a stunning, popular hike through the heart of Bryce Canyon National Park
Queens Garden / Navajo Loop Trail Guide
MAP: Trails Illustrated
PERMITS: none (must pay National Park Entrance Fee)
DESIGNATION: Bryce Canyon National Park
BEST SEASONS: summer, late spring, early fall
DISTANCE: 3 mile loop
ELEVATION: trailhead ~8,000ft – low point ~7,400ft – gain ~600ft
ACCESS: paved roads to the trailhead
DIRECTIONS: Trailhead is at Sunset Point – road signs in the Park show the way. A free shuttle bus stops here, in-season-only.
ROUTE: well maintained, crowded trail, signed junctions
GUIDEBOOK: Moon Zion & Bryce
Trail Map
Here’s a map that shows the Queens Garden / Navajo Loop through Wall Street. You can right-click on the image to view a larger version or download it.
Overview
This is the most popular and quintessential hike in Bryce Canyon National Park. It features multi-colored hoodoos, stunning views, and Bryce’s only slot canyon at Wall Street.
I lieu of Wall Street, you may opt to hike the northern section of the Navajo Loop to see the Two Bridges and Thor’s Hammer.
The Queen Victoria rock formation is visible from a short spur trail along the Queens Garden Trail.
The approachable length of 3 miles lures big crowds, so be prepared to share the trail with dozens (or even hundreds) of your new best friends. An early morning start is best to avoid the worst of the crowds.
The Wall Street section of the hike is usually closed in winter, and it’s often closed in the Spring and Fall, too.
Diversely, the Queens Garden Trail below Sunrise Point gets a lot of direct sun, so it’s one of the first trails to open in the spring.
This loop is most often recommended in a clockwise direction, so it’s described as such. You can, of course, go in whatever direction you like.
The hike is described from Sunset Point, but you can also begin from Sunrise Point or other points along Bryce’s Rim Trail. Additionally, you can access these trails below the rim at the distant end of the Peekaboo Loop.
A great day hike is to combine this loop with the Peekaboo Trail. Commonly called Bryce’s “Figure 8 Loop,” the total distance of the figure eight jumps to 8.5 miles.
Trail Description
From Sunset Point, follow the Rim Trail north for about 0.5 miles to Sunrise Point. Some of the best views of Bryce’s main amphitheater are seen from the Rim Trail through here.
Once you’re at Sunrise Point, descend the ridge on the Queens Garden Trail. It will lead 0.8 miles down to a junction with an equestrian trail that’s off limits to hikers (horses only).
You’ll turn right and contour to junction a with a short spur that leads to a view of the Queen Victoria formation. The main Queens Garden Trail continues for an additional 0.8 miles above the upper forks of Bryce Creek Canyon.
1.6 miles down the Queens Garden Trail from Sunrise Point is where you’ll reach the bottom end of the Navajo Loop. Go left to ascend the slot canyon and narrow switchbacks of Wall Street, or go right to see the Two Bridges and Thors Hammer.
The Wall Street section of the Navajo Trail is 0.7 miles, and the Two Bridges section is 0.6 miles. Both sections top out at Sunset Point.
My Trip Notes and Photos
Haley and I did this loop as a casual day hike in November of 2017. With the exception of the Under-the-Rim Trail, I’d done virtually all of the trails in this Bryce Canyon National Park before I finally got around to doing this popular loop.
The scenery was as stunning as advertised, but the crowds really turned us off – even in the late-November off-season.
Leave a Reply