Most people visit Bryce Canyon National Park during a narrow timeframe every year: from May through September. During these months, temperatures are pleasant and precipitation is relatively scarce. In the remaining months – October through April – winter dominates Bryce Canyon. Snow typically buries the park during its 7-month-long winter, making visitation numbers much smaller.
Bryce Canyon is one of the most stunning examples of erosion in the world. The park contains a collection of natural amphitheaters formed by headward erosion, meaning it’s not technically a “canyon” in spite of its name. The amphitheaters are filled with interesting, colorful rock formations. Below the canyon’s rim, a collection of arches, walls, and the park’s famous hoodoos abound. Visitors from all over the world flock to Bryce Canyon to see its unique landscapes and dazzling colors. It’s the second-most visited national park in Utah, behind Zion.
While winter may not seem like the ideal time to visit Bryce Canyon, think again! The park is absolutely beautiful in the snow, and it’s easy to complete the park’s most popular hikes simply with a pair of trail crampons. Additionally, fewer visitors in winter makes it easier to find parking and see viewpoints without crowds of tourists, which generally makes for a better experience.
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Winter in Bryce Canyon: What’s the Big Deal?
Winter in Bryce Canyon is more than just a deterrent to large crowds: the cold weather has important implications on the park’s geography. In fact, it’s the very reason that Bryce Canyon looks the way it does. Without the long winter months, the park wouldn’t contain the largest concentration of hoodoos in the world.
A Quick Geology Lesson
Bryce Canyon sits around 8,000 feet in elevation, meaning it sees colder temperatures than most of Utah. Whenever it rains or snows at Bryce Canyon, water seeps into cracks in the park’s amphitheaters. During the park’s long winters, this water repeatedly freezes and thaws, putting pressure on the rocks – a process known as “ice wedging.” Eventually, this breaks the rocks, creating walls, arches, and the park’s famous hoodoos.
There are approximately 170 days every year where the air temperature dips above and below freezing. This results in lots of freezing and thawing, accelerating the ice wedging process and allowing the creation of a huge number of hoodoos.
Similar processes created formations in Arches National Park and other parks on the Colorado Plateau.
Learn more about the geology of the region on the National Park Service’s website.
Winter Weather in Bryce Canyon
Even though Bryce Canyon can get cold in winter, the average temperatures are actually quite forgiving to hikers in most months. In March, April, October, and November, high temperatures are typically in the 40s or 50s. From December to February, they are generally in the high 30s. Even though it’s generally too cold for most people to camp (with nighttime temperatures often in the single digits), it’s usually warm enough for a hike if you bring the proper clothing.
Precipitation is the biggest wild card during Bryce Canyon’s winter months. Snow is common, even on days when it’s supposed to be sunny. Oftentimes, clear skies will be interrupted by sudden whiteout conditions, only for the sun to return again 30 minutes later.
Frequent snow commonly creates icy roads in and around Bryce Canyon. While the NPS does a good job at keeping roads clear, sudden snowstorms can quickly result in treacherous driving conditions. Careful driving is often necessary to reach the park safely. In other words: don’t stress if you find yourself driving 20 mph under the speed limit. It’s better to arrive late to Bryce Canyon than to crash your car.
It’s important to be prepared for colder temperatures and the possibility of snow during a winter visit to Bryce Canyon. However, with the right winter gear and enough patience, the winter conditions may be nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
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Why Visit Bryce Canyon National Park in Winter?
As evidenced by the park’s visitation numbers, winter weather tends to scare off most visitors to the park. Crowds don’t start growing larger until late April or May, when the snow is mostly melted and it’s warm enough to wear a t-shirt. So, if other people avoid the park in the winter, why should you visit?
The smaller crowds, in my opinion, are the biggest reason to visit in the snow. Getting around Bryce Canyon during peak season can be quite hectic. Parking is scarce at the park’s best viewpoints, lines into the park are long, and accommodations can be expensive. Rather than an intimate experience with the park on the trails, you get to see the hoodoos with dozens of your not-so-closest friends.
In addition to smaller crowds, the snow creates a beautiful aesthetic. On a clear winter day, the red, orange, & beige of the hoodoos combines with blue sky, green pine trees, and pure white snow to create a literal rainbow of colors. It’s like a Bob Ross painting splattered across a giant screen in front of you. The views are unreal, unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
Best Months to Visit in Winter
Let’s assume then that YOU have decided that the winter doesn’t scare you. You’d rather visit Bryce Canyon when the crowds are thin, and you’ve taken my word on the nice aesthetic the snow creates. When should you go?
March, April, October, and November are the winter months with the best weather. Temperatures are normally above freezing during the day, meaning that you will (sort of) see the “ice wedging” process occur in real time. It also means that it will be plenty warm for you if you embark on a long hike. If you are visiting early in the year, I’d highly recommend March, since it’s also a good month to visit the other Utah national parks. If visiting later in the year, early November is your best bet.
What’s Open? What’s Closed?
In winter, most of the park is open as usual, with a few exceptions. Here are the closures to be aware of:
- The Rim Trail between Inspiration Point and Bryce Point closes all winter due to rockfall hazard
- The Wall Street portion of the Navajo Loop closes all winter due to rockfall hazard
- The 0.3-mile road to Paria View closes all winter
- The 1.0-mile road to Fairyland Point closes all winter. The Fairyland Loop is still accessible from Sunrise Point
- Sunset Campground closes all winter
- The Lodge at Bryce Canyon closes all winter, but you can generally still find lodging in the nearby town of Bryce
- The Southern Scenic Drive closes temporarily after heavy snowfall, to allow time for the NPS to plow the road. If the weather cooperates, however, it should be open when you visit
Otherwise, everything else in the park is open year-round. Bryce Amphitheater, its surrounding viewpoints, the visitor center, and almost all trails (except for the two noted above) remain open to visitors. North Campground remains open as a primitive, first-come, first-serve campground in winter. Ranger programs, including night-sky programs, continue in the winter but are less frequent.
