Bryce Canyon in July-What NOT to Miss

Planning a visit to Bryce Canyon in the summer? If so, here’s what NOT to miss on your trip to Bryce Canyon National Park during the summer months.

* All content was written by the author, not by AI

One of the best times to visit Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, USA is during the summer. In fact, July is one of my favorite times to visit Bryce Canyon because of all the activities and access to restaurants and hotels. And we use the Shaka Guide to make our Bryce Canyon Trip easier. Consider these Bryce Canyon bucket list items as your first guide to knowing what to do in July.

Why Should I Visit Bryce Canyon in July?

I love Bryce Canyon National Park in July. Firstly, there’s so much you can do including hiking, stargazing, watching a rodeo, swimming in one of the pools at Ruby’s Inn, horseback riding, hiking, biking, and eating ice cream to your heart’s content. However, many of these activities are much harder to come by in the other seasons of the year.

Second, there are more stores and restaurants open in the summer too. Other seasons can lack variety in such an isolated place. The rodeo closes down, stargazing is a lot colder, and the cute Old Bryce Town across from Ruby’s Inn is mostly closed in later months as well (which means no ice cream either).

Also, since Bryce Canyon is at a higher elevation than the other BIG FIVE National Parks in Utah, the temperatures are much cooler. Plus, there’s always a brisk breeze coming from the canyon. The extra hours of sunlight the summer months provide extra time to play too.

Best Way to See Bryce Canyon’s Scenic Drive

Get the SHAKA GUIDE! One of the best things to do in Bryce Canyon is to drive the Scenic Drive. It’s a wonderful way to spend a hot afternoon at Bryce in the summer. There are 18 miles of driving and 9 viewpoints and stops on the way. We have been to Bryce Canyon several times as a family, and one of my best tips for getting the most out of the drive is to use the self-guided audio driving tour called Shaka Guide.

I first stumbled on Shaka Guide when we took our very first trip Maui. We used the Shaka Guide App for driving the-notoriously-hard-to-navigate Road to Hana. WE LOVED EVERYTHING about this self driving audio tour app and got so much out of trip this this guide. We’ve been hooked ever since!

Shaka Guide tells you everything you need to know about the place you are visiting from the convenience of your car.

They tell you fun stories and history all while giving you insights in to beauty you are seeing in Bryce Canyon. I love that they tell you all the the important things, including where to eat, where to park, best time of day to visit, and where the next bathroom is located.

What Viewpoints NOT to Miss on the Bryce Canyon Scenic Drive

• Rainbow Point/Yovimpa Point (both points are within walking distance)
• Ponderosa Point
• Natural Bridge Viewpoint (gorgeous views of a natural red rock bridge)
• Agua Canyon Overlook (see 2 famous hoodoos here)
• Farview Point and Piracy Point
• Bryce Point
• Inspiration Point (access to rim trail which leads to Sunset and Sunrise Points)

Don’t Miss These Family Hikes in Bryce Canyon in July

There are so many hikes to explore while in Bryce Canyon. Take caution though–what goes down, must come up. It may be easy to hike down, but remember you gotta go back up. Also, start early in the morning or go in the early evening during the summer around 4 or 5 pm. The afternoons can be very hot in the July sun. Take plenty of water.

Also, be careful with little kids on these hikes. Most of them have canyon drop offs somewhere along the way. Kids must be watched at all times! And for those who are afraid of heights…you may want to skip some of these.

Here are some of our favorite hikes in the summer:

• Mossy Cave Trail — short and sweet with a cool cave and waterfall to help you cool down.
• Rim Trail — can be as short or as long as you want as it takes you around much of the canyon with great views. It’s flat most of the way but watch kids on this one!
• Bristlecone Loop — mostly flat and lots of pine trees for shade.
• Peek-a-Boo Loop — this is a little more advanced and it is longer, but it’s one of my favorites. Lots of scenery like the 3 Wisemen hoodoos and Wall of Windows.
• Navajo Loop and Queens Garden Loop — one of the most popular hikes at Bryce Canyon and one of my favorites. This one has so much to see but you will be with crowds on this hike.

Other Summer Attractions at Bryce Canyon to Visit

As I mentioned above, there are some unique things about Bryce Canyon in the summer. Here’s a few of our very favorite things to NOT miss:

• Breakfast at Ruby’s Inn — this famous breakfast buffet will keep you going all day. Worth a stop at least once.
• Swimming — Ruby’s Inn has a large indoor pool at their hotels and an outdoor pool at their campground. Perfect way to spend a hot July afternoon
• Old Bryce Town — This cute kid-friendly set of shops looks just like an old western town. This is where you’ll find your ice cream, souvenirs, and even a rock shop.
• Horseback Riding — a great way to experience Bryce Canyon
• The Rodeo — The Bryce Canyon Country Rodeo is a fun summer activity in the evenings. Gives you all the western cowboy feels.
• Stargazing — It’s easy to enjoy the stars at Bryce Canyon because it is a dark sky area. It’s a beautiful way to see the Milky Way. Check out the ranger programs at the Bryce Canyon National Park Visitor’s Center

Reasons to Get the Shaka Guide for Bryce Canyon

1. The Shaka Guide connects to your car sound system.  You can hook it up to your sound system and the app will easily play along while you drive.  It’s like having the tour guide right in the car with you.  It connects with Bluetooth, USB cable, or auxillary cord. 

2. The Shaka Guide uses GPS technology.  You never have to push stop or figure out where you are.  The app follows you using GPS technology and when you get to a certain point it automatically will play the info that you need for that area.

3. The Shaka Guide gives info and stories.  The app guide is very interesting.  Your guide tells stories, history and legends, fun facts, and information that only locals would know about the area.  She tells you exactly where to park, what to expect, and more!  She told us where the bathrooms were! We found all of this so helpful, especially along the Bryce Canyon Scenic Drive. 

4. The Shaka Guide helps you know where to stop and where not to stop.  There are so many points of interest along the Southern Scenic Drive in Bryce and it’s hard to know which ones to spend time on.  Many of the areas have small parking lots (if any parking at all) and few signs to help you know where you are.  The tour guide tells you how long certain interest points will take, what to expect, hikes to try, and places that may not be worth your time.  This way you can make an informed decision on whether or not to stop at every waterfall along the way. 

5. The Shaka Guide app helps you drive the long road back.  When you have finished seeing what you want to see on the Bryce Scenic Drive, the Shaka Guide app is worth continuing on your drive back because he’ll help find points of interest that you may have missed, as well as tell you stories as you drive back. 

How the Shaka Guide App works:

1. Download the Shaka Guide App a few days before your trip.  The app is available for free with in-app purchases at the App Store or Google Play.  They offer many different tours for different places on the Hawaii islands.
2. Purchase and download the specific tour you want before you go.  Create an account to do this.  We purchased Bryce Canyon Tour and loved it.  Make sure the tour is completely downloaded before you head out.
3. Hook it up to your car stereo and listen as you go!

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