RV Tour Leg 31 - Bryce Canyon National Park

April 30 - May 5, 2025

Peekaboo Loop Trail - Bryce Canyon

We capped off our tour of Utah’s Mighty Five with Bryce Canyon National Park—and what a finale it was. Most people name Zion as their favorite, but for me, it’s Bryce. The landscape here is like a dreamscape come to life: a fairyland of hoodoos—those tall, skinny rock spires shaped by a freeze/thaw erosion cycle that leaves hard capstones perched on sculpted towers of softer rock.

Bryce is a “look-down” park. The views from the rim into the amphitheaters of hoodoos are simply breathtaking. But once you descend into the maze of formations, it becomes a “look-up” park too—every turn reveals another surreal, towering spire, and it's like walking through a cathedral built by geology.

Looking over the hoodoo amphitheater onto the Grand Staircase

Our route through Utah ended up a bit squirrely—definitely not the most direct path—but we planned it that way on purpose. We wanted to save Bryce for last, hoping for warmer weather since the park sits at 8,000 feet and is known for late-season snow. Even in May, we got hit with sleet and snow flurries. We felt especially bad for the tent campers next to us, and when we left (in a white-knuckle snowstorm), we told them to stay warm. They jokingly asked us to just leave the RV behind. We didn’t oblige.

Our campground was conveniently located right by Bryce’s paved bike trails. From there, we could ride to all the major lookout points—an easy and scenic way to explore.

While touring in the truck, we used an app called Shaka Guide, which tracks your GPS location and offers interesting narration about geology, history, and suggested hikes. We're pretty sure the voice is AI-generated (which is both amazing and slightly creepy), but the app does a great job and even plays fun music between stops.

North Campground, Bryce Canyon

One day, we tackled a challenging hike called Peekaboo, descending 1,600 feet into the heart of hoodoo country. Being down among those towering spires was spectacular, and we took our time soaking it all in. Along the way, we spotted some feathered companions—like a bold Steller’s Jay with electric-blue plumage and a punk-rock crest, and a Spotted Towhee with a dapper black hood and rust-colored sides. David got some great photos of both! It was a hot day, but we came better prepared than we had at Canyonlands: plenty of snacks, lots of water (some with electrolytes), and no heat stroke this time—just happy exhaustion.

Steller's Jay on the Peekaboo Hike

Spotted Towhee on the Peekaboo Hike

Wall of Window on Peekaboo Trail

Looking back up to the start point of Peekaboo Hike

On our last day, we hiked the Queen’s Garden and Navajo Loop, which was shorter and gentler with only 600 feet of elevation change. Halfway through, the weather turned and we found ourselves in a sleet-and-small-hail storm. We ducked under an arch with a lovely family from California. Their little boy was thrilled with the tiny hail pellets—it was actually a pretty delightful moment.

Waiting our the sleet/hail storm at Queen Garden and Navajo Loop

Logistically, Bryce wasn’t the easiest place. The water fill station was still closed “for the winter” (it was May!), so David gallantly hauled water using a 7-gallon container, a ladder, and a siphon—three times. We technically have a drill-powered pump for this, but the drill wasn’t charged and we had no electricity. As usual, David MacGyvered the problem with calm ingenuity. No showers in the camper at this site!

At one of the look-outs showing the trails far below. Do you see the bridge with hoodoos on top?

There were showers at the campground—$3 for 8 minutes. David, in full Grizzly Adams mode, deemed them too expensive and passed. Not me. After months of military-style rinses, I wasn’t going to miss the chance. Eight minutes felt decadently long, and even after I was clean, I stayed under that hot water like a spa-deprived hobbit. People ask what I miss most on the road, and it’s an easy answer: my shower and my laundry room.

Leaving Bryce, we hit more snow, fog and then a soaking rainstorm. We eventually pulled off and found a place to stay, grateful to get out of the weather.

We’re now heading west to California—next stop: Yosemite! Fortunately we have a few days to get there so we can dodge the weather as needed. We’ll be meeting up with our friends Linda and Drevis, who are flying in to join us. We can’t wait to see them and continue this grand adventure.