Hat Shop

Best Time to Visit the Hat Shop

No specific best season is noted for this trail, so plan around general Bryce Canyon conditions rather than a stated peak window. One thing worth weighing at any time of year: the park sits at 8,000-9,000+ feet parkwide, and elevation at that height can make exertion feel harder than the mileage alone suggests. Build in enough daylight and an unhurried pace, whatever season you choose to go.

Trail Tips for the Hat Shop Hike

• A backcountry permit is only needed if you're continuing past the Hat Shop for an overnight stay on the Under-the-Rim Trail; the round-trip day hike itself doesn't require one.
• No pets are allowed on any trail in Bryce Canyon National Park.

Getting to the Hat Shop Trailhead

The Hat Shop is reached from the Bryce Point trailhead inside Bryce Canyon National Park, via the Under-the-Rim Trail. Because this is a trail within the park, an entry pass is required. Oversized vehicles aren't allowed at Bryce Point when the park shuttle is running, so plan accordingly if you're driving something larger than a standard car. There's no loop here - the route heads out along the same 2 miles of trail to the hoodoos and back, so budget time to retrace your steps to Bryce Point.

What to Expect on the Hat Shop Trail

The Hat Shop is a cluster of hoodoos capped with wide grey boulders balanced on thin orange spires, like hats set on pins - visually distinct from the more famous formations in Bryce Canyon's main amphitheater to the north. Reaching it means dropping nearly 1,500 feet over the first 2 miles of the Under-the-Rim Trail from Bryce Point, an out-and-back route that returns the way it came. The descent to the hoodoos is the easy part; the hike is rated strenuous mainly because of the climb back out. The full round trip covers 4 miles with about 1,436 feet of elevation change and typically takes 3-4 hours. Along the way, hikers get long views south over the Grand Staircase, with far less foot traffic than the amphitheater trails see.