Navajo Loop Switchback

Best Time to Visit

Late spring and early fall — roughly May and September — offer the most comfortable temperatures and the best footing on the switchbacks. Summer brings high visitor volume and afternoon thunderstorms that can develop quickly; plan to be back on the rim well before early afternoon during July and August, as the open canyon offers little shelter from lightning. The inner canyon trail can be dangerously icy from October through April. Traction devices such as microspikes are strongly recommended for any descent below the rim during this period, particularly on the Wall Street switchbacks, which shade quickly and hold ice long after the rim clears.

Trail Tips

• Dogs are not allowed on any trail within Bryce Canyon National Park. Leashed pets may stay in parking areas, paved surfaces, and campgrounds only.
• Water fill stations at Sunset Point are seasonal — confirm availability before relying on them. The canyon floor has no water sources; carry enough for the full loop including the uphill return.
• The climb back to the rim is steeper than most first-time visitors expect. Budget extra time and energy for the final switchbacks, especially at 8,000 feet where exertion feels noticeably harder than at lower elevations.
• Cell service is limited or absent once you drop below the rim — download trail maps and check weather forecasts before you enter the canyon.

Getting There

The trailhead sits at Sunset Point on the park's main road and is served directly by the park shuttle, which runs April through October. An entry pass is required for all vehicles entering Bryce Canyon National Park. Parking at Sunset Point is limited and fills well before midday in summer and fall — arriving before 8 a.m. or taking the shuttle from Bryce Canyon City are the most reliable ways to secure access. Wall Street, the western leg of the loop, closes seasonally due to rockfall and ice hazard; confirm current conditions with visitor center staff before heading down.

What to Expect on Navajo Loop Trail

Navajo Loop packs an unusual amount of variety into 1.3 miles. The Wall Street leg channels you through a corridor of vertical limestone where the walls press close and block most of the sky — a fundamentally different experience than the open hoodoo terrain of Two Bridges on the east side of the loop. That contrast is the trail's defining quality: one leg feels subterranean, the other expansive. Both legs converge on the canyon floor, where the scale of the Bryce Amphitheater comes into full view before the trail begins its sustained climb back to the rim. Throughout, the footing shifts between compacted switchback trail, sandy flats, and loose stone; trekking poles help on both the descent and the climb.