Bryce Canyon With Kids: The Best Itinerary for 1, 2, or 3 Days

Looking for a family getaway in one of nature’s best playgrounds? It’s time to explore Bryce Canyon National Park with your kids. From tall hoodoos and crazy rock formations to deep canyons that offer unlimited opportunities for adventure – Bryce Canyon is one of the most awe-inspiring places on Earth and truly a paradise for kids who love to explore! 

From sunrise to sunset, you’ll be packing your day full of as much adventure as you can dream of for a trip the kids won’t soon forget. Picture them exploring canyons, hiking through hoodoos, and learning all about wildlife and geology all day. At night the whole family will be in for a treat with some of the best stargazing in the United States. If you love adventure and the outdoors, a trip to Bryce Canyon with kids is the perfect destination for your family.

As Utah locals, our family visits Bryce Canyon regularly, and as one of the least crowded Utah National Parks, it’s become one of our favorites. We have traditions of things that we do every time we take a family trip to Bryce Canyon, and yet we always find new places to see and things to explore. Here we’ll be showing you some of our absolute favorites that our kids love to do. We first visited Bryce Canyon when our oldest was just 6 months old and he’s now 15 years old with 4 younger siblings. No matter what age your kids are, I’ll help you discover a side of Bryce Canyon that’s perfect for your next family trip.

How to Get to Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon is kind of in the middle of nowhere (which is part of what makes it so special), so you’ll want a car for your visit. The drive times are long, but trust me when I say they’re worth it!

Whichever route you choose, the most beautiful section of the drive is within the last 15 miles before you get to Bryce Canyon along Highway 12, specifically coming from the east along Highway 12 through Red Canyon. The scenery is so stunningly beautiful that I’m shocked this area wasn’t included as part of the National Park! Don’t worry, we’ll include suggestions for things to do in Red Canyon below since there are SO MANY amazing options for adventures.

Salt Lake City to Bryce Canyon

The easiest route to Bryce Canyon if you’re flying in is from Salt Lake City. It allows you to see everything from the Wasatch Mountains to the deserts down south. The drive from Salt Lake to Bryce Canyon is 4 hours.

Moab to Bryce Canyon

You can get to Bryce Canyon in 4 hours and 15 minutes from Moab if you take the most direct route, or 4 hours and 30 minutes if you go through Capitol Reef National Park. Spend the extra 15 minutes and drive through the National Park (and stay for a bit if you can).

Capitol Reef to Bryce Canyon

The best way to get from Capitol Reef to Bryce Canyon is through the towns of Boulder and Escalante which will take you 2 hours and 30 minutes. The desert scenery is amazing, even if the Hogsback Road will have your knuckles turning white.

Zion to Bryce Canyon

The drive from Zion to Bryce Canyon is so manageable that you can do it in just 1 hour and 20 minutes. While it’s not a long drive, we recommend staying at least overnight in Bryce Canyon, since there’s so much to do both at the beginning and end of the day. Highway 89 between Bryce Canyon and Zion has lots of wildlife on it, so I don’t recommend driving it late at night.

Las Vegas to Bryce Canyon

The drive from Vegas to Bryce Canyon can be done in about 4 hours, but you’ll have to skirt Zion National Park to get there that quickly. If you go through Zion, the drive will take you a minimum of 4 hours and 30 minutes, but traffic jams are common in Zion, so plan on spending at least 5 hours on the road.

Best Time Of Year to Visit Bryce Canyon with Kids

Choosing the best time of year to visit Bryce Canyon depends a lot on what you want to see and do. The truth of it is that there is no WRONG TIME to visit Bryce Canyon. Even covered in the snow of winter, Bryce Canyon has so much to do. At 8,000 feet above sea level the weather at Bryce Canyon is often very different than the rest of Southern Utah. Here are some things to consider when choosing the best time to visit Bryce Canyon with kids:

Bryce Canyon Weather

Bryce Canyon has four distinct seasons, each with its own weather patterns. The summer months (June to August) are the warmest, with average highs in the 80’s and occasionally the low 90s. The winter months (December to February) are the coldest, with average highs in the 30s, and often you’ll get snow on the ground. Spring and fall can be pleasant times to visit, with milder temperatures in the ’60s-’70s.

