Bryce Canyon's Hoodoos: Hiking the Figure 8 Trail
Bryce Canyon National Park had been on my list for years. I expected beautiful hoodoos and colorful overlooks, but I wasn't prepared for how completely this place would capture my imagination. By the end of one long hike, Bryce had quietly become one of my favorite national parks.
Being just a couple of hours from Zion, Bryce often feels like the quieter neighbor. We spent several days exploring Zion before making the drive east, arriving with a hotel reservation but hoping we might get lucky and find a campsite instead.
Camping In Bryce
As we entered the park, the ranger smiled and told us we shouldn't have any trouble finding a campsite. That was all we needed to hear.
We drove straight to North Campground and headed for the tent-only loop. Within minutes, we had found our home for the next couple of nights.
Our campsite couldn't have worked out much better. It sat at the end of the loop with neighbors on only one side, and the restroom, dishwashing station, and water refill were all just a short walk away. It was a comfortable place to recharge after long days of hiking.
Bryce Canyon Scenic Drive
That afternoon we explored Bryce Canyon Scenic Drive, stopping at nearly every overlook along the way. The drive stretches about 18 miles from the Bryce Amphitheater to Rainbow Point, climbing steadily through changing scenery before ending at one of the highest viewpoints in the park.
Natural Bridge, Agua Canyon, Rainbow Point, and dozens of unnamed viewpoints each offered a slightly different perspective of the incredible maze of hoodoos below. Every overlook seemed to reveal another layer of orange, pink, and white rock stretching toward the horizon. It was the perfect introduction to the landscape we would be hiking through the next morning.
Before heading back to camp, we stopped at the visitor center to ask for hiking recommendations. We already had our eye on the Figure 8 Trail, which combines Navajo Loop, Peekaboo Loop, and Queen's Garden into one unforgettable hike. The ranger smiled and said, "That's the hike I'd recommend."
She also reminded us to carry plenty of water. We visited during an unusually hot stretch in June, and despite carrying far more water than we normally would, we still wished we had packed even more.
Hiking The Figure 8 Trail
The next morning we were up early and headed straight for Sunset Point.
The ranger had recommended starting here, and after hiking the loop ourselves, I completely agree. Parking was easy at around 7:30 in the morning, and beginning before the heat settled into the canyon made a tremendous difference.
Within minutes, the trail begins dropping into Bryce Canyon. Navajo Loop wastes no time. One moment you're standing on the rim looking across the amphitheater, and the next you're descending a series of steep switchbacks carved into brilliant red dirt.
The views start immediately. Towering hoodoos surround the trail, and one of Bryce Canyon's most recognizable formations, Thor's Hammer, stands proudly near the beginning of the descent. Looking down from the rim, the switchbacks almost seem impossible. Looking back up from below somehow makes them look even steeper.
Then the trail enters Wall Street. This became one of my favorite sections of the entire hike.
The towering sandstone walls rise dramatically on both sides while enormous Douglas firs stretch improbably toward the narrow ribbon of sky above. It feels less like hiking through a canyon and more like wandering down the hallway of some ancient stone cathedral.
The cool shade was a welcome change after the exposed descent, and we naturally slowed our pace. It was impossible not to stop every few minutes to look up, photograph the towering walls, or simply enjoy being surrounded by such an incredible place.
Before long, Wall Street opens into the canyon floor. The scenery changes again.
Instead of looking down on the hoodoos, you're suddenly walking among them. Pine trees, red dirt, and towering stone spires surround the trail, giving you an entirely different perspective than the overlooks above.
It was hard to believe we'd already dropped nearly 500 feet into the canyon in less than a mile.
Soon we reached the connector trail leading toward Peekaboo Loop. The ranger had suggested hiking Peekaboo clockwise because horses frequently use the trail, so we followed that advice and turned left at the junction. Almost immediately, the trail began climbing again.
If Navajo Loop introduces Bryce Canyon, Peekaboo Loop lets you immerse yourself in it. The trail constantly climbed and descended through enormous hoodoos while opening onto sweeping views across the amphitheater. Every turn seemed to reveal another incredible formation, another winding trail, or another cluster of towering rock spires.
The elevation changes kept us working, especially in the June heat, but Bryce has a way of making you forget you're climbing. Every time we stopped to catch our breath, another incredible view waited in front of us. We didn't mind taking those breaks at all.
