There’s a moment on the Navajo Loop where the world seems to fold in on itself. Towering walls of red-orange limestone rise up on both sides, narrowing into twisting corridors of shadow and light. Each step feels like slipping deeper into a cathedral carved not by hands, but by centuries of wind, water, and time.
This section of the Figure 8 Loop is where Bryce Canyon feels its more intimate – less about sweeping vistas and more about the raw power of the hoodoos closing in. It’s the perfect finale to the hike: a descent into mystery before the trail opens back into the amphitheater above.
Trail Overview
- Trailhead: Sunset Point
- Distance: ~1.3 mile loop, but often combined with Queen’s Garden and Pekaboo Loop in the Figure 8 (~6.4 miles total)
- Elevation Change: ~550 ft
- Difficulty: Moderate – steep switchbacks, especially on the way out.
- Time to Hike: 1-2 hours on its own, 3-5 hours as part of Figure 8.
Pro Tip: Start early or late in the day to avoid crowds at the switchbacks. The light is magical when it filters down into the narrow walls.
The Descent
As you leave the rim behind the trail zigzags sharply into the canyon. This section is iconic – the famous Navajo Loop switchbacks that cut into the amphitheater like a staircase built by giants. Each turn gives you a new angle on the sculpted walls, glowing gold in the shifting light.
Wall Street (when open)
One side of the loop takes you through Wall Street, a slot canyon where the hoodoos close in so tightly that the path feels like natures hallway. The towering rock walls above and the shade below create a dramatic contrast to the bright rim.
Emerging Into Light
After the cool shade of the canyon, the trail climbs back upward. It’s a lung burning ascent, but the view that open up are worth every step. The amphitheater spreads out before you once more, hoodoos line like an audience in stone.
Why Hike the Navajo Loop?
The Navajo Loop is short on miles but long on impact. It’s the most dramatic way to feel the scale of Bryce Canyon – standing at the bottom of the hoodoos, craning your neck skyward, and realizing just how much time it took to create them. Whether you hike it on its own or as part of the Figure 8, its an essential Bryce Canyon experience.
Closing Thoughts
The Navajo Loop is both a finale and a transformation. After wandering through Queen’s Garden and perhaps even looping around Peekaboo, this descent feels like the canyon’s last whispered secret. By the time you climb back to the rim, legs burning and hearts full, Bryce has given you a gift: a memory etched as deeply as the hoodoos themselves.
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