Buses typically come every 15 minutes from 8 am to 6 pm in Spring and Fall and until 8 pm in summer, but with the new Bryce Canyon Shuttle Tracker you can time your next ride to the minute.
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Bryce Canyon is open 24 hours per day, however, we do not recommend exploring the park at night. The visitor center is open from 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. with extended hours in the summer.
Bryce Canyon Parking and DrivingBy 9 or 10 am, parking begins to get difficult at popular parking lots, like the visitor center and the lodge. If you'll be driving your own car within Bryce, you should get there early.
After making four stops in Tusayan, the shuttle heads straight to the NPS Grand Canyon Visitor Center, where you can begin your Grand Canyon experience. Buses run every 20 minutes between 8 am and 9:30 pm. First bus leaves IMAX Theater in Tusayan at 8 am.
Parking in the Bryce Canyon Amphitheater (Miles 1 - 3)Each viewpoint has a parking area that is open to private vehicles, however, due to the popularity of this area, parking spaces can be sparse during our peak seasons. To avoid full parking lots, we recommend using the free shuttle to see the Bryce Amphitheater.
Riding the Free Bryce Canyon ShuttleThe Bryce Amphitheater Shuttle runs regularly on 15 minute intervals from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. with extended hours to 8 p.m. in summer, and brings visitors to areas of interest, viewpoints, and trailheads within the Bryce Amphitheater area of the park.
Start hikes, like the Queen's Garden/Navajo Loop trail, in the morning to avoid crowds. I recommend watching the sunrise and starting the hike shortly after. Wait to do the scenic drive until the afternoon after you've explored the area around Bryce Canyon Lodge. Sunrise is the best time for photography.
As with many National Parks across the country, tourist crowds peak during the months of June, July, and August. This is when you are going to find many families at Bryce Canyon, and the crowds will almost always be high at the iconic attractions within the park's boundaries.
If you're visiting the amphitheater, take the shuttle because parking will be difficult to find. But if you're watching a sunrise, you'll need to drive and park by the Amphitheater because the shuttle doesn't start running until 8:00 am. For the Scenic Drive, you'll need to drive your car.
Bryce Canyon NP Scenic drive runs 18 miles along Highway 63 from Highway 12 until it ends at the south end of Highway 63 in Bryce Canyon National Park. Many of the park's highlights can be seen by the numerous overlooks. Please be aware that several of the side roads may be closed seasonally due to wintery conditions.
The Best Places To Watch A Sunrise And Sunset At Bryce Canyon (And Why You Should) If you're visiting Bryce Canyon, do yourself a favor and make sure to watch a sunrise! Yes, you have to get up early, but it's totally worth it. It's why we suggest staying near Bryce instead of between Bryce and Zion.
Since southern Utah is a bit of a haul from any major cities, many visitors make Bryce Canyon part of a larger Utah road trip. Though it's a smaller park and some people will spend less than a full day in Bryce Canyon, I recommend spending one to two full days here to really explore all that the park has to offer.
A Utah roadtrip routeIf you're only doing these two parks then it doesn't matter which you do first. If you're going over to the other Utah national parks (on the east side of the state), then it makes sense to do Zion first, then Bryce and head on east.
Since southern Utah is a bit of a haul from any major cities, many visitors make Bryce Canyon part of a larger Utah road trip. Though it's a smaller park and some people will spend less than a full day in Bryce Canyon, I recommend spending one to two full days here to really explore all that the park has to offer.
Zion Hikes From the Visitor CenterWhile the Watchman Trail has you winding through the canyons to the final panoramic viewpoint of lower Zion Canyon and the town of Springdale. Since these trails are not along the Scenic Drive, you don't need to take the Zion shuttle to hike the Pa'rus Trail or Watchman Trail.
The South Entrance to the park can get this busy during spring break, summer and weekends during the fall. If you arrive between the hours of 10 am and 4 pm, be prepared for a wait between 45 minutes to 2 hours. Try to arrive before 9:30 am or after 4 pm.
Village (Blue) Route, Kaibab (Orange) Route, Hermits Rest (Red) Route, and the Hikers' Express Shuttle. Details for each route are listed on this page. All shuttle service is free; the service is included with park entrance fees.
The best way to tour the village is to park your vehicle once, then ride the Village (Blue) Route Shuttle around the South Rim. It connects the Visitor Center, lodges, campgrounds, Backcountry Information Center, and Market Plaza (Market, deli, outdoor ATM, and U.S. Post Office).