mini adventure.
Distance: 2.8 mi round trip (options of 0 mi to 11 mi round trip)
Type: One Way
Elevation Gain: 0 ft to 1922 ft
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Crowd: Light to Moderate (Heavy at the Points)
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hungry for more about Bryce? Click here!
No comments:
Post a Comment