Queen’s Garden & Two Bridges Loop Hike Guide
Queen’s Garden & Two Bridges Loop is one of the most popular hikes in Bryce Canyon National Park and for a good reason. This hike is 3 miles long and only has one big climb at the end of the hike. If you only had one hike to do in Bryce Canyon, I would recommend this one. This loop hike is best started at Sunset Point but can be started at Sunrise Point as well. Hikers will go by popular attractions like Queen’s Garden, named for Queen Victoria, Two Bridges, Thor’s Hammer and if the time of year allows, Wall Street. This is a fantastic hike but very popular so plan your hiking time and trip to Bryce Canyon National Park accordingly.
Queen’s Garden & Two Bridges Loop Quick Facts
Virtual Trail Guide: Queen’s Garden & Two Bridges Loop
Queen’s Garden & Two Bridges Loop Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 Stars)
Distance: 3 Miles RT
Elevation Start: 7,879ft
Lowest Elevation: 7,430ft
Total Elevation Gain: 650ft
Estimated Time to Complete: 1-2 Hours
Difficulty: Easy What does this mean?
Class: Class 1 – What does this mean?
Season: Year Round – Best in Winter, Spring and Fall
Directions to Queen’s Garden & Two Bridges
Trailhead: Sunset or Sunrise Point – I recommend Sunset
Getting Here: Regardless of where you are coming from, there is only one entry point into Bryce Canyon National Park. Head to Bryce, UT and then take UT63 south until you hit the entrance station.
Parking: For this hike, you will most likely want to park at Sunset Point which gives you the best version of this loop, in my opinion. Sunset Point has a ton of parking but can fill up fairly quickly. Luckily, the turnover here is pretty quick so just be patient if the lot is full. There are bathrooms at the TH.
Fee: View this page for the most up to date information on Zion National Park fees.
Summary
Dogs: Bryce Canyon National Park is not dog friendly for the most part. However, dogs are allowed on the rim trail between Sunset and Sunrise points. If you are looking to walk your dog in the area, head to nearby Red Canyon.
Camping: Camping in Bryce Canyon National Park comes in two forms: campgrounds and backcountry camping. Read more about both of them here.
Make it a Loop: The Queen’s Garden & Two Bridges Loop is obviously one. If you want a longer hike, check out this page for more information on hikes in Bryce Canyon National Park.
Trail X Factors: Time of Year You Visit & Services Around Park
Bryce Canyon National Park is beautiful during all times of the year but during my trip in the winter, I thought this was the only time to visit the park and hike Queen’s Garden & Two Bridges loop. The snow presented almost no additional challenges for hiking but added to the beauty of the park. In the winter, some trails may close due to ice and it’s recommended to bring yaktrax or microspikes to help with traction. The most notable trail that will close is the upper section of the Navajo/Two Bridges Trail – Wall Street. This one usually closes mid-October through March/April or so. Summer is beautiful, but will bring stifling heat and larger crowds.
I usually do not mention this, but if you plan on visiting Bryce Canyon National Park bringing your own food or having extremely low food standards might be a good idea. There really is NOT a lot going on near the park in terms of food. I would be happy to recommend the pizza spot I checked out, feel free to leave a comment here.
Hike Tip(s): As I have mentioned a few times, I would recommend starting this hike at Sunset Point and ending at Sunrise Point. This will have you start seeing Thor’s Hammer from above and also give you a unique view of one of the famous winding trails inside the park (see below for pictures). In addition, when you head over to Queen’s Garden, take your time to identify the Queen Victoria hoodoo. It took me TWO VISITS to the park to even notice it and once I did, I couldn’t un-see it.
Best Views: This hike is beautiful from start to finish. Soak it all up!
Queen’s Garden & Two Bridges Hike Route
Gear Needed
- Men’s Trail Runners
- Women’s Trail Runners
- La Sportiva Trango Hiking Boots (Men’s)
- La Sportiva Trango Hiking Boots (Women’s)
- Backpack
- Food & Water
- Map of Area
- Optional: Garmin inReach
- Optional: Hiking Poles
- Optional: Microspikes – only during winter months
- Optional: Garmin Fenix Watch
- Optional: Camera and Lens
- Optional: GoPro, Joby Tripod
- *Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you.
Our Trip to Queen’s Garden & Two Bridges Loop: November 2021
With no Thanksgiving plans and a low snow year, Jackie, Juno and I decided to head to Bryce Canyon National Park and southern Utah in general. The previous year, I had made a trip to Bryce but Jackie had never been and I thought this was a perfect time to visit. During my past visit, I had hiked a larger version of the Queen’s Garden & Two Bridges Loop making the three mile hike into 8. However, with Juno in the hotel and more hikes planned for the day, we decided to keep it short.
Jackie was blown away by the park’s beauty and views including the unique hoodoos. We hiked the loop in just about 2 hours taking our time to soak in the unique perspective of the park, attractions and cool features of the trail. This loop goes in between sandstone, through natural bridges and of course down the famous winding path on the Navajo/Two Bridges Trail. We started hiking around 8AM and by the time we were done at 10AM the parking lot was packed which was a big change from the seclusion we had hiking.
If you only had time for one hike in Bryce Canyon National Park, I would highly recommend the Queen’s Garden & Two Bridges loop.
