Navajo Loop Trail: The Complete Guide

The Navajo Loop Trail is a 1.3-mile loop that starts and ends at Sunset Point and climbs 515 feet in 1 to 2 hours. The National Park Service rates it moderate. In winter, only the Two Bridges side is open.

Navajo Loop Trail at a Glance

The Navajo Loop is a short, moderate loop that drops from Sunset Point into the amphitheater and climbs back out on switchbacks. Use these figures to fit the hike into your day.

A moderate rating means less than 1,000 feet of gain over a moderate length. The switchbacks run at a typical grade of 14%, with pitches up to 30%, and the path narrows to 25 inches at its tightest point. Along the way you pass narrow walls of colorful limestone, towering Douglas-fir trees and Thor's Hammer, the park's most famous hoodoo.

The trail is not considered accessible because of the park's natural terrain. Pets are not allowed, though service animals are.

Wall Street and Two Bridges

The Navajo Loop has two sides, Wall Street and Two Bridges, and the season decides whether you can use both. The Wall Street side is closed in winter, while the Two Bridges side is open year-round.

Only in summer does the trail run as a full loop, where you go down one side and come up the other, so plan a summer trip if you want to walk both sides. In winter, you hike Two Bridges as an out-and-back, descending and climbing the same switchbacks. On the longer summer routes, either side can carry you back up to Sunset Point.

Which Direction to Hike the Navajo Loop Trail

Hike the Navajo Loop counter-clockwise in summer, which is the recommended direction while it runs as a loop.

Whichever way you walk, the trail descends first and ends with the climb back to Sunset Point. Pace the way down so you have energy left for the switchbacks at the end.

Add Queen's Garden and the recommended direction becomes clockwise. You descend Queen's Garden from Sunrise Point and climb the Navajo Loop to Sunset Point. The two longer Peekaboo routes follow the same pattern: the Peekaboo Loop is hiked clockwise, and the Navajo Loop is your way back up to Sunset Point.

Winter on the Navajo Loop Trail

In winter, the Navajo Loop Trail is limited to the Two Bridges side, which you can hike as an out-and-back or link to other trails. Before a winter visit, check the Navajo Loop Trail page to see which side is open.

The longer combinations adjust the same way, and each one routes through Two Bridges while Wall Street is closed. The Figure-8 Combination may be inaccessible in mid-winter, when snow depths range from 2 to 15 feet.

The accessible restrooms at Sunset Point are open year-round. The park shuttle runs April through mid-October, and parking is at the Sunset Point trailhead. For conditions month by month, see Bryce Canyon weather by month.

For roads, programs and other snowy hikes, see Bryce Canyon in winter.

Combining the Loop with Queen's Garden

The Navajo Loop and Queen's Garden combine into a 2.9-mile loop that adds the open views and unique hoodoos of Queen's Garden to the Navajo switchbacks. The National Park Service calls it the park's most popular hike and the one it most recommends to first-time visitors.

Start at Sunrise Point and descend Queen's Garden. Connect to either side of the Navajo Loop (Two Bridges in winter) and climb to Sunset Point. Then walk the Rim Trail back to Sunrise Point, looking down into the Bryce Canyon Amphitheater as you go.

The combination adds 1.6 miles, 110 feet of gain and about an hour to the Navajo Loop alone. Queen's Garden is also the gentler way down, with a typical grade of 11% and a maximum of 25%.

Pick the Navajo Loop alone when your time is short. Pick the Queen's Garden combination if you can spare an extra hour and want a longer route that keeps the moderate rating. Save the Peekaboo routes for a day when you are ready for strenuous climbing. Horses and mules use the Peekaboo Loop, and riders have the right-of-way.

Parking is available at both Sunrise and Sunset Points. The General Store near Sunrise Point has restrooms and water in season. For other routes in the amphitheater, see the best hikes in Bryce Canyon.

Safety, Water and Footwear

Start the Navajo Loop with full water bottles and shoes that grip. Fill up at Sunset Point, where the restroom has a year-round water-fill station and a second station runs seasonally.

The trail surface is firm native sediment, with a typical cross slope of 7% and a maximum of 24%. On those stretches the path tilts sideways as well as climbing. Wear shoes with solid tread and take the switchbacks at a steady pace.

The park shuttle is optional but recommended while it runs from April through mid-October. Oversized vehicles are not permitted in the Sunset Point lot while the shuttle operates. For more on the trailhead viewpoint, see the Sunset Point guide.

After Dark on the Rim

Finish the Navajo Loop Trail in daylight and save the night sky for the rim or your lodging. Start early enough that the climb to Sunset Point ends before sunset, and carry a headlamp in case the hike runs long.

If you want the sky to be the second half of your day, stay close to the park. Dark Light Collection is building glass pyramids on private land about 15 minutes from Bryce Canyon National Park, opening in 2027. Each pyramid is designed with a king bed positioned for sky-gazing, a personal deck telescope and nightly astrophotography taken from its own coordinates. Founding deposits are open on the Bryce Canyon stay page.