Backpacking in Bryce Canyon NP is a hybrid experience. It’s not quite a desert, and not quite a pine forest. And to be completely fair, Bryce Canyon really isn’t a canyon at all. It’s more like a handful of canyons with similar terrain. Hybrid, indeed. The fact that Bryce can’t be easily summed up only adds to its mystique, and made it a “must-do” backpacking trip on my Utah tick list.
The most popular trail for backpackers is the Under-the-Rim Trail that extends from Bryce Point all the way to the southern end of the park at Rainbow Point. Most hikers take 3 days and 2 nights to do the entire 23 mile section. Me and my hiking partner only had time for one night in the backcountry, so we chose the Yellow Creek area as our destination.
Backcountry hikers have the luxury of numerous trailheads on the canyon rim. Most start from Bryce Point and head south, but we decided to begin our hike at Swamp Canyon and head back towards Bryce Point. The Sheep Creek Connecting Trail took us 2 miles to the Under-the-Rim Trail. The first mile of hiking brought us through a partly burned pine forest on the rim of the canyon. Most of the trees were charred from controlled burns performed by the Park Service. Soon enough we were plunged into the Sheep Creek area. Washes, tall pines, scrub oak and the brilliantly colored walls of the Pink Cliffs are just some of the sites backpackers will enjoy along the way. Just as you are settling into the scenery of the canyon floor it’s time to start the first of several steep climbs.
As I mentioned, Bryce Canyon is really several different canyons with one thing in common: hoodoos. Hoodoos are fantastically shaped pillars of rock created by erosion. Each canyon has an amazing array of these hoodoos on display; every amphitheater holds a new cluster or formation of them. This means you will have top notch views from pretty much any vantage point. It also means a lot of up and down between the amphitheaters. From the Sheep Creek area, hikers ascend several hundred feet up switchbacks before dropping into the canyon cut by Pasture Wash. The scenery is similar: Douglas Fir and pine trees, clusters of wildflowers and epic views. It won’t be long before it’s time to start switchbacking up the next ridge; just one more down and up section before you begin your final push to camp.
By the time you arrive on the ridge overlooking the Yellow Creek amphitheater, your legs will be feeling it. It’s not long from the ridge to the campsites. For our trip, we chose the 1st of three sites in the area. They are named Yellow Creek Campsite (southernmost site), Yellow Creek Group site (middle site) and Right Fork Yellow Creek Campsite (closest to Bryce Point). As you drop into the area from the ridge, you will notice the forest is much thicker here. This is because Yellow Creek is one of the few reliable year round water sources in Bryce. The trees and flowers are dense and healthy thanks to the life force of this small stream.
Yellow Creek Campsite is awesome: campers are just a few steps away from fresh water (always use your filter or make sure to boil it first), there are several flat tent sites and two large downed trees provide a perfect seating area. Oh, and the view? Spectacular, as you might expect. From camp, we had large fir trees framing a view of the Pink Cliffs and hoodoos towering above us. Well worth the sweat to get there!
Enjoy the solitude; very few people bother to make the trek this deep into Bryce, and even when the backcountry is booked solid there is enough distance between camping areas that you probably won’t see anyone else. You certainly won’t hear them. Make sure to practice standard backcountry ethics: hang a bear bag (yes, black bears do live in the area) and cook on a backpacking stove. Our only disappointment during the trip was finding a large, recently used fire pit at the site.
Wake up early and hit the trail before the southern Utah sun starts blazing. As you make your way past the group site, the scenery will become more like the typical desert landscape: sandy soil filled with only the hardiest flowers and junipers. Soon the trail bends back northwest and the familiar pine forest takes over again.
Hiking from south to north and exiting at Bryce Point means you will have a long, unyielding climb ahead of you. Pass the Right Fork campsite before starting up the switchbacks. The Hat Shop is a great place to stop for a break. This area gets its name from its strange formations: red rock spires have large white boulders perched precariously atop them. Some look like they may tumble at any moment, but they have been that way for dozens of years. Follow the trail as it works it way up to Bryce Point through more otherworldly scenery. It’s a tough climb but the views provide plenty of reason to stop for much needed rest.
Distance from Swamp Canyon trailhead to Bryce Point is 11.4 miles. Yellow Creek Campsite is 6.2 miles from Swamp Canyon trailhead, leaving a shorter hike out for Day 2. Backcountry permits are issued at the Visitor Center, and cost between $5 and $15 depending on the size of your group. This is a shuttle hike. You need to park a car at both your exit and entry points to make sure you have a ride. Other options include stashing a bicycle, or, if you go from May-September, catch a ride on the tour bus that runs twice a day at 9am and 1pm. Bryce Canyon might not be the first place you think of for backpacking in Utah, especially with Grand Staircase Escalante NM so close by, but trust me, it’s gorgeous, private, and well worth spending the night.
See also: Hiking Bryce Canyon: Queens Garden/Navajo Loop Trail
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