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Queens Garden -> Navajo Loop
Hiking Trail
Hard
3.08 mi
609 ft
The most popular hike in Bryce Canyon National Park.
This short 3-mile loop combining the Queens Garden and Navajo trails is one of the most visually-stunning routes in all of Bryce Canyon National Park! The hard, smooth trail runs along "the tops of ridges” and "wind their way through a fairyland forest of towering hoodoos,” according to Lana Law on []( "Mixed into the scene are a scattering of huge pines, dwarfed by the size of the stone formations that surround them,” she continues.
The incredible beauty of this hike makes it the most popular route in the national park. While you’ll share the hike with plenty of other tourists, you still *have* to complete this route and get up close and personal with Bryce’s incredible beauty.
Overall the trail is very smooth and easy to hike along. You won’t encounter any obstacles—instead, this is more of a sightseeing walk than an arduous hike. Consequently, we’ve assigned it the FATMAP rating of “Easy.” However, do note that the trail does climb and descend 620 vertical feet over the course of the three miles, meaning that you’ll still need a little fitness to complete the entire loop. And since the loop begins and ends at the high point, dropping to the low point in the middle, you should be certain that you can hike back out of the canyon before you descend into it.
If you want an even easier hike, consider simply walking out-and-back to either Sunrise or Sunset Point, both of which are passed if you complete the entire loop as mapped here. From the points, you’ll enjoy views of “burnt orange and cream banded hoodoos [that] rise up from the floor and walls of the canyon, and in the background, rolling hills [that] give way to distant mountains,” according to Law.
However you choose to tackle this route, be sure to pack your camera and savor the scenery—it’s not a race!
Source:
Written by Greg Heil
This short 3-mile loop combining the Queens Garden and Navajo trails is one of the most visually-stunning routes in all of Bryce Canyon National Park! The hard, smooth trail runs along "the tops of ridges” and "wind their way through a fairyland forest of towering hoodoos,” according to Lana Law on []( "Mixed into the scene are a scattering of huge pines, dwarfed by the size of the stone formations that surround them,” she continues.
The incredible beauty of this hike makes it the most popular route in the national park. While you’ll share the hike with plenty of other tourists, you still *have* to complete this route and get up close and personal with Bryce’s incredible beauty.
Overall the trail is very smooth and easy to hike along. You won’t encounter any obstacles—instead, this is more of a sightseeing walk than an arduous hike. Consequently, we’ve assigned it the FATMAP rating of “Easy.” However, do note that the trail does climb and descend 620 vertical feet over the course of the three miles, meaning that you’ll still need a little fitness to complete the entire loop. And since the loop begins and ends at the high point, dropping to the low point in the middle, you should be certain that you can hike back out of the canyon before you descend into it.
If you want an even easier hike, consider simply walking out-and-back to either Sunrise or Sunset Point, both of which are passed if you complete the entire loop as mapped here. From the points, you’ll enjoy views of “burnt orange and cream banded hoodoos [that] rise up from the floor and walls of the canyon, and in the background, rolling hills [that] give way to distant mountains,” according to Law.
However you choose to tackle this route, be sure to pack your camera and savor the scenery—it’s not a race!
Source:
Written by Greg Heil
Created By
Strava Routes
Route and Elevation
Segments
| Name | Distance | Elev. Diff. | Avg. Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queens Garden Trail Down | 1.70 mi | -591 ft | -5.7% |
| Navajo Loop trail bottom to top | 0.62 mi | 489 ft | 14.7% |
| Navajo Trail - Reverse Ascend | 0.47 mi | 410 ft | 16.2% |