Utah's Enchanting Canyon City Offers Rustic Cabins, Cowboy Cuisine, And Trails Through Hoodoo Forests

Often considered "America's most unique national park," Bryce Canyon feels like another planet, with chimney-shaped hoodoos (rock formations) shaped from millions of years of weathering on the canyon's plateaus. Over 2 million people visit the park annually for hiking, biking, camping, birdwatching, and wildlife viewing. The gateway to this spectacular park is Bryce Canyon City, a small town about a mile from the park.

Bryce Canyon City makes the perfect base for exploring the national park, but also has a host of experiences in the town, including rodeos, mountain bike rentals, classic steakhouses, and restaurants serving southwestern fare. Travelers will also find an array of lodging options to recharge at after a trip to the park, including charming cabins for a rustic experience. Bryce Canyon City is just a 20-minute drive from Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, which offers some spectacular desert canyon hikes without the crowds. It's also a great place for booking unique experiences like aerial tours of the park, ATV rides, and guided hikes. For a change of pace, the Kodachrome Basin State Park, a wildly under-the-radar state park, is right down the road from Bryce Canyon City (about a 30-minute drive), and also offers fantastic hikes and camping.

Much of the action in Bryce Canyon City revolves around Ruby's Inn, a one-stop shop for lodging, attractions, and dining. The inn dates back to 1919, and to this day still houses the local post office, as it has for decades. During the summer, visitors can watch cowboys compete at the Bryce Canyon Country Rodeo. Ruby's Inn is home to three restaurants, an RV Park and campground, a lodge, cozy log cabins, a gift shop, and a general store. For dining, the Cowboy Buffet and Steak Room at Ruby's has starters like "Cow Chips" (potatoes with cheese, bacon, and bronco sauce), plus brisket sandwiches and street tacos. Outside of Ruby Inn, the Bryce Canyon Pines Restaurant serves up comfort food and local brews. In the evenings, Ebenezer's Barn and Grill has live entertainment and also serves up a varied menu of southwestern cuisine, including cowboy chicken and beans, flat iron steak, and barbecue plates.

Thrill seekers can hop on a guided ATV tour to the rim of the Bryce Canyon for epic views, or Bryce Canyon Helicopters offers once-in-a-lifetime aerial tours. There are so many incredible hikes in the area, including the Navajo Loop Trail at Bryce Canyon (1.3 miles), which is offered as a guided hike by Get Lost Tours. Other top hikes among the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon include easy treks like Mossy Cave Hike (less than one mile) to more challenging routes like the Peekaboo Loop (5.5 miles), or one of Bryce Canyon's most beautiful free hiking trails, the Fairyland Loop (8 miles),.

The night sky at Bryce Canyon National Park is spectacular and is certified under the International Dark Sky program. The park hosts full moon hikes and other astronomical events. Before or after your visit, be sure to stop in the Bryce Canyon Wildlife Conservation Museum, a collection of wildlife dioramas, with several live animals like fallow deer on the premises that visitors can hand-feed. If you're interested in stargazing but aren't an expert (yet), check out the Dark Ranger Telescope Tours. These educational experiences feature massive telescopes, astrophotography lessons, and unparalleled views of the Milky Way.
If you prefer to fly into the area and rent a car, Cedar City Regional Airport has a handful of connecting flights and is about a 1.5-hour drive to Bryce Canyon City. Or, St. George Regional Airport is 2.5 hours away by car but has more flight options. When driving in, Bryce Canyon City is located off of Route 63, and is around a four-hour drive from Las Vegas or Salt Lake City. 

When it comes to accommodations, Bryce Canyon City has everything from basic campgrounds to luxury resorts. Ruby's Inn has small, rustic log cabins that can sleep up to four people, but they do not include much in the way of amenities, so you'll need to bring your own bedding. Tipi rentals are also available that can fit up to eight people. Bryce Canyon Pines has a campground for RV or tent camping, with easy access to the Red Canyon Bike Trail. The Pines also has private, modern cottages, or the lodge is great for families with cozy fireplaces and suite rooms. The wildlife museum also has a studio-style bed and breakfast, complete with high-speed internet and e-bike rentals.