I have the most unpopular opinion about Bryce Canyon National Park. It’s beautiful, and the hoodoos are spectacular, but it only ranks third on my list of the big five Utah National Parks.

It’s ranked only third, not for lack of beauty or amenities – it has those in spades, but because I found it nearly impossible to get away from the crowds. To me, a national park should be a place to immerse yourself in nature, not dodge hordes of people. But the hordes are descending and parks like Bryce have us too tightly clustered together.

I’ve been to over 25 national parks so far, and this one, while unique, made me feel like I was on a consumer conveyor belt.

Bryce Canyon is Famous for Hoodoos You Love

The geologic features of Bryce Canyon are known as “hoodoos.” A hoodoo is a tall, thin spire of rock formed by a unique combination of geologic happenings. Bryce has the most extensive collection of hoodoos in the world. Other parks, like Canyonlands, also in Utah; or Chiricahua in Arizona, have some too, but not at this scale. At Bryce, they’re clustered together in patterns and arrangements that leave you breathless and stunned.

You can argue that the beautiful and spectacular hoodoos at Bryce are enough, and I wouldn’t argue. I’m glad I went and saw them. Just like I’m glad I saw the Grand Canyon and Arches National Park.

I know many people who would say those are their favorite parks, while they’ve been my least favorite. Those people and I are very different types of people. And differences are what make the world so unique.

Driving Through Bryce Canyon

At Bryce, the closest you can get to more deeply enjoy the park without crowds is by staying at a campsite (with a few hundred other campers) and exploring in the wee hours of night and morning.

I went to Bryce twice during the month I stayed in Utah. Once alone and once with a friend. I hiked several of the main trails only.

It’s not a park you can drive through and see everything. You have to get out and explore. This requires parking in one of the too-small lots or taking a shuttle. A road goes straight through the park, but you won’t see any of the hoodoos on it.

Into the Wild – No

For me, national parks and wilderness spaces should be about getting a little lost so you can learn something about yourself, geology, nature, and native animals. But at some of these parks, there are so many people you’re quite literally hiking in groups of hundreds. People come, gobble up whatever there is to see, stop at a chain restaurant, and head off to the next landmark. I felt like I was on a conveyor belt at Bryce.

There’s little opportunity to commune with nature when groups of children cry because the walk is so long and it’s hot, and loud tourists are talking incessantly (I know your coworker sucks, but do we all have to hear about it right now on this trail?). Plus, there are battles for parking spaces more fierce than in some downtowns during a major event.

Hiking Bryce Canyon

My friend and I hiked the Queens and Navajo loop trails. These trails take you to the bottom of the sandstone hoodoos. You get up close and personal with the colors, texture and variation of shape and size. We looked up in awe at how big and fragile they were, wondering just how they managed to form. We walked through the clusters of pines so perfect they looked like someone placed them there.

Around and through and up and down, we walked with the crowd. The scent of hot pine and sandstone mingled around us, our senses on high alert. And then someone would yell at their tween, “for the fifth time, I said no!” and snap us back to reality.

Which is better? Zion or Bryce

Zion National Park is only two hours away from Bryce and, while also crowded, there is more space available to spread out and its sister park, Kolob Canyons next door, offers even more room.

Kolob and Zion sit in a box canyons cut into the western edge of the Colorado Plateau. It forms the classic Zion majestic peaks and features 2,000-foot cliff walls. You can easily see the views by taking the five-mile scenic drive along Kolob Canyons Road or Zion Scenic Drive through a series of switchbacks on Route 9 and the famous Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel. (Route 9 will not take you into Kolob).

The ability to drive through these parks keeps many people off the trails, unlike Bryce.

Where is the Wilderness

Once upon a time, going to national parks guaranteed you time and space to be alone. But now you’ll only get that in the least popular parks like Big Bend, Canyonlands, or Death Valley – which are fantastic.

So what’s next for the adventurer who craves wilderness, if not national parks? There are places to be sure. You must get off the beaten path. Most parks offer back-country permits to take you to places others dare not go – not yet anyway.

Despite the crowds, Bryce Canyon is pretty. And humbling. Maybe that’s all we need to take away from the most popular parks. They exist against the odds and remind us of the wonders possible in our world.

At Bryce, standing next to those hoodoos, you are so small. It reminds you of your size in the universe and what time can do. Maybe that’s enough. It will have to be enough.

Find Bryce Canyon National Park off Highway 63, Bryce, UT 84764.

I’ve been to all five Utah National Parks. Read more stories about Utah here.

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