You are standing at the bottom of Wall Street, neck craned back, staring up through a gap in 200-foot rock walls at a narrow strip of sky. Two Douglas fir trees, each around 500 years old, rise from the canyon floor beside you, their trunks stretching 70-plus feet toward light they barely receive. The orange and pink walls of the Claron Formation press in on both sides, close enough to touch. It is one of the most striking scenes in any national park.
And then you remember: you have to climb back out. All 550 vertical feet of it, on steep switchbacks, at 8,000 feet elevation, where your lungs are working with roughly 75 percent of the oxygen you're used to at home.
That tension between the effortless descent and the earned ascent is the defining experience of the Navajo Loop Trail at Bryce Canyon. It is also the thing most trail descriptions gloss over. This guide will not.
What the trail actually involves
Basic Trail Stats
The Navajo Loop Trail is a 1.3-mile loop that begins and ends at Sunset Point on the rim of the Bryce Amphitheater. According to the National Park Service, the trail drops 550 feet with a typical grade of 14 percent and a maximum grade of 30 percent, narrowing to just 25 inches at its tightest point. NPS estimates one to two hours for the loop. It is rated moderate, which is accurate in terms of distance but undersells the altitude factor.
The Two Arms
The loop has two arms descending from Sunset Point. The western arm is Wall Street: 0.7 miles of steep, tight switchbacks through a slot-like narrows, home to the famous Douglas fir grove. The eastern arm is Two Bridges: 0.6 miles with broader views, two natural rock bridge formations, and the best close-range perspectives on Thor's Hammer, the park's most photographed hoodoo. Both arms meet at the canyon floor, where a connector trail links to the Queen's Garden Trail heading toward Sunrise Point.
Distance: 1.3 miles (loop)
Elevation change: 550 feet
Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 1 to 2 hours
Trailhead: Sunset Point (~8,000 ft)
Steepest grade: 30%
Narrowest point: 25 inches
Most hikers who have done both arms will tell you that Wall Street is the highlight. The Two Bridges side is no disappointment, and Thor's Hammer alone is worth the walk. But Wall Street's combination of geological drama, ancient trees, and compressed space is what makes this trail the park's signature hike. If you are planning your first trip and checking our Hiking guides for trail options, the Navajo Loop is where to start.
Counterclockwise, clockwise, and why it depends on your route
Navajo Loop Only
Direction matters on the Navajo Loop, and the NPS gives different recommendations depending on which route you are hiking. For the Navajo Loop alone, the NPS recommends counterclockwise: descend Wall Street first, climb out via Two Bridges. The reasoning is straightforward. Wall Street's switchbacks hit a 30 percent grade, and going down them is far easier on your legs and lungs than climbing them. The Two Bridges ascent is still steep, but it offers more resting points with views of Thor's Hammer and the wider amphitheater to distract you on the way up.
Queen's Garden Combination
For the Queen's Garden combination, the 2.9-mile route the NPS calls the hike they most recommend to first-time visitors, the park suggests the opposite: clockwise, starting from Sunrise Point. You descend the gentler Queen's Garden Trail, cross the canyon floor, ascend the Navajo Loop to Sunset Point, then walk the flat, paved half-mile Rim Trail back to your car. The NPS reasoning is that the sweeping amphitheater views face you on the Queen's Garden descent and that ascending Navajo is safer than descending its steepest sections.
That said, many experienced hikers prefer the combo counterclockwise, starting by descending Wall Street so they hit the slot canyon fresh rather than saving the steepest climb for the end. Both approaches work. If you are fit and acclimated, counterclockwise maximizes the dramatic payoff. If altitude is a concern or you are hiking with kids, the NPS clockwise direction is the more conservative and safer choice. Our Safety and Conditions section covers the altitude factor in detail for anyone arriving from lower elevations.
