The best hike in Bryce Canyon National Park, plus stargazing from the comfort of your bed at Clear Sky Resort

I recently returned from my much-anticipated girls trip to Bryce Canyon National Park. It did not disappoint. I can’t wait to share my experience with you, so let’s jump right in.

First of all, based on the drive there, I was a little nervous that the smoke from a nearby wildfire would disrupt our planned hike or the ability to see the stars. Thankfully, it did not.

Clear Sky Resort Bryce Canyon

When we arrived at the Clear Sky Resort, we were told that the air conditioning in our four-person dome was being repaired, so we would be split into two rooms for the first night. 

While this put a bit of a damper on the sleepover atmosphere of our girls trip, the upside was that we were given the Nova, a disco dome, as one of our replacements. While I wouldn’t necessarily have chosen this themed dome, we did take full advantage of it by throwing an impromptu dance party.

That evening was our first opportunity to take advantage of the glass domes for stargazing. The resort has a 10:00 lights-out policy. (If you want to keep your lights on past that time, you can just pull all the blinds.) The anticipation leading up to 10:00 was pretty strong. When the magic hour arrived, you could definitely see stars, but I was initially a little underwhelmed.

Never fear…the best was yet to come. About a half an hour later, when the sky was fully dark, the stars were spectacular…indescribable really…which is a shame, because my camera is not fit to capture nighttime photos. Of course, to get the full effect of something like this, you really must experience it in person anyway. It was a spiritual experience (no religion necessary, just a soul). 

The next morning, we got off to a somewhat slow start, so instead of heading straight to Bryce Canyon National Park, we decided to do a shorter, “easier” hike on the Clear Sky property, called the Spire Hike.

While it was short (one mile), there were portions that were a little narrow and sandy, which felt sketchy to me. I should confess here that I have a weird fear of falling to my death on a hike, so what seems sketchy to me may not be at all sketchy to you. Anyway, my dear sisters talked me through it, and even held my hand in one part.

That afternoon, we got settled into our reserved four-person dome, the Milky Way, which had this spiral staircase…perfect for an impromptu photo shoot.

Bryce Canyon National Park

The next day was the main event…our trip to Bryce Canyon National Park. Before I get into the details of the hike, I would just like to say that this park is amazing in every way. It is not as crowded as many of the other national parks in the United States. Yet it is every bit as beautiful, and the park personnel were so friendly and accommodating. There is a $35 per vehicle entry fee for the park; however, senior citizens (62 years and older) may purchase an annual national parks pass for just $20, which admits everyone in your vehicle, so that’s what we did. Another perk of getting older! (You’re welcome sisters for sharing this perk without even having to be old!) If you want to take advantage of that deal, be sure to have your ID with you.

Once we got in the park, we were able to drive our private car directly to the trailhead and found a great parking spot after circling the lot a second time. If it happens to be busier when you visit, there is a free shuttle available from the main visitor’s center, which has ample parking.

Queen’s Garden/Navajo Combination Loop

We chose the Queen’s Garden/Navajo Combination Loop hike after I did a Google search for “best hike in Bryce Canyon,” and everyone seemed to agree that this was indeed the best hike in Bryce Canyon. While I haven’t done any of the other hikes in Bryce Canyon, I feel confident in saying that it would be hard to beat this one!

For me, it is the perfect distance: 3 miles. (The workout details below show 3.23 miles, which includes the roundtrip walk to our car from the trailhead.) While there are steep portions (both down and up), the trail is wide and well-maintained. At no point, did I feel nervous (see confession about fear of falling above). So while the trail is a physical workout, it is not a technical hike. It took the three of us two hours to complete the entire hike…that’s with frequent brief stops to admire the scenery and snap photos, and one longer (eight-minute) break to catch our breath and enjoy a snack on the uphill portion.

If you start at Sunset Point and take the loop in a counterclockwise direction, as we did…and as I would highly recommend, unless you are looking for an uphill challenge to finish your hike…the hike breaks down roughly like this:

The first mile (approximately) is a relatively steep downhill.

Then for approximately three-quarters of a mile, you will enjoy a mostly flat to slight incline portion.

Next comes the test, for roughly a mile, you are headed uphill. This is where most of the 600-foot incline takes place. You will come out at Sunrise Point, where you will be rewarded with a short (maybe .25-mile) paved rim trail that leads back to Sunset Point.

Final thoughts and recommendations

Clear Sky Resort Bryce Canyon

Staying at Clear Sky Resort is glamping. It’s not a resort in the same way that a 5-star hotel is. The domes are close together, and the roads are gravel and dusty. The WiFi and cellular service are spotty at best.

That said, you will have a comfortable bed and a nice bathroom, including a full-size shower. There is a mini-fridge and microwave in each room. There is air conditioning, but it sometimes struggles to keep up in the heat of the day. Nights and early mornings are pleasantly cool.

The resort boasts a full-service restaurant and bar. Unfortunately, neither were full-service while we were there. The bar was not operational at all…something to do with needing to reapply for their liquor license…and the restaurant was seating outdoors only, because of an air conditioning issue. On the one evening that we had dinner reservations, the wind was so strong  that the restaurant was only offering take-out. Because of the spotty WiFi and cell service, we did not get the message before arriving for our reservation, which means we got dressed up for nothing…well, except the previously-mentioned photo shoot on the stairs. The resort did give us a 30-percent discount on our food that evening to compensate for the inconvenience.

Despite the hiccups we experienced during our stay at Clear Sky Resort, I would 100-percent recommend staying here for the stargazing experience alone.

Queen’s Garden/Navajo Combination Loop at Bryce Canyon National Park

I would definitely recommend this hike to anyone of average fitness and physical ability. I found it helpful to have a hiking stick/pole to assist with the inclines and declines, but it isn’t strictly necessary. Do bring plenty of water and don’t do this hike in the heat of the day during the summer months. We headed out at 9:30 a.m., finishing at 11:30 a.m. and were just fine. There are shady spots along the trail, but also a lot of sunny stretches. Dogs, wheelchairs, and strollers are not allowed on this trail; however, we did see a number of dogs, bikes, walkers, and strollers on the paved rim section. There are beautiful views to enjoy from there as well.

Your turn

1. Have you ever been to Bryce Canyon National Park? What was your experience?
2. Have you ever been somewhere truly dark to enjoy the night sky?
3. What else is on your mind? Anything at all; I just love to hear from you.