All You Need To Know About Bryce Canyon Hoodoos & The Best Hiking Trails

Bryce Canyon National Park is brimming with natural wonders that lure visitors in from around the world. There’s slot canyons, lakes, and forests spanning throughout this wilderness. But the biggest attractions (which set its apart from other national park) are the Bryce Canyon hoodoos — a bucketlist-worthy sight.

The colors of rustic red, clay orange, and cantaloupe peaks decorate the famous Bryce Canyon National Park in southwestern Utah. After witnessing these tall red hued colored spires, I was hooked. These colors are completely memorizing to the human eye. And, somehow these giant structures defy the laws of physics, particularly gravity.

The hoodoos’ beauty is quite unique and unparalleled when compared to other national parks like Yosemite, Zion, Grand Canyon, and Joshua Tree. This park is truly distinctive and hoodoos are one of its biggest draws.

So if you’re planning a trip to visit Bryce Canyon National Park, here’s what you need to know about exploring the hoodoos (aka where to find them, the best hikes to see them, and more).

If you’re planning to drive, be sure to check out these popular posts dedicated to helping you create the best road trip on the West Coast. Then, lets explore these mysterious pillars.

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What is a hoodoo?

But really, what the heck are hoodoos anyway?

Hoodoos are sandstone chimney-like formations with a protective mushroom cap, almost like a top hat. This caprock is made of extremely hard and dense rock such as limestones, dolostones, and siltstone. It’s job is to protect the soft, peculiar shaped sandstone spire beneath it.

These jaw dropping colorful thin spires can be found all over Bryce Canyon country. The national park describes them as the following:

“Eroded pillars of soft sandstone rock topped with a resilient cap.“

says a sign at Bryce Canyon National Park

Additionally, these reddish-orange rock formations go by many names — tent rocks, fairy tents, or earth chimneys. They’re extremely rare, old, and oftentimes, they vary by shape or size.

They can range anywhere from 5 to 150 feet high. That’s why you’ll find both enormous and minuscule (only in comparison to the bigger ones) spires in Bryce Canyon.

But it’s also because hoodoos are quite fragile. Meaning, the force that created them will also likely be the force that destroys them many years (really centuries) down the line. So sad!

How were Bryce Canyon hoodoos formed?

Bryce Canyon hoodoos are gravity-defying, gorgeous to stare at, and 100% formed by Mother Nature over millions of years. But how? Let’s give erosion and weathering a round of applause for these spectacular sites.

Before the hoodoo became a hoodoo, these natural attractions were plateaus. In fact, Bryce Canyon sits right on the edge of plateau called Paunsaugunt Plateau. These plateaus were a collection of various rock sediments — sandstones, siltstones, limestones, dolostones, and mudstones (hence their strange patterns and colors).

After, much of the land was uplifted due to plate tectonic action (aka the fault lines were moving), explains the National Park Service. Over time, as rain, snow, and every other climate elements hit these plateaus, it chipped away at its rocky structure, sculpting these orange hued peaks we know and love today.

Why are they called hoodoos?

If you think of hoodoo and voodoo instantly comes to mind, don’t worry. Just know they’re not the same thing. The name hoodoo originally comes from the Hausa Language in West Africa.

According to Merriam-Webster it means to cast a spell and it’s a magic practice that’s common in Southern American. But, hoodoo also means a column of sandstone rock with beautiful structure.

On the other hand, the Paiutes (a Native American tribe) believed the hoodoos were the remnants of “Legend People”. Legend has that Coyote, a spiritual being who’s a trickster, turned these “Legend People” into stone, aka the vivid hoodoos in Bryce Canyon. The Paiutes named these hoodoos Angka-ku-wass-a-wits, which means red painted faces.

However they got their eerie start, these earth chimneys are a beautiful sight to see.

Where are the hoodoos in Bryce Canyon?

These lovely chimneys are scattered throughout Bryce Canyon National Park. You can see one from almost anywhere you’re standing!

While Utah (yes, Zion National Park has some too in case you were wondering) has the highest concentration of these impressive fairy structures, you can see hoodoos all over the world. There’s some in Taiwan, France, Serbia, Alberta, and Cappadocia.

Imagine riding a hot air balloon while overlooking these colorful pillars of wonders. Did someone say a bucketlist goal?

The best hikes to see Bryce Canyon hoodoos

To be honest, it was kind of hard creating this list because many of the trails connect with one another. Which, if you ask me, is pretty cool! That means you can add onto (or subtract) from your hike whenever you want.

Below are some of my favorite hikes I highly encourage you to visit, especially if its you’re first time in the park.

