|
Bryce Canyon National Park is one place
where you can see a lot of fantastic
scenery in a very short time. There
are numerous trails below the rim, especially
in the area between Sunrise Point and
Bryce Point where most of the strange
rock formations are found, and a number
of variations of this hike are possible.
The 6.6 mile hike I describe here is
actually a combination of three separate
hikes suggested by the Park Service:
the Queens Garden Trail (1.6 miles),
the Wall Street Trail (0.7 mile), and
the Peekaboo Loop (4.8 miles). I suggest
you do them all together because the
only really strenuous part of any of
the hikes is the climb out of the canyon.
Why not see as much as possible before
climbing out?
From Sunset Point the trail drops
off the rim into Bryce Canyon, descending
rather steeply into a forest of spires
and pinnacles, or "hoodoos".
You can take either of two trails for
this portion of the hike, but if you
have ever seen the urban canyons of
New York City I suggest you take Wall
Street Trail on the right. This trail
was metaphorically named after Wall
Street Canyon in Manhattan, where New
York’s skyscrapers tower over the
narrow road below. The Wall Street Trail
lasts only 0.7 mile, but in this distance
you descend 520 feet. This is close
to the lowest point on the hike, so
you can relax for the next 4 1/2 miles.
Turn right at the trail junction at
the bottom of Wall Street and head for
the Peekaboo Loop. After 0.3 mile there
is another junction where you will need
to make another right turn and walk
a few hundred feet to the beginning
of the Peekaboo Loop. When you reach
the beginning of the loop I suggest
you take the left fork and walk around
it in a clockwise direction. The Wall
of Windows, which is the highlight of
Peekaboo, should be approached from
the south, its most impressive side.
As you enter the loop you will see
the Fairy Castle above you on the left
and Bryce Point straight ahead. If you
have good eyes you will probably be
able to see people on Bryce Point looking
down at you. They are about a mile away
and 900 feet higher. You will probably
also notice that the Peekaboo Loop is
a horse trail. During the summer horses
can be hired at the Bryce Canyon Lodge
for daily rides into the canyon; if
you meet one of the riding tours stand
aside and let them pass.
A little less than half way through
Peekaboo Loop the path meets another
trail coming down from Bryce Point.
Bear to the right and stay on Peekaboo
as the trail swings north and heads
back along the west side of the loop.
The next point of interest is the Wall
of Windows, a large fin of sedimentary
rock that is slowly eroding into a line
of hoodoos. The uneven erosion down
the sides of the fin has caused about
a dozen windows of various sizes to
open up in the wall, hence its name.
If you are interested in photographing
the Wall of Windows the best lighting
is before noon, while the sun is in
the east. From the Wall of Windows the
trail continues northward, passing by
the Cathedral and returning to the trail
junction at the beginning of the loop.
From there you should retrace your steps
for about 0.3 mile back to the bottom
of the Wall Street Trail.
From the bottom of the Wall Street
Trail, head north, past the Navajo Loop
Trail, and on towards the Queens Garden.
Queens Garden is one of the gems of
Bryce. It is a picture postcard scene,
perfectly decorated with trees and rock
formations as only nature can do. Although
Queens Garden is near the end of the
hike, you should save your lunch to
eat here if possible. There is no better
place to relax and enjoy the tranquility
of the Canyon. From Queens Garden it
is 0.8 mile, and 400 feet in elevation
gain, to the top of the rim. The trail
exits the canyon at Sunrise Point, 0.5
mile along the Rim Trail from Sunset
Point where the hike began.
|
Maps
Distance:
6.6 miles
banner text 
