Queens Garden to Navajo Loop Combo

The Queens Garden to Navajo Loop combination is widely considered the best short hike in Bryce Canyon and one of the finest short hikes in any US national park, descending into the amphitheater on one route and climbing out on another, passing through the densest concentration of hoodoos in the park. The descent via Queens Garden passes through whimsically named formations including Queen Victoria — a hoodoo whose profile resembles the monarch — and enters corridors of orange and white spires that tower overhead on both sides of a narrow path.

The Navajo Loop portion includes the famous Wall Street section, a slot canyon barely wide enough for two people to pass where Douglas fir trees grow from the canyon bottom toward a sliver of sky 100 feet above. The contrast between open hoodoo terrain and the enclosed slot section gives the combination loop exceptional variety for its length. The canyon bottom feels sheltered and cool compared to the exposed rim, making this a reasonable midday hike even in summer. The connecting trail between Queens Garden and Navajo Loop passes near the base of Silent City — a dense cluster of hoodoos that early visitors compared to a gothic skyline. Start from Sunrise Point to walk Queens Garden down and Navajo Loop up for the most logical gradient.