Bryce Canyon Crowds

Bryce Canyon is a popular park, and peak visitation times can be crowded. The busiest months are June, July, and August. If you prefer to avoid crowds, consider visiting in the spring or fall. Winter is the least crowded time of year to visit but the cold weather can make some of the outdoor activities more difficult.

Bryce Canyon Seasonal Activities

Bryce Canyon offers a variety of activities throughout the year, including hiking, stargazing, and ranger-led programs. Some activities, such as ranger-led snowshoe hikes, are only available in the winter. Other activities, such as hiking the park’s many trails, can be enjoyed year-round.

Bryce Canyon Itinerary with Kids

If you want to plan the best Bryce Canyon family trip, we’ve got a few suggested itineraries for you to follow. See which one is the best fit for your family and then keep reading below for details about different kid-friendly Bryce Canyon hikes and activities.

Bryce Canyon 1 Day Itinerary with Kids

If you only have one day to see Bryce Canyon with your kids, here are our top recommendations:

• Stop by the visitors center and get a Bryce Canyon Junior Ranger Book
• Hike the Navajo Loop-Queens Garden Trail
• Attend the Ranger-led talk about Hoodoo Geology at 11 am
• Picnic Lunch at Sunset Point
• Hike The Rim Trail all the way to Bryce Point and back
• Complete the Junior Ranger Book
• Head into Bryce Canyon City for dinner and ice cream
• Head back to Sunset Point viewpoint and watch the sunset

Bryce Canyon 2-Day Itinerary with Kids

Two days is the perfect amount of time to see all of Bryce Canyon and not feel rushed. We personally usually plan our Bryce Canyon trips to be 2 days since we’ve found that’s the ideal length of time to see a majority of the park with the kids.

Day 1 in Bryce Canyon with Kids

• Stop by the visitors center and get a Bryce Canyon Junior Ranger Book
• Hike the Navajo Loop-Queens Garden Trail
• Attend the Ranger-led talk about Hoodoo Geology at 11 am
• Picnic Lunch at Sunset Point
• Hike The Rim Trail all the way to Bryce Point and back
• Head to Mossy Cave in the late afternoon with a picnic dinner
• Do the short Mossy Cave hike and play in the water that goes alongside the trail (if the kids are tired, just find a good spot by the bridge to hang out and play in the water instead of hiking). Eat your picnic dinner here (we often grab a Subway sandwich from Bryce Canyon City)

Day 2 in Bryce Canyon with Kids

• Go for a bigger hike today. Either the Fairyland Loop or the Tower Bridge Hike depending on how far your kids can hike.
• Finish up your Junior Ranger Books and turn them in at the Bryce Canyon Visitor Center.
• Head into Bryce Canyon City for the afternoon and get ice cream and explore the shops there.
• Dinner in Bryce Canyon City and then back into the park for Sunset at Sunset Point.

Bryce Canyon 3-Day Itinerary with Kids

If you have 3 days in Bryce Canyon, you’ll have enough time to explore the surrounding areas as well as a lot of extra time to do cool adventures! If you’re only going to come to Bryce Canyon once, make it a three-day trip!

Day 1 in Bryce Canyon with Kids

• Stop by the visitors center and get a Bryce Canyon Junior Ranger Book
• Hike the Navajo Loop-Queens Garden Trail
• Attend the Ranger-led talk about Hoodoo Geology at 11 am
• Picnic Lunch at Sunset Point
• Hike The Rim Trail all the way to Bryce Point and back
• Dinner at Ebaneezers show in Bryce Canyon City (advance reservations are recommended)

Day 2 in Bryce Canyon With Kids

• Get up early and watch the sunrise at Sunrise Point. If you get to the park 15 minutes before sunrise, you’ll be in good shape!
• Head to Bryce Canyon City for either an ATV Tour or a horseback trail ride
• Go for an afternoon hike. Either the Fairyland Loop or the Tower Bridge Hike depending on how far your kids can hike.
• Go to Bryce Canyon City to get dinner, explore the shops, and watch the Rodeo (every Wednesday-Saturday all summer long)

Day 3 in Bryce Canyon With Kids

• Rent bikes in Bryce Canyon City and bike down the Red Canyon Paved Bike Trail. You can start in Bryce Canyon City, but we prefer to start at the parking area at the top of Red Canyon since it’s where the best scenery begins.
• Stop at the Red Canyon Visitors Center and learn all about the local plants and animals
• Do a short Red Canyon hike (there are TONS to choose from that start just behind the visitors center)
• Head to Mossy Cave Trail with a picnic. Spend a couple of hours here doing the short hike and playing in the river.
• Watch the sun set over Bryce Canyon at Sunset Point
• Attend a ranger-led astronomy program or a Dark Ranger Telescope tour.