We continued climbing through Peekaboo Loop, catching glimpses of the Wall of Windows long before we reached it. Every bend in the trail seemed to reveal a better view than the last. The hoodoos here are enormous, and the trail winds right through them instead of simply looking down from above. It felt like we were hiking through a maze of towering stone castles.
The Wall of Windows stretched across the canyon while a ribbon of switchbacks snaked through the landscape below. Tiny hikers moved along the trail beneath the hoodoos, giving us a real sense of just how massive the formations were. We knew we'd eventually be hiking those switchbacks ourselves, but for a while we simply stood there, taking in the view.
The Wall of Windows stretched across the canyon while a ribbon of switchbacks snaked through the landscape below. Tiny hikers moved along the trail beneath the hoodoos, giving us a real sense of just how massive the formations were. We knew we'd eventually be hiking those switchbacks ourselves, but for a while we simply stood there, taking in the view.
The loop continued over a series of climbs and descents that seemed determined to test our legs. Although Peekaboo Loop is only about three miles long, it packs in plenty of elevation change. Between the climbing and the warm June temperatures, we were grateful for every small patch of shade we could find.
Along the way, we passed the junction leading toward Bryce Point. It would have been a quick way to leave the canyon, but we weren't interested in shortcuts. We had come to hike the Figure 8, and there was no turning back now.
One welcome surprise was finding a small restroom tucked into an alcove along the trail. It seemed perfectly placed for a quick break before continuing deeper into the loop.
Eventually, the trail led us through a tunnel carved beneath the hoodoos before dropping back toward the connector trail. The tunnel made for some fun photos, but honestly, we appreciated it most for the cool shade it provided.
Back at the junction with Navajo Loop and Queen's Garden, we found a couple of benches beneath some welcome shade trees and stopped for lunch.
A ranger happened to walk by while we were eating. "You've got the best seat in the park," she said. Looking out across the hoodoos from our shady bench, we couldn't help but agree.
Queen's Garden
Compared to Peekaboo Loop, Queen's Garden feels a little gentler. The trail still climbs steadily toward the rim, but it spends more time winding through beautiful rock formations than making dramatic elevation changes.
The famous Queen Victoria hoodoo sits just off the main trail, and the short spur to the viewpoint is well worth the extra few steps. It's easy to see how the formation earned its name, perched above the canyon like a queen seated on her throne.
We had read that Queen's Garden was the easiest route back to the rim. Technically, that's true. But after several hours of hiking in the June sun, though, even the easiest route felt challenging.
The canyon remained beautiful all the way to the top. We passed through more tunnels, walked beneath towering hoodoos, and enjoyed sweeping views back across the amphitheater whenever the trees opened. By the final series of switchbacks, though, we were definitely feeling the miles.
When we finally stepped back onto the rim at Sunrise Point, we felt equal parts exhausted and proud. From there, it was an easy half-mile stroll along the Rim Trail back to Sunset Point and our car.
Looking back across the canyon, it was hard to believe we'd spent the day hiking among the formations that now looked so small from above.
The views from the rim are spectacular, but they're only part of the experience. The real magic happens once you leave the overlook and descend into the amphitheater. Walking among the hoodoos completely changes your perspective. Formations that looked small from above suddenly tower overhead, and every turn reveals another incredible landscape.
The Figure 8 Trail gave us everything we hoped for. Narrow canyons, towering hoodoos, sweeping overlooks, quiet forests, endless switchbacks, and just enough challenge to make reaching the rim feel like an accomplishment.
It remains one of my favorite hikes I've ever done.
Bryce Canyon also surprised me in another way. Despite being so close to Zion National Park, it felt noticeably quieter and more relaxed. We never felt rushed, and even on one of the park's most popular hikes, there were long stretches where it felt like we had the canyon almost to ourselves.
Before this trip, Bryce was simply another national park I wanted to visit. By the time we left, it had earned a permanent place among our favorites, and we have wanted to return many times since.
Hiking the Hoodoos
One of my favorite surprises during our visit wasn't actually part of the hike.
Bryce Canyon has a fun program called Hike the Hoodoos, where hikers collect benchmark rubbings or photographs from designated locations throughout the park. Once you've completed enough of them, you can stop by the visitor center and earn a small prize.
We were hot, dusty, and more than ready for a cold drink, but claiming our prize (a sticker and a pin!) somehow made completing the hike feel even more rewarding. It was such a simple idea, yet it became one of those little memories that still makes me smile.
