Peekaboo Loop Trail

Peekaboo Loop Trail starts at Bryce Point and drops into the heart of the Bryce Amphitheater on a route that covers 5.5 miles with 1,560 feet of cumulative elevation gain. The trail is rated strenuous by the park service. Most hikers finish in three to four hours.

Getting to the Loop

The first 1.1 miles descend steadily from Bryce Point through a series of switchbacks. A short distance from the trailhead, the path splits from the Under-the-Rim Trail at a signed junction. Stay left for Peekaboo. The descent passes through a natural tunnel carved into the rock before reaching the loop junction on the canyon floor.

Trail Highlights Going Clockwise

NPS recommends hiking the loop clockwise. Going clockwise, the first major landmark is the Wall of Windows, a pair of large arches eroded into the cliff face on the western side of the loop. Past the Wall of Windows, the trail climbs a set of steep switchbacks that cross from Peekaboo Canyon into the main Bryce Canyon amphitheater. The switchbacks are carved into narrow corridors between hoodoo walls and offer some of the best photography angles on any trail in the park.

The northern end of the loop connects to Navajo Loop Trail and Queen's Garden Trail. Hikers can extend the route into a Figure 8 by adding either trail at this junction:

• The Navajo/Peekaboo combination covers 4.9 miles.

• The full Figure 8 with Queen's Garden runs about 6.4 miles.

Eastern Loop Features

The eastern half of the loop passes through ponderosa pine groves and Bristlecone Pine habitat before reaching the Peekaboo Arch, one of the most photogenic features on the trail. The arch frames a view of the surrounding hoodoos and is easy to miss if you are hiking counter-clockwise. Stay on the trail through marked sensitive plant areas to protect the Bristlecone Pines.

This is one of the few trails in Bryce Canyon shared with horses and mules. Canyon Trail Rides operates guided rides through the loop during summer months. Hikers should yield to riders and expect manure on sections of the trail, particularly on the western side near the horse corral.

Planning Your Hike

Bryce Point sits at roughly 8,300 feet. The altitude compounds the difficulty of the repeated climbs on the loop. Bring at least two liters of water on warm days. There is no water fill station at Bryce Point, so fill up at Sunset Point or the visitor center before driving over. Pit toilets on the western side of the loop are open in summer only.

Parking at Bryce Point is limited to about 30 spaces and fills before 9 AM on busy summer days. The free park shuttle stops at Bryce Point from April through October and is the easiest way to avoid the parking crunch. In winter, the trail can be buried under two to fifteen feet of snow. Micro-spikes and trekking poles are necessary for any cold-season attempt, and the Bryce Point access road may close temporarily after storms.