Learn more about winter operations and current conditions in Bryce Canyon at the National Park Service’s website.
What to Do in Bryce Canyon in Winter: 1-Day Itinerary
Even if the Southern Scenic Drive is closed during your visit, you’ll have plenty to do in Bryce Canyon in the winter. Here’s what a 1-day itinerary could look like when you visit:
- Arrive early to watch the sunrise at Sunrise Point (30 minutes)
- Visit the Bryce Canyon Visitor Center to see the museum, nab a passport stamp, and purchase souvenirs (30 minutes)
- Spend time in Bryce Amphitheater (3-5 hours) while doing the following activities:
- Hike the Figure Eight Loop (6.3 miles, 1,499 feet elev. gain), which combines the Navajo Loop, Queen’s Garden Trail, Rim Trail, and Peekaboo Loop. This combination gives you the most bang for your buck while hiking. However, if you don’t want to hike that much, check out one or multiple of the shorter trails contained in the Figure Eight Loop
- Visit Sunset Point (5 minutes)
- Visit Sunrise Point (5 minutes)
- Visit Bryce Point (15 minutes)
- Drive the Southern Scenic Drive (1-2 hours, if open) while stopping at most overlooks, especially Natural Bridge and Yovimpa Point
- Hike to Mossy Cave and Mossy Cave Falls (0.9 miles, 121 feet elev. gain) in the northern part of the park
This itinerary should allow you to do and see everything you’d need for a day in Bryce Canyon National Park. Adjust this itinerary as you see fit to accommodate your energy levels and fitness. Check out the map below to see where all of these activities are located.
Logistics of a Winter Visit
The logistics of a winter visit to Bryce Canyon National Park aren’t that different than in the summer. The biggest differences are: lodging, specialty packing items, and weather considerations.
Where to Stay
If you’re visiting from far away, the closest major cities to Bryce Canyon are Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. Both sit about 4 hours from the park. Las Vegas offers easy access to nature hotspots like Zion, Death Valley, Valley of Fire State Park, and Lake Mead. Salt Lake City is closer to ski resorts, Arches, Canyonlands, and Great Basin. Whichever city you choose to fly into, plan to rent a car.
The easiest way to make the most out of a day trip to Bryce Canyon – especially if you want to catch sunrise – is to stay in or near the park. North Campground is the only option for overnight stays inside Bryce Canyon in winter. This option is unpopular, since nighttime temperatures are often well below freezing.
If you decide to camp in the frigid weather, make sure to bring some essential cold-weather camping gear, including:
- Tent
- Well-insulated sleeping pad, with R-value of 4.0 or higher
- Sleeping bag rated for 0 degrees
- Hand and toe warmers
- Plenty of warm winter clothing
Most people will likely opt for more comfortable lodging in nearby Bryce, UT. The resort town offers plenty of lodging opportunities in the winter. Visit the Bryce Canyon Country tourism site for the full list.
If you’re trying to visit multiple national parks during your trip, using Zion National Park as a “home base” is also a good idea. In fact, this was how I visited Bryce Canyon National Park, and it worked quite well for me. The parks are about 2 hours apart, so it’s easy to make a day trip to Bryce Canyon from Zion.
What to Bring
When visiting Bryce Canyon National Park in winter, you have to make some special considerations when packing. In addition to your usual hiking gear, be sure to bring the following items:
- Traction devices for your shoes/boots. These are useful for short walks around the canyon’s rim and absolutely essential for long day hikes. I highly recommend the Snowline Chainsen Walk trail crampons for day hikes in packed snow. If you are interested in less-traveled hikes like Fairyland Loop or the Under the Rim Trail, bring snowshoes, since these trails will not have packed-down snow
- Trekking poles. These can supplement or substitute traction devices to help you walk through the snow
- Sunglasses. When the sun comes out, its reflection on the snow is bright and can damage your vision if you don’t have sunglasses
- Sunscreen. Snow intensifies the UV rays of the sun, so you can easily get burned while hiking in the snow on a clear day
- Layers. Obviously, you need several layers of warm clothing if doing outdoor activities in the winter. Be prepared to shed or add layers as the weather changes during your visit to Bryce Canyon
How to Prepare
You should build flexibility into your schedule if you are visiting Bryce Canyon in the winter. The forecast can change frequently and won’t always be kind to you. Don’t set your mind on a single day to visit the park, since you may have to reschedule to another day if the weather doesn’t cooperate. Check the forecast before your visit to make sure you don’t arrive during a snowstorm.
Before driving to Bryce Canyon, be sure to check current conditions in the park and road conditions in the surrounding area. This will help you prepare – mentally and physically – to get to the park.
After Bryce Canyon…
Likely, your visit to Bryce Canyon will only last a day. Unless you are determined to spend the night under the stars or join a nighttime ranger program, a day will be plenty of time in the park. So, what’s next?
Winter in Utah offers lots to see and do. Utah’s Mighty Five – the collective name for its five national parks – are all great places to visit in March, April, October, or November. Arches and Zion, especially, are often unbearably packed with tourists during the summer. Seeing these parks in the offseason is a great way to avoid the crowds and enjoy some solitude with nature.
Bryce Canyon National Park is – in a word – breathtaking. No matter what time of year you visit the park, you will delight in its hoodoos and other rock formations. The park is well worth the hype it gets, so you should definitely pay it a visit if you’re in the area. Its long winters continue to shape and change the park’s geography, and I encourage you to not let these winters intimidate you! Don’t be afraid to join the few people who venture into Bryce Canyon in the cold. You won’t regret it.
— Paul