Fairyland Loop Trail via Tower Bridge Trail-Bryce Canyon, Utah

After a couple of days of short hikes during our June 2024 trip, we decided to hike the Fairyland Loop Trail in Bryce Canyon, Utah. This trail was on our bucket list since our last visit to Bryce in 2020. This is a loop trail and showcases some beautiful hoodoos and rock formations. We did this hike on our own, but you can also find Bryce Canyon guided hikes through Viator by clicking here.

Location

The Trailhead.

We left the lodge shortly after breakfast and walked along the rim to just below the Sunrise Point Viewing area. We headed straight. You will see signs for the Rim Trail and Fairyland Trail via Tower Bridge. You can take either route (See advice under Which Way to Go below).

We followed the Fairyland Trail via Tower Bridge to Fairyland Point. From Fairyland Point we followed the Rim Trail back to our starting place. This route was 8.5 miles and took us just over 5 hours. The path was mostly packed dirt, not real difficult to hike on but due to the lack of shade and elevation changes I would consider this a moderate to strenuous trail, especially with the summer heat. Wear good hiking shoes or boots, a good hat, bring lots of water, electrolytes and snacks. Definitely acclimate to the environment before hiking this trail and do not attempt it if you are not an avid hiker or not in good shape.

Tower Bridge Trail

The hike on the Tower Bridge Trail, located in Campbell Canyon, was the easiest part of our trek. Named after the Tower Bridge of London due to its shape which is reminiscent of its namesake. Although it was steep going down and would probably not be a lot of fun ascending on it.

The trail begins with sparse pine trees offering some shade and then opens up to the vast canyons filled with hoodoos and rock formations below. You won’t see much shade again until you reach the bottom of the canyon.

As we hiked down we enjoyed the various hoodoos which adorn the canyon. We could see Sinking Ship Rock and the Chinese Wall in the distance as we descended into the canyon. Of course most of the hoodoos and formations are not named but are beautiful too.

Once reaching the bottom of the canyon, we continued on the Fairyland Trail, and again relished the sparse shade of the pine trees.

Just off the path right before ascending up, we found the Tower Bridge majestically rising from the canyon bottom.

If you are only hiking the Tower Bridge Trail, this is where you would turn around and follow the same way back up.

Fairyland Trail

Although beautiful, the Fairyland Trail was difficult. Since we had already hit the bottom, the rest of the trail ascends up and out of the canyon. Although I will say this is the most beautiful part of the Bryce Canyon Fairyland Loop.

We took it slow and steady, with rest periods when we found a shady spot. The trees along here offer little shade or comfort, but some of the large boulders and hoodoos gave some much appreciated shade.

Once to the top of Fairyland Trail we rested for a bit. NOTE: There are no busses at the Fairyland Trailhead at the top of the canyon. That means, you have to hike back to where you started unless you somehow brought your car here or made friends along the way who have a car here. That being said, we had neither so it was another 2.7 mile hike back to the starting point.

The Rim Trail

The Rim Trail of course follows the Rim. What is nice is there are more shady areas along this path although you will still be exposed quite a bit of the way. What is not nice, is it slowly climbs upwards and at times is even a bit steep. Normally not a big deal, but after hiking up Fairyland, it was not much fun. Of course my photos show the flat easy part of this trail, I guess I didn’t feel like taking photos during the steep parts! This trail takes you back to the beginning by Sunrise Point.

Which way to Go

Since this is a loop trail, you can start from either of a couple of different places and follow the loop either clockwise or counter clockwise. We were told by staff at the lodge and also by some fellow hikers, to follow the trail counter clockwise. So we did. Although in retrospect, I think clockwise would have been a much better option. Regardless, whichever way you go down, you will have to go back up. All in all, I think I would have preferred hiking downhill along the 2.7 mile Rim Trail as we were already tired. So my advice would be to hike from the lodge and take the Rim Trail to Fairyland Point, descend into the canyon and then follow the Tower Bridge trail back up to the Lodge area.

Conclusion

All in all, the Fairyland Loop Trail is a good solid hike and one of the best in Bryce Canyon. It is a great way to see the variety of terrains in Bryce Canyon and get a true hiking experience. That being said, although this is a beautiful trail, if you only have time for one good hike in Bryce Canyon I would highly recommend The Navajo Loop Trail combined with the Peek-a-Boo Loop Trail which makes a figure eight. We did this hike in 2020 and it is still one of our all time favorites. There are many variations of both of these trails. My next post will be covering the hike from Bryce Point to Queen’s Garden via Peek-a-Boo Trail.

Planning Our Utah Trip

While planning our trip to Bryce Canyon, I used the Falcon Guide Book, Hiking Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks and there is good information on the Fairyland Loop as well as other trails. You can buy it on Amazon through the link. I also use a map, the Bryce Canyon National Geographic Map, which you can also purchase at the lodge gift shop. It worked well for basic navigation, but it wasn’t detailed for hiking.

I also like the Falcon Guide Book for Escalante, Hiking Grand Staircase Escalante and Glen Canyon Region, available on Amazon. Additionally, I used the National Geographic Grand Staircase Escalante Map for this area. In Escalante, we lost GPS service for a while, so even though there are good signs, having the map was helpful.

We also watch lots of You Tube videos on the areas we want to go and get some great ideas. I can’t think of any particular channel we follow, we just google and watch whatever comes up.

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Our Favorite Hiking Gear

We have been hiking for quite a few years now and here are a few of our favorite hiking gear items:

Womens’s Hiking Shoes: This is the first trip I wore my new Merrill Women’s Bravada 2 Hiking Shoes and they are the best hiking shoe I have had yet. They are lightweight, fit like a sneaker and have a good grip;..

Men’s Hiking Shoes, Steve absolutely loves his Hoka Speedgoat 6 Trailrunners. Although these are not specifically hiking shoes, but trail runners, he loves that they are lightweight, have a good grip, great support and comfortable.

Men’s Compression Socks– Due to varicose veins, Steve wears Bomba’s compression socks. He says they are great for hiking and traveling. You won’t find these on Amazon but here is the Bomba’s link.

Women’s Wool Socks. I always wear wool socks when hiking, no matter what the weather. My favorite brand is Darn Tough and they just do not wear out. I have some pairs over 10 years old and they are as good as ever.

Steve’s Backpack. Steve uses the Gregory 24 L backpack and likes that it has a water reservoir, pockets, and is easy to organize.

My Backpack– I use an 11 year old CamelBak Hydration pack which I can no longer find. The Rouge CamalBak is very similar as it has a 2.5 L bladder and 2 outside pockets. I am hoping I never have to replace mine as I love it, but if so, I would buy The Rogue.

The Gen-X Travels recommendations for hotels, restaurants, activities or tour companies are based on our own experiences unless noted. We are not sponsored by any business or company and all trips are at our expense. All photos are by myself or my husband unless otherwise noted. We are affiliates of some companies such as Amazon,Viator, and others which we do receive a small commission from, at no cost to you if you buy or book through one of our links.