Hiking the Bristlecone Loop Trail in Bryce Canyon National Park
Distance: 1.0 miles / 1.6 km
Of all the trails that branch out from Rainbow Point in Bryce Canyon National Park, the Bristlecone Loop Trail is, without a doubt, the easiest kid-friendly option that visitors can choose!
For this reason, the short Bristlecone Loop Trail is one of my top Bryce Canyon recommendations, whether you consider yourself a hiker or not.
I say this because the easy and mostly flat 1.0-mile (1.6 km) loop is a beautiful hike with stunning panoramic views along the way—especially if you plan the trail for sunset!
Bristlecone Loop Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Bristlecone Loop Trail is located at Rainbow Point, the southernmost point on Bryce Canyon Road.
That being said, Rainbow Point tends to be one of the more congested parking areas during the mid-morning and afternoon hours of the summer travel season. Therefore, it’s best to get an early start or hike late in the evening, as I prefer, in order to avoid the busyness that typically develops by midday.
Google Maps Directions: Bristlecone Loop Trailhead
Hiking Checklist - Bryce Canyon
Here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in Bryce Canyon National Park.
Hiking the Bristlecone Loop Trail
The Bristlecone Loop Trail begins at the joint Rainbow Point Trailhead, which also serves as the starting point for both the Riggs Spring Loop and the Under-the-Rim Trail.
Bristlecone Loop Trail
Then, within the first 0.1 miles (0.2 km), the Bristlecone Loop Trail splits into an outer loop that parallels both the east and west sides of the mesa.
That being said, I chose to go right in the counterclockwise direction, but I personally think hiking in either direction makes no difference in terms of difficulty or enjoying the Bristlecone Loop.
Bristlecone Loop-Yovimpa Point Junction
At the next split, go straight to continue hiking toward Bristlecone Point.
With that in mind, the trail to the right is the path that leads to the Riggs Spring Loop in the counterclockwise direction. To learn more about the full trail, including where I encountered a bear on this less-trafficked trail, I encourage you to read all the details in my separate article.
Read My Separate Post: Riggs Spring Loop Trail
As the trail nears Bristlecone Point, the panoramic views to the west begin to open up!
Bristlecone Point
The very southern end of the Bristlecone Loop Trail is Bristlecone Point, overlooking Corral Hollow Canyon and the Riggs Spring Loop down below.
On a different note, Bristlecone Point is also one of the best places along the loop to see the native Bristlecone Pine trees for which the trail is aptly named.
That being said, Bristlecone Pines are known to be one of the oldest tree species on Earth. However, the Bristlecone Loop Trail is not the only place to enjoy them in Bryce Canyon. In fact, Bristlecone Pines can be found on many different trails, including the Fairyland Loop, the Peek-a-Boo Loop, and the Bryce Canyon Rim Trail, to truly name only a few.
Past Bristlecone Point, the Bristlecone Loop Trail continues around the east side, which, in my opinion, had much better views through the trees than the west side shown above.
Bristlecone Loop Gazebo
After only 0.1 miles (0.2 km) from Bristlecone Point, the loop passes by the Bristlecone Loop Gazebo, which I highly recommend stopping in to read and learn about some of the history of Bryce Canyon, including the construction of the park’s longest trail, the 22.9-mile (36.9 km) Under-the-Rim Trail.
Bristlecone Loop-Under the Rim Junction
After the gazebo, the Bristlecone Loop meets with a junction that leads down to both the Under-the-Rim Trail and Riggs Spring Loop Trail.
This is the route that most hikers typically take when hiking either trail, but if you’re interested in learning more about the full Under-the-Rim Trail, I encourage you to read my thoughts about why I think that hiking the trail from north to south, Bryce Point to Rainbow Point, is better than beginning the hike here.
Read My Separate Posts: Under-the-Rim Trail / Riggs Spring Loop Trail
Bristlecone Loop Junction
This is where the Bristlecone Loop Trail completes the short loop around the southernmost part of Rainbow Point.
Here, go straight (right) to return on the fastest route back to Rainbow Point.
Rainbow Point
Overall, the Bristlecone Loop Trail is one of Bryce Canyon National Park’s best trails to see amazing panoramic views, learn about the history of the park, and have the opportunity to see numerous stands of Bristlecone Pines.
For these reasons, I think that the Bristlecone Loop Trail makes for a great day hike and an even better sunset hike, should you choose to stick around for sunset at Bristlecone Point!
In any case, catching sunrise or sunset from either Bristlecone Point or a number of different viewpoints along the Rim Trail is easily one of the best things to do within the park, which is why I highly recommend arriving with a quality headlamp before visiting Bryce Canyon.
