Bryce Canyon National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park is a stunning national park located in southern Utah in the United States. The park is known for its unique geology, with colorful rock formations and spires known as hoodoos that rise from the ground. The park is located at a high elevation, with a dry and temperate climate that offers cool summers and cold winters.
The park is situated on the Paunsaugunt Plateau, which is part of the Colorado Plateau, a region known for its dramatic landscape and geological diversity. The park is home to a variety of plant species, including pinyon pine, juniper, and ponderosa pine. It is also home to a variety of wildlife, including mule deer, pronghorns, elk, and a variety of birds and small mammals.
The park is a popular destination for hiking, including the very popular Fairyland Loop Trail. There is also a network of other trails that lead through the park’s many canyons and valleys.
VISIT Bryce Canyon National Park:
Park Details
Bryce Canyon National Park was established on June 8, 1923, and has a total area of 35,835 acres (56 square miles, or 145 square kilometers).
| Address | Highway 63, Bryce, UT, 84764 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 435-834-5322 |
| Hours | Open 24 hours a day all year |
| Entrance Fee | $35 per vehicle, valid for 7 days |
| Learn More | Official Website |
When to Visit: Weather vs. Peak Visitation
Bryce Canyon National Park is the 42nd most visited park in the country.
We crunched 30 years of historical weather and/or park service data to find the best months to visit Bryce Canyon National Park. We looked for the optimal temperatures, the least amount of snow and rain, and stayed away from peak visitation months if we could help it. All this data then helped us paint a picture as to what the absolute best time to visit Bryce Canyon National Park is.
Our data shows the best months to visit Bryce Canyon National Park are September, June, May & August.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Park Visits | 37,725 | 35,653 | 96,800 | 201,771 | 294,862 | 369,184 | 284,523 | 191,404 | 287,185 | 183,461 | 77,501 | 44,531 |
| Precipitation | 26 | 32 | 28 | 32 | 30 | 19 | 49 | 43 | 28 | 30 | 21 | 24 |
| Avg Temp | 33 | 35 | 43 | 53 | 64 | 74 | 79 | 76 | 69 | 58 | 44 | 34 |
| Max Temp | 43 | 46 | 56 | 66 | 75 | 83 | 86 | 83 | 78 | 70 | 58 | 47 |
| Avg Temp | 19 | 21 | 26 | 30 | 38 | 47 | 56 | 54 | 46 | 35 | 25 | 18 |
| Min Temp | -1 | 1 | 8 | 16 | 22 | 31 | 45 | 45 | 29 | 19 | 6 | -3 |
Bryce Canyon National Park Road Trips
Many family vacations consist of stringing one or more national parks together during a week-long trip. Creating these types of trips is our specialty! Here are the road trips we've created where Bryce Canyon National Park is visited.
| Trip Name | Trip Miles | Trip Days |
|---|---|---|
| South to North, Arizona to Montana & Saguaro to Glacier | 2,120 | 14 |
| Zion, Bryce Canyon, Grand Staircase–Escalante to Capitol Reef | 583 | 9 |
| Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon to Zion | 750 | 10 |
Other Nearby National Park Sites
From national monuments, to historic sites to seashores and more, here are the other parks closest to Bryce Canyon National Park.
| Name | Distance |
|---|---|
| Cedar Breaks National Monument | 37 mi |
| Zion National Park | 54 mi |
| Glen Canyon National Recreation Area | 58 mi |
| Pipe Spring National Monument | 61 mi |
| Capitol Reef National Park | 67 mi |
| Rainbow Bridge National Monument | 76 mi |
| Grand Canyon National Park | 109 mi |
| Navajo National Monument | 111 mi |
| Natural Bridges National Monument | 118 mi |
| Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument | 123 mi |
Nearby Campsites & RV Parks
If you are looking to pitch a tent or park an RV at a campsite near Bryce Canyon National Park, here is a list of the closest campsites in the surrounding area. They all have slightly different amenitites, so its best to check them all out instead of just chosing the first on the list.
| Name | Details | Miles Away |
|---|---|---|
| Sunset - Bryce National Park | Bryce Canyon, UT more | 1 miles |
| North - Bryce National Park | Bryce Canyon, UT more | 1 miles |
| King Creek | Panguitch, UT more | 5 miles |
| Red Canyon | Panguitch, UT more | 11 miles |
| Kodachrome Basin State Park | Cannonville, UT more | 12 miles |
| Rock Springs Bench - Grand Staircase Nat Mon | Henrieville, UT more | 14 miles |
| Henrieville Creek - Grand Staircase Nat Mon | Henrieville, UT more | 14 miles |
| Pine Lake | Bryce Canyon, UT more | 14 miles |
| White Bridge | Panguitch, UT more | 24 miles |
| Panguitch Lake | Panguitch, UT more | 27 miles |
Nearest Ski Resorts
For those of you who are the diehard outdoors type, visiting a national park on a ski trip can be quite the adventure. Here are the ski resorts within 100 miles of Bryce Canyon National Park:
| Name | Location | Summit | Difficulty Score™ | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Head Resort | Brian Head, UT | 10,929 ft | 47% | 38 mi |
Nearest Airports
When visiting a National park, many people are faced with either a very long drive across country, or a much shorter flight. For those of you looking to fly into Bryce Canyon National Park, we've listed the closest airports in the area.
Large Airports
A large airport has scheduled major airline service with millions of passengers per year. This type of airport always accepts international flights. Here are the closest large airports to Bryce Canyon National Park.
| Name | Code | City | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Reid International Airport | LAS | Las Vegas, NV | 196 mi |
| Salt Lake City International Airport | SLC | Salt Lake City, UT | 218 mi |
| Lake Havasu City International Airport | LHS | Lake Havasu City, AZ | 248 mi |
| Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport | PHX | Phoenix, AZ | 290 mi |
| Ontario International Airport | ONT | Ontario, CA | 391 mi |
| Reno–Tahoe International Airport | RNO | Reno, NV | 430 mi |
| Denver International Airport | DEN | Denver, CO | 432 mi |
Medium Airports
A medium-sized airport has scheduled regional airline service. This type of airport may or may not accept international flights. Here are the closest medium-sized airports to Bryce Canyon National Park.
| Name | Code | City | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar City Regional Airport | CDC | Cedar City, UT | 51 mi |
| Saint George-Southwest Utah International Airport | SGU | St George, UT | 84 mi |
| Grand Canyon National Park Airport | GCN | Grand Canyon - Tusayan, AZ | 116 mi |
| Flagstaff Pulliam International Airport | FLG | Flagstaff, AZ | 174 mi |
| Provo-Utah Lake International Airport | PVU | Provo, UT | 180 mi |
| Prescott International Airport - Ernest A. Love Field | PRC | Prescott, AZ | 206 mi |
| Grand Junction Regional Airport | GJT | Grand Junction, CO | 222 mi |
Credits: Campground data provided by USCampgrounds.info. Map shapes from CartographyVectors. Weather data from NOAA. Airport data from OurAirports.com. Images from Unsplash, Flickr and Parks&Trips. All data has also been updated and augmented by Parks&Trips.