Best Bryce Canyon Hikes With Kids

Navajo Loop Trail

The Navajo Loop trail is our kids’ favorite hike at Bryce Canyon and starts at Sunset Point. You can choose to hike down either past Thors Hammer and Two Bridges or down Wall Street and into Bryce Canyon’s only slot canyon (and you go up the reverse way). The trail is only 1.3 miles long but has stunning views the whole way. To make the hike a little longer and see a bigger variety of scenery, hike down one side of the Navajo Loop Trail and then hike over to the Queens Garden Trail. The combination of the two is 3 miles in total.

Queens Garden Trail

Another of our family’s favorite hikes for kids at Bryce Canyon, this hike starts at Sunrise Point and is a 1.8-mile and back trail. The hike has some steeper sections going down and takes you through some pretty cool hoodoos. The viewpoints at the beginning of this trail are also some of the best Bryce Canyon viewpoints (and are perfect for family pictures – just ask another hiker for a quick photo). We almost always combine this trail with Navajo Loop since my kids always seem to complain more on out-and-back hikes, so loop hikes, even if they’re longer have become a better option.

Tower Bridge Trail

The Tower Bridge Trail is a 3-mile out-and-back trail for hiking with kids in Bryce Canyon that starts at Sunrise Point, where the Queens Garden Trail begins. Where the Queen’s trail turns south into the hoodoos, the Tower Bridge trail keeps going east. About 1/3 of this trail goes through lightly forested pine forests, which helps provide a little more shade than most other Bryce Canyon kid-friendly hikes. You won’t see the bridges until you’re at the turnaround point which is a good incentive for kids to not turn around early!

Mossy Cave Hiking Trail

The Mossy Cave Trail is a 0.8-mile out-and-back hiking trail that’s located in the eastern area of Bryce Canyon. It goes along a small river which makes it a good place to cool off. This is our favorite Bryce Canyon hike for kids on a hot day. It’s short and sweet and there are great places for kids to splash in the water! Note: to prevent erosion, the parks service has asked that visitors to this hike only enter the water at the bridge crossings.

Sunrise to Sunset Rim Trail

This paved Bryce Canyon hiking trail is the easiest hike in the park and is stroller and wheelchair friendly. The hike goes right along the rim of Bryce Canyon and offers stunning views of the canyon and hoodoos below. Make sure to take some time to soak in the views at both the Sunset and Sunrise Viewpoints (yes, it really is worth going up higher to the Sunrise Point Lookout).

Best Hikes Near Bryce Canyon

Red Canyon which we mentioned on the driving portion is absolutely STUNNING and has so many great places to hike. Near the Red Canyon Visitors Center, there is a whole complex of short and easy hikes that are perfect for kids. If you want a Bryce Canyon hike for kids without crowds, consider a short drive down the canyon to Red Canyon.

Hoodoo Trail – Best Bryce Canyon Toddler Hike

At just 0.3 miles the Hoodoo hike is about as perfect as you can get for hiking with toddlers. It’s short and simple and walks you through some really impressive hoodoos. Best of all, there are trees around too which means that there are plenty of rocks and sticks to play with as well, which may end up being the highlight of their trip.

Birdseye Trail

This easy Bryce hike for kids is 1.5 miles long and is a great way to escape the National Park crowds. One of the highlights of the Birdseye Trail is the natural arch known as the “Ochre Arch,” which is located about halfway through the hike. The arch is a beautiful natural rock formation that provides a great photo opportunity for hikers. This trail is a great place to get a feel for the geology of Bryce Canyon without having to go into the park.

