BRYCE CANYON

Visiting Bryce Canyon? Most hikes and views stick to one long, easy out-and-back road. Weird, but it works.

We stayed at Best Western Plus Ruby’s Inn, where the buffet seemed half haunted—lots of empty trays and the same sad food on both sides. Fancy dining, right?

December on the rim was cold, but down in the valley, it was “find shade or fry” weather. Desert mood swings, classic Bryce.

If you want jaw-dropping views with a side of weird and quiet trails away from the crowds, Bryce is your kind of chaos.

Kodachrome Basin State Park

  • Location: Cannonville, Utah – about 30 minutes southeast of Bryce Canyon

  • Entrance Fee: $10/day per vehicle (or free with Utah State Parks pass)

  • Best Season: Fall, winter, or early spring. Summer will roast your bones.

Panorama Trail – This hike fried our brains so thoroughly, we forgot every plan we made for the rest of the day. The only thing left was survival and awe. Because—somehow—the views keep getting more absurd. Which is how we turned our 1hr stroll into a 6mile fight for survival.

Each side trail added a little more chaos, a little more distance, and a lot more “this was a mistake.” But also—no regrets. The rock formations are absurd. The silence is eerie in the best way. And the moment you wedge yourself into a sandstone crack to hide from the sun and re-evaluate your life? Pure desert therapy.

What we missed because we fried out brains

          Willis Creek Slot Canyon 2 miles

          Bull Valley Gorge 2 miles

Hiking Info:

  • Indian Cave only
    🔹 Approx. 4.8 miles total (loop + spur)
    🔹 Easy detour, short climb, great views
    🔹 Shady-ish spot to reconsider all your life decisions

  • Indian Cave + Secret Passage
    🔹 Approx. 5.5 miles total
    🔹 More sand, more weirdness, somehow still no shade
    🔹 Secret Passage is basically a rock maze for the sun-drunk and overconfident

  • Indian Cave + Secret Passage + Cool Cave
    🔹 6+ miles total
    🔹 By this point, your shoes are full of sand and your soul is full of regrets

Mossy Cave

We lucked out. Hit Mossy Cave first thing in the morning, no crowds, just silence and frostbite flirting with our fingertips. And thank whatever ancient sandstone spirit was watching over us—because if we’d saved it for after Kodachrome, it wouldn’t have happened. We’d have been too cooked, too dusty, and too emotionally unprepared for ice. Yes, these hikes were on the exact same day but look at the differences in the pictures. That’s what 23mins of driving in Bryce will do.

Instead, we got it all. A frozen waterfall hanging mid-splash. Icicles the size of betrayal. The river half-frozen, half scheming. The cave? Damp, shady, weirdly sacred.

Everything felt still and eerie in the best way. Even the trees looked like they were holding their breath. But don’t let the short distance fool you—snow turns this hike into a low-grade survival simulation. Every step: either magical or slippery chaos.

And yes, it’s worth it. But do it early. Do it first. Do it before the sun, the crowds, or your own poor decision-making ruin it.

  • Distance: ~0.8 miles round-trip

  • Elevation Gain: ~200 feet (gentle-ish… unless it’s icy)

  • Trail Type: Out and back

  • Time: 30–45 minutes depending on how often you stop to scream at the icicles

  • Difficulty: Easy when dry, slippery and mildly cursed when snowy

  • Parking: Small lot off Hwy 12 — fills fast even in winter

bryce canyon

Byrce Canyon

 Navajo Loop – When we tackled Navajo Loop, the trail was dusted with just enough snow to turn every step into a potential ice ballet. Packed snow and hidden slick spots made the whole thing feel like walking on a frozen banana peel.

We strapped on slip-on shoe spikes—hello, tap dancers on ice—but it was my first time wearing these death-defying accessories. I hadn’t yet built the trust needed to commit fully to the hike without imagining myself sliding off the cliff.

Since heights make me genuinely nervous, I spent most of the trail watching the edge and imagining my demise. We made it only to the switchbacks before saying, “Nah” and turned right back around.

Short, slippery, and a reminder that sometimes the smartest move is knowing when to call it quits—tap shoes and all.

Hiking Info:

  • Distance: About 1.3 miles round-trip (full loop)

  • Elevation Change: Roughly 550 feet — expect some serious ups and downs

  • Trail Type: Loop with switchbacks and narrow ledges

  • Difficulty: Moderate to challenging, especially if you’re scared of heights or slippery surfaces

  • Highlights: Iconic hoodoos, Wall Street section, switchbacks