The crumbling sandstone spires of Bryce Canyon may seem ethereal, perhaps even magical. The aptly named Fairyland Trail plunges hikers into this fantasy world of multicolored hoodoos over an eight-mile loop. If you want to see a piece of almost everything Bryce Canyon offers visitors, then this is the trail for you!
Fairyland Loop Trail hike starts at Fairyland Point. Hikers can expect plenty of elevation gain and loss over the course of the journey. Enjoy the incredible views from the rim, and then begin the steep descent to the floor of Bryce. Along the way you will pass walls of hoodoos and formations of all shapes and sizes before the landscape transitions into a sparse pine forest. It is truly remarkable how quickly the plant and rock varieties shift within just a few hundred feet of elevation. The trail undulates between small canyons and hollows, climbing for a bit and then dipping down into the next area.
Each of these areas has standout features (like Tower Bridge and the Chinese Wall), but maybe the most captivating is simply hiking amongst the hoodoos. These eroded pillars are the stars of Bryce Canyon, and it’s no hard guess as to why. The hoodoos can be hundreds of feet tall, or as small as a child; some are deep red in color, while others are nearly pure white. Some spires appear to be wearing little hats, others still are topped with chunks of rock that look as though they will topple at any moment. It is a wonderful geologic collection that feels otherworldly; dreamed up on some far distant planet and transported to this spot. If you can escape without snapping a picture around every turn, you are truly a disciplined photographer.
The trail is composed of well-packed dirt, and makes for easy hiking. The hardest part of the whole deal is the constant up and down climbing. Fairyland Trail is appropriate for hikers of all ages and abilities, though it certainly is one of the more strenuous jaunts in Bryce Canyon. This trail is less crowded than the Queen’s Garden hike, but contains scenery that is just as jaw dropping, so if you don’t mind some huffing and puffing to escape the crowds, Fairyland is ideal. The last 2.5 miles of the hike are on the Rim Trail, which allows for a bird’s eye view of all the terrain you just hammered out over the past few hours.