Best Biking Around Bryce Canyon With Kids

If your kids love biking, there are some excellent biking opportunities in the area. My kids are completely bike obsessed, and we travel with bikes just about everywhere we go. Here are our top Bryce Canyon bike trail recommendations:

Bryce Canyon Multi-Use Trail

Easy

18 Miles

The multi-use paved trail through Bryce Canyon is the only place that you can bike within the park. The multi-use path at Bryce Canyon actually starts in Red Canyon and is 18 miles long, continuing to Inspiration Point. Using this path is a great option if you want to get around Bryce Canyon without a car since it accesses all of the major areas of Bryce Canyon. Note: The multiuse trail is the only place where bikes are allowed in Bryce Canyon. They are not permitted on any dirt hiking trails, and for any mountain biking, you must go outside of the National Park Borders.

Red Canyon Bike Trail

Easy

15 miles

The Red Canyon Bike Trail is a new paved bike trail that travels from the bottom of Red Canyon into Bryce Canyon National Park. It’s in excellent condition and is not really ever crowded. Since Red Canyon is downhill, we recommend running a shuttle and starting at the top parking lot and riding downhill to the Thunder Mountain Trailhead.

Thunder Mountain Mountain Bike Trail

Advanced

8 Miles

One of the best mountain bike trails in all of Utah is right around the corner from Bryce Canyon and is perfect for kids who are advanced riders. Our kids started riding this trail around age 11 when their mountain bike skills are getting pretty solid.

Cassidy Bike Trail

Easy-Moderate

4.5 Miles

The Cassidy Bike Trail in Red Canyon is an up-and-coming bike trail. It has great potential, but the couple of times we’ve ridden it, it needed some trail work done. I would recommend this if your kids have intermediate mountain biking skills since it was a bit too technical for our beginning riders.

Bryce Canyon Junior Ranger Program

The Bryce Canyon Junior Ranger Program is a fun and educational program set up for kids ages 4 to 14 (though they’re open to older and younger kids as well) to learn about the natural and cultural history of Bryce Canyon National Park. The Bryce Canyon Junior Ranger Program is free, like at most other National Parks, and offers children the opportunity to explore the park, learn about its wildlife and geology, and earn a junior ranger badge.

We love that the Junior Ranger Program at Bryce Canyon keeps kids engaged in the things we’re doing and makes adding an educational component to our adventures really easy. We frequently travel to National Parks and my kids are quite obsessed with earning their Junior Ranger Badges. In fact, with all of our visits to Bryce Canyon, my kids have gone through the program multiple times (we just don’t request a badge beyond our initial visit).

To become a junior ranger, children can pick up a Junior Ranger Activity Booklet at the park’s visitor center. The booklet includes a variety of activities, such as scavenger hunts, crossword puzzles, and coloring pages, that are designed to help children explore the park and learn about its natural and cultural history. The activities are divided into three age groups: 4-6, 7-9, and 10-14.

Children are encouraged to complete a certain number of activities based on their age group. In the past, kids were encouraged to attend a ranger-led talk, but this seems to have become optional after 2020.

The Bryce Canyon junior ranger badge is a great way for children to show off what they know and does an excellent job of encouraging kids to become stewards of the park and protectors of the environment.

Bryce Canyon “I Hiked The Hoodoos” Program

The “I Hiked the Hoodoos” Program is another great way to engage your kids if you’re out on the trail. The program has several benchmarks hidden throughout the park along different hiking trails. If you can find them and take a pencil rubbing or photo, the rangers will give you a prize. This is a great option for kids who want to go beyond the Junior Ranger Program at Bryce Canyon or for older kids who want a prize but feel too grown up for Junior Rangers.

Read the full details of the Hike the Hoodoos Program.

Things to do with kids around Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon and the surrounding area are packed full of fun things to do with kids. If you’re looking for Bryce Canyon activities with kids, you’ll find a mix of adventure and good old western fun.

Inside Bryce Canyon, you’ll find hikes, ranger programs, and tours. Outside of the park, just 2 miles, you’ll find the charming little town of Bryce Canyon City where you’ll find more adventure activities for kids visiting Bryce Canyon.

