Stop #24: Bryce Valley Ranch RV & Horse Park, Cannonville, UT
- Denisse Storti
- Dec 27, 2023
- 4 min read
Bryce Canyon was a park we had not heard to much about before arriving to Utah. However, many other fellow RVers we met in Moab raved about it and we were about to find why during our stay at Bryce Valley Ranch RV & Horse Park. On the way over we took the Scenic Byway 12 which took us through Grand Staircase Escalante and wow, it was scenic indeed. Some stretches had us driving along a ledge with drop offs on both sides and yep, we were towing our rig behind us and made it safely.
Bryce Valley Ranch RV & Horse Park turned out to be a nice campground, however, not many of their full hookup sites accommodate big rigs like ours. This was their low season and they were about to close for the year so we were able to get in just in time. Sites are not paved but at least they are gravel which we welcomed after being in the dirt for some time. This is a beautiful campground with canyon views, a stream along the back which the kids loved, and some basic amenities such a laundry room, playground, a bathhouse, a gazebo, picnic tables and fire pits at each site, and a store. We took advantage of the clean site to organize our underbelly storage which was in disarray.
We visited The Pizza Place on our first night and while the expectations were high with it's cute decor and witty t-shirts (Slice, Slice, Baby), it turned out to be a big disappointment. Service was slow, staff seemed unmotivated, and the pizzas left much to be desired. So, don't be tempted... find some other place to eat if you are in the area.
Bryce impressed us right off the bat. On our first visit we took it easy as we weren't up for long hikes. We drove to the Visitor Center (per our Junior Rangers request) and then visited two viewpoints from which we were able to take this park's unique beauty and mesmerizing formations. We started off with Paraia Viewpoint and then followed with Bryce Point which is the one not to miss. These viewpoints are exposed and it was fairly windy and cold that day so do check the weather and dress accordingly for maximum enjoyment. The amount of hoodoos you see from these viewpoints.. specially Bryce Point is outstanding. The rock formations in various hues of orange and pink sprinkled with green throughout make this place look like a magical fairyland.
We were impressed with what we saw on day one at Bryce Canyon, but our second day at this park blew us away. We started off hiking the Mossy Cave trail which is an easy 0.8mi non-technical hike. We missed the left turn towards the cave (which really isn't a cave), soon after crossing the bridge, and made this hike a bit longer for us but we ended up seeing a frozen stream which the kids loved and nice hoodoo views. The Mossy Cave itself wasn't that awe-inspiring but nonetheless this was fun way to start our day.
Next up, we drove to Sunset Point to hike the Navajo Loop trail. This is a 1.5mi trail that while along a groomed surface is pretty strenuous, specially on the way back up due to its 515ft elevation gain. The Wall Street part of the trail was already closed for the winter (we did see some of it from a viewpoint on the trail) so instead of the loop we went out and back via the Two Bridges side which still delivered an amazing experience. If you think seeing the hoodoos from above is amazing, walking among them feels magical. Along this hike we saw Bryce's most famous hoodoo, Thor's hammer, Two Bridges, Douglas-fir trees, and our favorite part.. the switchback among the narrow, bright walls of the canyon. Ahhh-mazing.
We had our lunch at the Sunset Point picnic tables, which were pretty nasty but we had wipes in our car to solve that minor set back, and then drove to a bunch of view points. We first stopped at Rainbow Point, from which we saw vast canyon views with hoodoos and lots of greenery. We followed with the smaller Black Birch Canyon, Ponderosa Point, Agua Canyon, and ended with Natural Bridge, an arch made out of rock rich in iron oxide minerals which highlights the green Ponderosa forest behind it. This last one is a must. Most of these overlooks were in the shade by the time we got to them in the afternoon. They probably look even better in the morning or noon time with the sun shinning on them. We tackled a lot on this visit, but there’s no doubt that the Navajo Loop trail was the best thing we did that day.
On day three, we hiked the beautiful Tower Bridge trail. There’s a lot more greenery on this trail in comparison to Navajo Loop and it is also more strenuous. It's a 3.4mi out and back trail with 826ft elevation gain but still totally feasible with children. Our kids enjoyed walking next to canyon walls, playing along the river bed, and finding a frozen stream at the base of Tower Bridge which they much more excited about than the formation above them. Similar to Navajo Loop, this trail is fairly easy on the way out as you will be descending, but tough on the way back up. We powered through, with a few stops here and there. So glad we were able to fit this hike in during our visit but again, Navajo Loop is still our favorite.
Last but not least, we visited Sunrise Point to check it off our list. It was nice, but Bryce Point still takes the price of best view point... but maybe this one looks spectacular during sunrise per it's name... which we will never find out because getting up that early for a hike is not our thing. lol
So, based on what we saw on these three visits, Bryce Canyon has become our favorite National Park (for Paul and I… but it’s among the top three for the kids 😆). We saw a lot but there was still a lot more to see. One to return to but never during the hot months of the year... it's probably scorching hot.
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