Ready to explore one of the most beautiful trails in Bryce Canyon National Park? Embark on a journey through the breathtaking beauty of Queens Garden Trail in Bryce Canyon. Experience captivating views of hoodoos, rock formations, and deep canyons as you meander through this spectacular terrain. Take some time to appreciate nature’s power and grandeur before discovering an idyllic hidden grotto at the end of your journey!
Whether you want a relaxed family hike, or you’re hiking fast to challenge yourself – there is something waiting around every corner that will take your breath away on the Queens Garden Bryce Canyon hiking trail.
Trail Details
Distance: 1.8 miles round trip – out and back trail
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation Gain: 320 Feet
Dogs Allowed: No
Trail Location
To access the Queen’s Garden Trail, you can park at the Sunrise Point parking area, which is located just off of the park’s main scenic drive. This parking lot can get FULL since it’s the main parking lot for several trails. If you can’t find parking there, you can try to park at the Bryce Canyon Lodge or at Sunset Point. From the parking lot, there will be signs directing you to the Queens Garden Trail.
Trail Description
The trail begins at the Sunrise Point parking area, which is located just off the park’s main scenic drive. From the parking lot, head toward the canyon and follow the signs for the Queen’s Garden Trail. The trail has a series of pretty steep switchbacks at the beginning, so keep in mind that you also have to hike back up those on your way out since this is an out-and-back trail.
As you begin going down the trail, you several
At the first junction, stay right and head further south into the park towards the Queens Garden.
One of the most impressive features along the trail is the Wall of Windows, which is a series of windows where you can look out and see the hoodoos and canyon beyond.
Once you get closer to the canyon floor, there will be a spur where you can go and see Queen Victoria. This is also where you’ll find the Queens Garden Benchmark if you’re doing the I Hiked the Hoodoos Program.
The Queen Victoria spur will take you to a rock that some say looks like Queen Victoria. Personally, it feels like a bit of a stretch, but I know many others who think the rock looks just like the queen. The Queen Victoria area is a natural amphitheater filled with towering hoodoos and other rock formations.
From here, you can choose to head back up the trail, or you can combine your hike with the Navajo Loop. If you have time, we highly recommend combining this trail with the Navajo Loop Trail.
Queens Garden and Navajo Loop Trail Combination
If you choose to do this combination, you’ll end up hiking 3 miles instead of just 1.8 to go back up the Queens Garden Trail. The view and scenery are absolutely worth the extra 1.2 miles of hiking.
When you get back to the fork after going to the Queen Victoria area, head left instead of right (which would take you to back up the trail you just came down). The trail will take you through a few small canyons and past lots of small hoodoos. As you enter the forest, this is one of the best places to stop and take a break, since so much of the trail is right in the sun. We always find a log to sit on and make sure that everyone is hydrated and well-fed, especially when hiking with kids.
The trail signs will direct you up the Navajo Loop trail and be on the lookout for the Navajo Loop Benchmark at one of the junctions.
As you hike, there are a few different options for getting out of the canyon. The closest option is to take the Thor’s Hammer and Two Bridges route. While the second option, hiking out Bryce Canyon’s Wall Street, is a little bit farther, it’s worth the little extra walk. Wall Street has the only slot canyon in Bryce Canyon and the switchbacks are actually BEAUTIFUL! Our kids usually prefer the Wall Street hike as well, even though it means extra miles. During our last visit to Bryce Canyon, in October 2022, Wall Street was closed due to flooding and erosion. This is a pretty common occurrence, so if Wall Street is open, make sure you go that way!
Regardless of whether you hike out at Thor’s Hammer or Wal Street, you have lots of switchbacks to get out. You’re over 300 feet into the canyon, but luckily, it’s just one short burst of steepness, which is often easier than a long sustained climb out.
As you get out of the canyon, you’ll be a Sunset Point. From here, you can hike the rim trail just 0.5 miles to your car at Sunrise Point!
When To Hike the Queens Garden Trail at Bryce Canyon
The Queens Garden Trail is a great trail to hike all year round, even in winter. It’s one of the most popular Bryce Canyon hikes which means that it’s really crowded. If you are hiking Bryce Canyon in the summer, we recommend getting on the trail before 9 am or after 5 pm in the summer to beat the crowds and the heat. Since most of the trail is east-facing the morning sun can be BRUTAL! Once 5 pm hits, the sun is lower in the sky and a lot of the trail starts to get shaded.
Tips For Hiking the Queens Garden Trail With Kids
We absolutely love the Queens Garden hike with kids in Bryce Canyon. It’s one of my kid’s favorites and hiking the Queens Garden and Navajo Loop trail has become sort of a tradition that we do when we first get to the park.
My biggest tip for hiking the Queens Garden trail with kids (or any Bryce Canyon Trail with kids), is to remind them to go slow and not run. The dirt trail combined with sand and loose gravel along the way can make it really easy for kids to slip on the trail, especially in the steeper sections. We’ve come out with more skinned knees and bloody palms than I care to remember. We have our kids wear good hiking shoes and have to remind them often to slow down.