Best Ranger-Led Programs at Bryce Canyon for Kids

HooDoo Geology

Daily at 11 am at Sunset Point

This program is only 20 minutes long and is perfect for short attention spans. Rangers will explain what Hoodoos are, how they formed, and the geology that created them. This is a good program for all ages since it’s short and sweet!

Evening Ranger Programs at Bryce Canyon

Wednesday- Sunday at 8:30 pm during the summer

The Evening programs at Bryce Canyon are best for more mature kids or for teens. The topics vary but often focus on natural resources, geology, and personal stories of those connected to the park. We wouldn’t recommend it for kids under age 10.

Summer Astronomy Programs

Nightly, the same day sign-ups

If you have an interest in Astronomy, the Dark Sky Ranger-led programs are incredible. They last 1.5 hours and are incredibly educational as well as entertaining. They often start after 9 pm (depending on how late it gets dark). With the late start and more advanced content, we recommend this for kids 8 and older. These programs are incredibly popular and always fill up. Plan to sign up as early as possible on the day you want to attend.

If the astronomy tours are not available when you visit, head to Dark Ranger Telescope Tours in Bryce Canyon City. This operation is relatively new and we haven’t tried it yet, but are hoping to on our next Bryce Canyon family trip.

Go for an ATV tour to the Rim of Bryce Canyon

Time: 1 Hour

We took this ATV tour with our kids and they got an absolute KICK out of it. They literally couldn’t stop laughing as they were bounced all around on the rough trails. The highlight for each of them was when Dad saw a giant puddle and went straight through it at full speed – covering us all in muddy water! This family-friendly Bryce Canyon tour is located just outside the park and gives you a great view of the canyon below.

Go Horseback Riding with Kids Near Bryce Canyon

Nothing says a Western vacation like a trail ride. Depending on your experience level you can go for a 90-minute, half-day, or full-day trail ride just outside of Bryce Canyon. If you’re new to riding horses with kids, the 90-minute ride is a good length without feeling too long.

Bryce Canyon Rodeo

Every Wednesday to Saturday, from Memorial Day to the middle of August, come join the wild festivities at Ruby’s Inn and experience Bryce Canyon Country Rodeo! Cheer on your favorite cowboys as they demonstrate their skills in this classic Western competition.

See a Musical Dinner Show at Ebeneezer’s Grill

After a long day of hiking and exploring, head to Ebeneezer’s Grill for dinner and a music show. The music and show tell the story of Bryce Canyon and the early explorers and it’s equal parts entertaining and educational. The food is pretty decent as well and they had plenty of options for the whole family.

Explore Old Bryce Canyon City

Set up as an old western town, Old Bryce Canyon City is so much fun with kids. They’ll love the candy shop, the ice cream parlor, and the homemade cookies. Our kids had a blast with all the photo props outside and entertained themselves for at least 30 minutes doing funny poses. All of our kids’ favorite place to visit in Bryce Canyon City is the Rock Shop. For a truly exciting experience, pick out a geode and have the rock shop help you cut it open to see what’s inside!

Best Lodging at Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon Lodge

The Bryce Canyon Lodge is the only lodging option located within the park, and it offers a classic National Park lodge experience. The lodge was built in the 1920s and features rustic, cozy rooms and cabins with modern amenities. Reservations here fill quickly so if you plan to stay here, book your lodging ASAP.

Ruby’s Inn

Ruby’s Inn is hands down what our family considers the best place to stay in Bryce Canyon with kids. It’s just outside the park entrance and is packed with amenities that make it an obvious choice. For the kids, the highlight was the large indoor pool and hot tub, but as parents, we appreciated the large breakfast buffet with lots of filling options to keep the kids well-fueled for a morning of hiking. It offers a variety of accommodations, including rooms, suites, and cabins, as well as an RV park and campground. When you stay at Ruby’s Inn, you’re only 5 minutes from Bryce Canyon, and you’re right next to all the best Bryce Canyon restaurants and shops.

Bryce Canyon Luxury Cabin

If you’re looking for more space and the comforts of home, this Bryce Canyon Cabin is the perfect place to stay. With plenty of space both indoors and out, this is our top pick for large groups in Bryce Canyon. We love that it’s got a well-equipped kitchen so you don’t have to eat out. With a huge playground, adorable playhouse, and bunk beds, this house is sure to be a hit with the kids as well! If you’re looking for a Bryce Canyon vacation rental, this is our top pick!

