Bryce Canyon - Fairyland Loop
Tucked away from the park’s busier viewpoints, the Fairyland Loop offers jaw-dropping vistas, towering hoodoos, and a sense of solitude that’s hard to find on more popular routes. It’s a tough hike, but the reward is a scenic walk through one of the most beautiful landscapes in the American Southwest.
The Fairyland Loop is often overlooked by many visitors to Bryce Canyon, and we are no different. On our first visit to Bryce Canyon, we did the uber popular Queen’s Garden and Navajo Loop Trail and visited the many stunning viewpoints along the rim. It was an awesome day and one of our favorites on all of our trips to Utah. But it wasn’t until our second visit that we hiked both the Fairyland Loop and the Peekaboo Loop, and wow, both are amazing!!
The Fairyland Loop is an underrated gem in Bryce Canyon. Many people skip it, as it is a long hike with some challenging climbs, but that does help keep crowds low. When we did this, we saw just a few other hikers on the trail. And the views…incredible!

Fairyland Point Parking
Fairyland Point is a much smaller parking lot, so if you arrive late, you risk not getting a parking space. However, I think the ideal route would be to park here and hike the Fairyland Loop in a counterclockwise direction. You will do the Rim Trail first, then get the best views for the rest of the hike. There will still be a climb up out of the amphitheater, just not quite as steep and strenuous as the clockwise direction.
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Sunrise Point Parking
We parked at the North Campground General Store, picking this location since it is a relatively large parking lot (we started this hike at 2 pm). Plus, you can buy snacks, water, and sandwiches to bring with you or to fuel up before or after the hike.
By starting near Sunrise Point and going counterclockwise, the hike starts with steep descent, has a few ups and downs in the middle, and towards the end comes a long uphill walk. The final 2 miles is along the Rim Trail, which at times isn’t all that interesting, especially after the views you had earlier on the hike.
If you choose to go clockwise and start and end at Sunrise Point, you’ll hike the somewhat unexciting rim trail first and have awesome views of the hoodoos for the remaining 6 miles of the hike, but end with a massive, steep hike up out of the amphitheater.
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Sunset point
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Sunrise point
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