Wall Street's seasonal closure is not a suggestion
Why Wall Street Closes
Wall Street closes every winter, and the closure period can stretch from roughly November through May depending on conditions. The NPS states this happens when precipitation combines with freezing overnight temperatures, creating active rockfall risk. Bryce Canyon experiences 170 to 200 freeze/thaw cycles per year. Water seeps into cracks, freezes overnight, expands, and fractures rock.
This is not theoretical. In 2006, a rockfall sent an estimated 400 to 500 tons of debris onto the trail, including a boulder the size of a car. Wall Street was closed for over a year while a new trail alignment was constructed. In 2010, two visitors were struck by falling rocks.
Current Conditions
When Wall Street is closed, the Two Bridges arm typically remains open for an out-and-back or as a connector to Queen's Garden. However, conditions can close the entire loop. As of early 2026, multiple mudslides on the Two Bridges section combined with the normal Wall Street winter closure have shut down the entire Navajo Loop Trail, with no reopening date announced. Access into the amphitheater during this period remains available via the Queen's Garden Trail from Sunrise Point. Before any visit, check current trail conditions at NPS.gov/brca. Closures can happen at any time of year and change with little notice.
The optimal windows for the full Navajo Loop experience, including Wall Street, are late May through June and September through mid-October. Summer is open but crowded, with afternoon thunderstorms from the monsoon season creating lightning risk on the exposed rim. Our Seasonal Guides break down what to expect month by month across the park.
Timing, parking, and the shuttle that is not like Zion's
Best Times to Hike
The Bryce Amphitheater faces east, which means sunrise light pours directly into the canyon and illuminates the hoodoos with warm orange and gold tones. Sunset, by contrast, casts the amphitheater in shadow as the sun drops behind the plateau rim. For photography and for the best overall experience, an early morning start at or just after sunrise is the move. The light is at its peak, the air is cool at altitude, and you will have the trail largely to yourself. By late morning, the switchbacks are a steady stream of hikers. A late afternoon hike, starting roughly two hours before sunset, is the strong alternative: temperatures are comfortable, canyon walls provide shade, and the low-angle light adds depth to the formations.
Parking and Shuttle
Sunset Point has 115 parking spaces, and during peak season they fill by approximately 10 AM. Vehicles longer than 23 feet are prohibited from the lot during shuttle operating hours. The park shuttle is free and entirely voluntary, an important distinction from Zion, where the shuttle is mandatory. In 2026, the Bryce shuttle runs April 3 through October 18, departing every 15 minutes from 8 AM to 6 PM, with extended hours to 8 PM from mid-May through late September. Sunset Point is Stop 11 on the route. The NPS recommends boarding at the shuttle station in Bryce Canyon City or the Visitor Center for the best chance of a seat. For specifics on navigating the park road and shuttle system, our Getting Around guides cover the full picture.
Fees and Payment
Park entrance fees are $35 per private vehicle as of January 2026, valid for seven days. The America the Beautiful pass covers entrance. A $100 per-person surcharge for non-U.S. residents 16 and older took effect January 1, 2026. The park does not accept cash; card only at the gate. Confirm current fees and shuttle schedules at NPS.gov/brca before your trip.
Make the most of it
The Navajo Loop alone is a worthy hike. Combined with Queen's Garden, a 2.9-mile route the NPS estimates at two to three hours, it becomes what experienced hikers and the park service itself call the single best hike at Bryce Canyon. The combination packs hoodoo gardens, slot canyons, natural bridges, ancient trees, and rim panoramas into a manageable distance. The trail earns its reputation because it compresses extraordinary geological variety into a hike that most reasonably fit visitors can complete, provided they respect the altitude and bring enough water.
If this trail is on your list, browse our Hiking section for the detailed Queen's Garden combo breakdown, gear recommendations for hiking at 8,000 feet, and connections to longer routes like the Peekaboo Loop. And remember the NPS line that belongs on every Bryce Canyon trailhead sign: going down is optional, but coming back up is mandatory.