Bryce Canyon Resort

We’ve stayed at Bryce Canyon Resort before and the rooms are basic, but work well for families on a budget. Our room had a kitchenette and space for 6 to sleep and was very affordable. They also included a decent breakfast with our stay. It’s located right outside the resort entrance in Bryce Canyon City.

Where to Camp at Bryce Canyon

If you’re going to camp at Bryce Canyon, our first pick would always be right inside the park, with other privately owned campgrounds being a second choice.

Sunset Campground

The Sunset Campground is the largest campground in the park, with 99 sites available on a first-come, first-served basis. The campground is located near the park’s main entrance and is open from mid-April to mid-October. Amenities include flush toilets, drinking water, and a dump station.

North Campground

The North Campground is a smaller campground with 31 sites available on a first-come, first-served basis in winter and by reservation in the summer. Amenities include flush toilets and drinking water.

Ruby’s RV Park and Campground

Ruby’s RV Park and Campground is a private campground owned by Ruby’s Inn and located just outside the park’s main entrance. It offers tent and RV sites with amenities such as showers, laundry facilities, and a general store. This is a good backup option if you can’t get camping inside Bryce Canyon with kids.

Red Canyon Camping

There are several places to camp within Red Canyon. Some of those are in established campgrounds and others are more primitive. At just 10 minutes outside of Bryce Canyon this is a great option if you want to get away from the Bryce Canyon Crowds.

What To Pack for Bryce Canyon

With the high desert terrain, it can be tricky to know what to pack from Bryce Canyon. Temperatures can be in the 40s in the morning and up to 80 by mid-afternoon, so you’ll need to be flexible and pack a variety of things.

1. Layered clothing: We always bring some layering clothes for everyone. These kids’ base layers are great, and fleece jackets for the kids are another great idea.
2. Sturdy footwear: Bryce Canyon’s terrain is rugged and rocky, so good footwear is important. Check out our in-depth review of the best kids hiking shoes on our sister site.
3. Sun protection: With the high elevation at Bryce Canyon, sunscreen is essential. This is our favorite sunscreen because it rubs in well, is affordable, and doesn’t sting your eyes.
4. Water bottle: Staying hydrated is crucial when visiting Bryce Canyon between the elevation and the heat. We often opt to give the kids hydration packs since they drink more with them, but this water bottle is basically indestructable and perfect for carrying a lot (we have several that are over 10 years old and never leak).
5. Daypack: A daypack is essential for carrying water, snacks, sunscreen, and other essentials.
6. First aid kit: Desert hiking always brings out the first aid kit more than most other adventures. Whether it’s for skinned knees, cactus spines, or blisters, you’ll want to carry a first aid kit in your day pack. We recommend grabbing one like this and then adding any custom things that your family might need (allergy pills, anti0itch cream, children’s pain relief, etc)

How To Get Around Bryce Canyon by Car or Shuttle

With the growing wave of National Park visitors in the last decade, many National Parks have started to implement mandatory shuttles to get around. Bryce Canyon is unique because it has a shuttle service as an option, but also allows visitors to drive to their destination by car.

At peak times (most of the summer), parking can become an issue, since many of the parking lots are older and can’t accommodate large crowds. The Bryce Canyon Visitors Center has a HUGE parking lot that’s a great option to park your car and catch the shuttle around the park on crowded days. You can even catch the Bryce Canyon Shuttle outside of the park.

Everything You Need To Know About the Bryce Canyon Shuttle

The Bryce Canyon Shuttle only operates for about 6 months of the year. Here are the details for the 2023 Bryce Canyon Shuttle.

April 7 – May 11 8:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.

May 12 – September 24 8:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M.

September 25 – October 22 8:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.

Buses come about every 15 minutes to each stop, but for precise timing, check out the Bryce Canyon Shuttle Tracker site.

The shuttles go from Bryce Canyon City all the way out to Bryce Point and Inspiration Point.

