Fairyland Loop Trail

The Fairyland Loop is the hike that shows you how much more there is to Bryce Canyon than the famous view from Sunset Point. It explores Fairyland Canyon and Campbell Canyon in the northern part of the park, where the hoodoos are just as colorful as in the main amphitheater, but the trail traffic is a fraction of what you find on the Navajo Loop or Queen's Garden. The National Park Service rates it strenuous: 8 miles with about 1,900 feet of elevation change, taking four to five hours, because the trail repeatedly drops into drainages and climbs back out. You can start at Fairyland Point, a viewpoint just inside the park entrance, or on the Rim Trail north of Sunrise Point at the Tower Bridge trailhead, and the park recommends hiking counter-clockwise. From Fairyland Point, the trail descends through white and orange hoodoos into Fairyland Canyon, winds beneath Boat Mesa, and passes the China Wall, a long fin of rock with a row of windows, before reaching a short spur to Tower Bridge, a natural bridge between hoodoo spires. Then comes the long climb back to the rim near Sunrise Point, and the final stretch follows the Rim Trail back to Fairyland Point with sweeping views over the amphitheater. Along the way you will see bristlecone and limber pines clinging to the slopes, and the distant Aquarius Plateau on the horizon.

Winter conditions. Fairyland is a different proposition in the snow season. The road to Fairyland Point is traditionally closed to vehicles in winter and becomes a route for cross-country skiers and snowshoers, so winter hikers start from the Sunrise Point area and the Tower Bridge trailhead instead. The park warns that the trail may be inaccessible in mid-winter because of deep snow, and even in milder spells the steep clay slopes can be icy or muddy. Check with rangers at the visitor center before setting out, carry traction devices, and turn around if conditions are poor. In winter, an out-and-back walk to Tower Bridge from Sunrise Point is a more realistic goal than the full loop.

Doing it well in the main season. Start early: the trail has little shade, temperatures rise quickly, and there is no water along the way, so carry plenty. The shuttle does not stop at Fairyland Point, so park there or start from the Sunrise Point area if you are using the shuttle. Wear boots with good grip for the loose gravel on steep slopes, and save energy for the climbs, especially the final ascent toward Sunrise Point. Thunderstorms build on summer afternoons; get off exposed sections if you hear thunder.

Who should do it. Fit hikers who want a full day among the hoodoos, photographers seeking quieter angles, and anyone who has already done the classic Navajo and Queen's Garden combination. Families with older, experienced kids can manage it with plenty of breaks, but younger children are better suited to the Queen's Garden or Mossy Cave.