2 Day Bryce Canyon Itinerary for Families
Bryce is Utah’s smallest National Park but in our opinion, the best for big family adventure. Check out our money-saving 2 day Bryce Canyon itinerary for the best place to stay, things to do and food to eat.
TRAVEL DAY
- Fill up on gas at Costco
- Grab 2 days worth of hiking snacks and perishable items in a cooler (there are no close or inexpensive grocery stores in Bryce).
WHERE TO STAY at Bryce Canyon
- Check in at Ruby’s Inn-Best Western -around $100 per night for a hotel room or you can camp at their RV park for $35 per night
WHERE TO EAT at Bryce Canyon
- Dinner: IDK BBQ delicious, affordable and family sized portions
Bryce Canyon Stargazing
Stargazing: Bryce is an internationally certified Dark Sky Park so the Milky Way is quite spectacular in the summer, so head to Sunset Point.
We have been to Bryce Canyon a few times over the years but in July 2020, we made a spur of the moment decision to head to Bryce to see the Neowise comet which only shows itself every 7,000 years.
It made us think of a story I heard about a dad who asked his son what his favorite summer memory after a series of vacations. the boy looked at his dad and said: The thing I liked best this summer was the night you and I laid on the lawn and looked at the stars and talked. Kids are simple. when we insert memories of nature with them, we more easily connect with them.
When we arrived at Bryce, we immediately felt transported to the Wild, Wild West. The kids were in awe of the beauty of the saloon style architecture against the colored sandstone rock formation. Ruby’s Inn has been around for over a hundred years and has a distinct Old West vibe to it, even after getting acquired by Best Western. Plus it sits right across from Old Bryce Town which has some cool gift shops and is make believe heaven for kids! They’re super excited to come back when they’re a little older to ride horses through the park like real cowboys.
DAY One of 2 Day Bryce Canyon Itinerary
- Breakfast: FREE at Ruby’s Inn Lodge (plan for gratuity).
- Pack snacks, water, sunscreen and lunch for hiking
- Pay to enter park $35 for 7 day pass and ask for a junior ranger pamphlet to help kids stay entertained—or pay $80 for the National Parks pass if you plan on doing Utah’s Mighty Five.
- Start the morning with hoodoo views and family pics at Sunrise Point.
- Hike and Sack Lunch at Navajo Loop Trail (this loop is a steep 1.7 miles and with younger kids will take about a half day).
- Swimming at hotel
- Dinner at Rustler’s Restaurant
- Sunset detour to see vibrant sand stone colors Kodachrome Basin State Park
We loved feeling like cowboys and cowgirls going down into the canyon. The kids enjoyed the different formations, tunnels, arches, sand slides and free-standing trees and tree bridges. At the bottom of the amphitheater there are places to rest, sit on logs and eat snacks. The littles were obsessed with all the sand so they took off their shoes for the last half of the hike and pretended to be hobbits from Lord of the Rings. The way up felt like a haul so we made a game to see which kid could obtain Thor’s hammer the fastest by racing up the switchbacks.
These affordable items were lifesavers for us:
- $27 Baby Carrier
- $15 Kid Binoculars
- $40 Velcro Kid’s Nike shoes
- $9 100 SPF Sunscreen
- $15 Camo Pony-tail hat (to tuck hair in when you get sweaty).
Taking a 20 minute detour to Kodachrome Basin at sunset was well worth it. In 1948 National Geographic explored the area and found vivd colors in the formations and named it after Kodak’s Kodachrome film known for its vibrant color. We were the only people in the park and saw more jackrabbits than humans. It was a nice and quiet place to be after spending the day on the more busy trails at Bryce.
DAY 2 of 2 day Bryce Canyon Itinerary
- Breakfast: FREE at Ruby’s Inn Lodge (plan for gratuity).
- Hike and sack lunch Queen’s garden (1.8 mile roundtrip)
- Head back to Old Town Bryce for ice cream, rock shopping, souvenirs and to enjoy the horses.
- Swimming at hotel
- Dinner at Bryce Canyon Pines
- Walk Mossy Cave Trail
- Star-Gazing at Inspiration Point
Old Town Bryce was exceptionally magical for our kids. They thrived by playing make believe in the jail, getting ice cream, riding on the fake horses, seeing the real ones, picking out gems at the rock shop in our $5 cowboy hats! We even made jokes about what my son called “gubblebum” ice cream. After a hot hiking day, ice cream and laughter was just what the doctor ordered!
Mossy Cave Trail was also a highlight. It’s a short, mostly flat hike alongside a river to the cave. But this trail is actually a double whammy because there’s an awesome waterfall! The unexpected contrast of the waterfall against the orange hoodoos makes for a cool photo opp. You can wade in the river and get right up next to it and even walk behind it, reminiscent of the iconic scene in Last of the Mohicans. I wanted to jump through it yelling “Just stay alive! I will find you!” Missed opportunity – maybe next time.
Swimming was also a treat because the pool was tucked away in the middle of hundreds of giant trees. It’s not luxurious by any means but it’s as fancy as Bryce Canyon hotel pools get and feels nice and refreshing after a long day of hiking.
Bonus Ideas: Our 2 day Bryce Canyon itinerary is enough to see the highlights and soak in the beauty of this natural wonder, but you’ll definitely leave wanting more! So if you have a little extra time, then here’s a few more ideas that you can find on our Utah Bucket List:
- Ride ATVs through the forest surrounding Bryce Canyon (JJ did this with his family before we were married but we want to do it with our kids someday)
- Rent bikes (regular or electric) from Ruby’s Inn and ride down the paved path to Red Canyon and back
- Go on a guided horseback ride through the park
- Mountain biking on the Thunder Mountain trail in Red Canyon (fun fact: the landscape of the Bryce Canyon area actually inspired Disney Imagineers to create the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ride at Disneyland!)
- Drive the Scenic Byway 12 from Bryce to Capitol Reef – this is supposed to be one of the most scenic drives in the country and takes you through the heart of Grand Staircase Escalante, which has tons of scenic overlooks, hikes, slot canyons, or backpacking adventures.
Our Utah Bucket List is full of cool ideas like this. We want to help people realize you can have some pretty epic adventures without traveling far or spending a fortune. If you have less time or are just passing through, then check out this post on what to do if you have just one day in Bryce Canyon National Park.
We also have tips on more Utah road trips under $500 & more kid-friendly things to do in Utah’s National Parks – the Mighty Five!
If you found this post helpful as you plan your Bryce Canyon family trip, please consider sharing!
XO
Brittany
Our family is on a mission to experience the best our home state of Utah has to offer and help other families find affordable, kid-friendly adventures in the process. You can follow us on Instagram @theminivanbucketlist or download our free printable The Ultimate Family-Friendly Utah Bucket List with the top 100 things to do in Utah, both kid-friendly and more adventurous.