Navajo Loop Trail

The trailhead for Navajo Loop Trail begins at Sunset Point and ironically ends there too (hence being a loop). It’s one of my favorite hikes in Bryce Canyon National Park because it winds through various fauna and flora, and it has two unique loop sides — Wall Street and Two Bridges.

One of the biggest natural wonders during this hike is found minutes away from the trail head — Thor’s Hammer. This hoodoo in Bryce Canyon is by far one of the most popular as the rock cap is oddly shaped just like mighty Thor’s hammer.

Along the trail you’ll also find ginormous Douglas-fir trees and narrow switchbacks that descend down the colorful hillside.

Keep in mind that the Wall Street side closes during winter due to rain and ice, so the trails turns into an out and back hike.

However, you are able to extend this hike no matter the season. We combined it with Queen’s Garden Trail, which is a 2.9 mile loop, when we visited during early November. But you can also combine it with the Peek-a-boo Loop, or combine all three together for a mega 6.2 mile hike round trip.

Queen’s Garden Trail

The Queen’s Garden Trail is another one of our favorite hiking trails in Bryce Canyon National Park. Similar to Navajo Loop Trail, this trail gently descends into the beautiful canyon right beneath the rim. It’s 1.8 miles out and back.

Along the trail you’ll find even more riveting rock structures and towering red hued hoodoos. But, what I love most about this trail is that it resembles a royal garden too, hence the name. Use your imagination and you’re bound to notice several natural attractions while hiking.

There’s Queen Elizabeth herself, the Queen’s Castle, and Gulliver’s Castle — all of which are enchanting rock formations.

Keep in mind that this trail is heavily trafficked and its one of the easier trails to enter into the canyon. Hike back out the same way you came or combine it with the Navajo Loop Trail.

Fairyland Loop

Fairyland Loop is great for anyone looking for a more strenuous all-day type of hike. It starts at Fairyland Point, then meanders through the quieter parts of the park as you trek through various elevation changes for insane views.

This trail treks into the Fairyland amphitheater, one of the most famous attractions in Bryce Canyon. As you continue along the trail, it journeys into deeper, lesser known parts of the amphitheater offering more sweeping vistas of hoodoos. You can even take a quick trail detour to see the Tower Bridge.

In addition, this trail offers vibrant views of the canyon rim, as part of the trail falls on the 23 mile one-way Rim Trail. It’s the best trail to hike first thing in the morning during sunrise or right at sunset for magical vistas of the canyon. Just be sure to pack a headlamp and layers if you’re night hiking!

Peek-a-boo Loop Trail

Another beautiful trail to explore is the Peek-a-boo Loop Trail, a 5.5 mile loop that’s rated as moderate. It’s heavily trafficked and popular among horseback riders too.

The trail begins at a stunning vista point, Bryce Point. Here, you’ll immediately plummet beneath the canyon rim for surprising twists and turns. Along the route you’ll wind through giant spires, colorful rims, incredible arches, and witness breathtaking landscapes.

In my opinion, this trail and Fairyland Loop have some of the most gorgeous views of the Bryce Canyon hoodoos. Some the famous hoodoos you’ll pass during this hike include The Three Wisemen, The Cathedral, Wall of Windows, and The Organ.

If you’re tempted to hike further, this trail has a junction with the Navajo Loop Trail or the Queen’s Garden Trail.

Mossy Cave Loop Trail

Mossy Cave Loop Trail is hands down one of the shortest trails in Bryce Canyon. To be frank, it’s not really a hike. Rather, its a nice leg strength that offers some scenic views of the pinnacles and ends at a fascinating mossy cave. However, during winter this oozing mossy cave turns into an icicle haven.

Nevertheless, the trail is 0.8 miles out and back. It’s located in the northernmost region of Bryce Canyon National Park and begins with an incline, then gently cascades toward the cave.

I highly recommend going during the late morning or afternoon to avoid the crowd since parking is tight.

Final note: which is better, Zion or Bryce Canyon National Park?

If you’re wanting to explore the weirdly shaped hoodoos, Bryce Canyon is better. Hands down! Inside the park you’ll find ample hiking trails that wind through armies of fairy chimneys. And, Bryce Canyon has the most amount of hoodoos on the planet!

That being said, since Zion National Park is located only an hour and half away in Utah, it also has some unique spires to see. Keep in mind it’s not nearly as many as Bryce, nor is it as heavily concentrated. Instead, these spires are more isolated and most will be found on the eastern side of Zion.

My advice; visit both parks if you have time during your national park trip. Here’s a detailed guide on how to visit both!

However, if you’re short on time and you have your heart set on chasing these fairy spires, visit Bryce Canyon National Park.

More hiking and national park resources

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