Last weekend, I had the amazing opportunity to run most of the length of Bryce Canyon National park with my friend Damon. Running Bryce Canyon was one of my all-time favorite outdoor experiences, right up there with getting to run Zion National Park back in 2021.
We left Cedar City early in two vehicles and met at the Bryce Canyon National Park Visitor Center, where I left my car. Damon drove us all the way to Rainbow Point, which is as far as you can go in the park by vehicle. After asking some tourists from France to take some photos of us, we headed down the trail.
The first mile was tricky. Even though we were doing this in early May, record snowfall in Utah (over double the normal amount) meant much of the area was still blanketed in snow and ice. We lost the trail several times and had to backtrack. Once we made it to the Under the Rim Trail, we kept encountering large drifts covering the trail. Crossing these meant stepping into the crusty snow—often up to our thighs—while thrusting our hands into the upper drift to keep from sliding down the steep embankments.
Once we got down into the canyon, the trail leveled off somewhat and the scenery became varied and beautiful. We splashed through creeks swollen with runoff and chugged up sandy gullies worn deep by generations of hikers. There were thickets of scrub oak and open areas wiped clean by fires.
We spent about 22 miles on the Under the Rim Trail, during which we saw a total of eight hikers. All were friendly, and we stopped to talk to a few of them. We stopped frequently to take short rests and especially to take photos. We also alternated between in-depth conversations and long stretches of companionable silence. Damon’s good company, super easy to get along with, and also an amazing athlete. From time to time I had to remind him that I’m twice as old as he is. He took it easy on me and usually let me set the pace.
It was only after we passed the Hat Shop and began the 1,500-foot climb up to Bryce Point that we began seeing anything approaching a “crowd.” Our water bottles/bladders were mostly empty by this point, so we refilled them at Bryce Point and followed the Peek-a-Boo Loop Trail up to Sunset Point. We passed plenty of tourists and day hikers along the way, dodging puddles and trail washouts.
As we headed out on the final section of our journey, on the Fairyland Loop Trail (about mile 27), I was starting to feel pretty run-down. Looking back, I think it was an electrolyte issue. I was carrying plenty of water, but it was just water, no salts or potassium or magnesium. I won’t make that mistake again.
The final climb was a tough one, and we alternated between power-hiking and an easy trot. The slower pace meant more time to take in the scenery, which was probably the most spectacular stuff we saw the whole day. The trail leading up to Fairyland Point is just that: a magical, natural fairyland.
When we made it up to the parking lot at Fairyland Point, we asked a nice older couple to take a photo of us. You can see that I’m actually holding myself up on the overlook fence. The lovely old people couldn’t believe Damon and I had just run over 33 miles on one of the prettiest, most mountainous trails imaginable. They shared some snacks with us and cheered us on as we headed back toward the Visitor Center and my car.
Here’s a gallery of just a few of the photos Damon and I took while running Bryce Canyon National Park:
By the numbers:
- 33.5 total miles
- 7:50:15 moving time
- 14:01 average pace
- 6,380 feet of climb
- 4,161 calories
- 34 degrees at start
Here’s the trail elevation:
For those who want to see the exact trails we followed, here’s the map from Strava (click to expand full screen):
Bryce Canyon National Park is too huge and expansive to fit in a single frame. It takes a panorama to appreciate its scope and beauty. (Even then, photos don’t really do it justice.) Still, here are some panoramas I took while running Bryce Canyon:
Note: I completed this run in my Borealis Black hiking kilt by SportKilt and Lone Peak trail shoes from Altra.