Wall Street in Bryce Canyon

Peekaboo &
Queens Garden

Bryce Canyon National Park
Hiking

          Bryce Canyon National Park contains a bundle of fantastic scenery in a condensed area. Viewing the peculiar shapes from the canyon rim is great, but to really enjoy this fantasy land you must hike down below the rim and let your imagination run wild.

          Nothing is better than to saunter among the bizarre shapes know as "hoodoos", which have been eroded from a thick layer of soft sedimentary rock deposited over 60 million years ago.

General Information:
Click Here for Google Earth KMZ file.Click Here for Map          This is probably the best hike in Bryce Canyon National Park. How can that be you ask? Simple, the route I am about to describe is really a combination of three very popular hikes in Bryce Canyon. Since the most difficult part of all three hikes is the climb out of the canyon at the finish we will do the best part of each hike and it only requires climbing out of the canyon one time. Now, how sweet is that?

          The route below describes how to hook the best parts of "Navajo", "Peekaboo" and "Queens Garden" trails together into a 6 1/2 mile figure eight which will require about 3 hours for the average hiker to complete. The trail is very well maintained and signed. I consider September and October to be the ideal time to hike this loop. The trail is snow covered in winter.

          Navigation for this route is very simple. Map reading skills are not really required for this adventure because all trails are very well marked and signed.  The USGS 7.5' Maps titled "Bryce Canyon" and "Bryce Point" show the route described.

Hoodoo Shauna Hiking Peek-A-Boo Trail

Trailhead Information:
          From the Bryce Canyon Visitors Center follow State Road 63 south for 1.5 miles to the signed Sunset Point Trailhead.

Ladies Choice? Wall of Windows

Route Information:
          From the Sunset Point Trailhead follow the trail east over the rim into Bryce Canyon. Take the signed "Navajo Loop" trail to the right as it descends fairly steeply into a fantasyland of pinnacles and spires. If you are immediately presented with two dozen switchbacks descending down into "Wall Street" you are on the correct route. Wall Street is a short slot canyon named after New York’s skyscrapers that tower over Wall Street in Manhattan. 

          The Navajo Trail through Wall Street is only 0.7 miles long and ends at a four-way junction. The trail to the left is the remainder of the Navajo Loop and leads back to the canyon rim. The trail straight ahead leads to Queens Garden, we will do this trail later.  The trail to the right is where we want to go. The trail leads to the Peekaboo Loop. After 0.3 miles you will encounter a junction where you will need to make a right turn. Walk 30 yards to the beginning of the Peekaboo Loop.  The Peekaboo Loop can be hiked in either direction, many consider the Wall of Windows to be more sensational when hiked in a clockwise direction so that is how I will describe the trail.  The Peekaboo Loop is also open to guided horse tours. Inquire at the Bryce Canyon Lodge if you would prefer to ride a horse.

          Take the left trail to begin the 3.0 mile Peekaboo Loop in a clockwise rotation. As you begin the loop you will see the Fairy Castle above you on the left and Bryce Point straight ahead to the south. 1.3 miles around Peekaboo Loop you will meet a trail coming down from Bryce Point, take the trail to the right to stay on Peekaboo loop. From here it is 1.7 miles back to the start of the loop. 300 yards past the Bryce Point junction you will pass a small corral and vault toilet. Shortly after the restroom the trail begins to swing back in the direction you came from and the Wall of Windows is visible on your left. From the Wall of Windows the trail winds among the hoodoos and will shortly pass by the Cathedral on the left and return to the trail junction at the beginning of the loop.

          From the beginning of the Peekaboo Loop you must backtrack 0.3 miles to the four-way junction at the bottom of the Navajo Trail.

          From the bottom of the four-way junction follow the signed Queens Garden trail north for 1.6 miles to a junction. The trail to the right leads up to Sunrise Point. The trail to the left leads 75 yards to "End of Trail" and the center of Queens Garden. You will have a great view of the hoodoo known as Queen Victoria. From Queens Garden follow the short trail back to the junction and take the signed trail 0.9 miles as it climbs to Sunrise Point. From Sunrise Point you must hike 0.5 miles south along the Rim Trail to reach the Sunset Point Trailhead.

The Cathedral Wall of Windows

Video:
          Enjoy a short video of hiking Peekaboo and Queen's Garden. Video courtesy of Dan Burt.


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