Bryce Canyon shuttles are a great option if you’re doing a one-way hike and don’t want to run a car shuttle, and they’re also good for RV travel if you want to leave your RV parked and still have an option for getting around the park.

Bryce Canyon Dark Sky Programs

Don’t forget about the night sky! From March through October each year thousands come to see some of the best stargazing around since there is no visible light pollution. YOu can join a summer Ranger-led Astronomy program through the parks service or you can go just outside of the park to join a tour with Dark Ranger Telescope Tours.

Best Places To Eat Around Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon Lodge Dining Room: The Bryce Canyon Lodge Dining Room offers a classic National Park dining experience, with a menu that features local and regional ingredients. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and has a cozy fireplace and rustic decor. The food is really good here (some of the best in the area), but it’s a little pricey and there aren’t many great options for the kids. Entrees are $17-44

Cowboy’s Buffet and Steak House at Ruby’s Inn: Cowboy’s Buffet and Steak House is at Rubys Inn and has a good variety of options. We found mostly American food here like burgers, salads, steaks, and homemade desserts. The restaurant has a Western theme and a friendly, welcoming atmosphere. Best of all the prices are the most reasonable around, with kids meals around $6 and entrees starting at $11. 

Ebenezers Barn and Grill Show: If you’re looking to combine your dinner with entertainment, head to Ebenezers. You’ll get dinner and a musical show and it’s our kids’ favorite place to eat in Bryce Canyon. It’s expensive but the food is pretty good and the show is even better. With your meal, you get to choose your main dish and for sides, you’ll get a biscuit, baked beans, coleslaw, and mashed potatoes. Kid’s dinner and show tickets are $25 and adult tickets start at $45. It’s a splurge, but one we highly recommend.

The Canyon Diner: This place is popular based on how crowded it is, but the food is just mediocre. Most families love the idea of a pizza dinner since it’s such an easy way to feed a family, but we were pretty disappointed at The Canyon Diner. The crust was premade and tasted awful, and we waited over an hour for our pizza. The rest of the food looked like it was of similar quality. We recommend going to the Cowboy Buffet instead.

Subway: A chain restaurant you’re no doubt familiar with, the Subway in Bryce Canyon City is our favorite. Instead of packing in all our picnic essentials, we make a quick stop at Subway and take their sandwiches to go. By sharing foot-long sandwiches (and using online coupons), we can feed our family of 7 for under $30! The wait times get long from about 5-6:30 so plan ahead and go a little before and take your food to one of the viewpoints we recommend below!

Best Bryce Canyon Viewpoints with Kids

While it would be ideal if everyone could hike and explore all through Bryce Canyon with their kids, the reality is that sometimes, you just have to go for the highlights. These family-friendly Bryce Canyon viewpoints are perfect for when kids are tired, when you’re short on time, or when you just need a break from all the hiking.

Sunrise Point

Sunrise Point is one of the most popular viewpoints in the park, and for good reason. It offers spectacular views of the canyon and its vibrant colors, particularly during sunrise and sunset. You do have to go up a little hill to get to this viewpoint, so it requires a little more effort than others.

Sunset Point

Sunset Point is another popular Bryce Canyon viewpoint that offers stunning views of the canyon and its unique rock formations. From here, you can see Thor’s Hammer, one of the park’s most famous hoodoos. As the name implies, it’s a great place to watch the sunset. This is the easiest Bryce Canyon viewpoint with kids since it’s right by the parking lot.

Inspiration Point

Inspiration Point is a must-see viewpoint that offers a panoramic view of the Bryce Amphitheater, a vast natural amphitheater filled with hoodoos and other rock formations. The viewpoint is located along the park’s Rim Trail and has much smaller crowds than Sunrise or Sunset Point.

Rainbow Point

Rainbow Point is the highest viewpoint in the park and has incredible views of the southern part of Bryce Canyon. This area of the canyon is more remote making this Bryce Canyon Viewpoint only accessible by car.

Fairyland Point

Fairyland Point is one of the least crowded viewpoints since you have to hike to get there. The Fairyland trail is one of the best hikes in Bryce Canyon and the view from Fairyland Point is part of the reward for all your hard work. This is the hardest viewpoint to reach with kids since it’s several miles down the trail, but you have a chance of getting it all to yourself!