A Dog-Friendly Trip to Bryce Canyon National Park
A dog-friendly trip to Bryce Canyon National Park, featuring the scenic drive and the Rim Trail.
On our April 2025 road trip from Colorado to California, we visited Bryce Canyon National Park.
Lodging options were limited in Bryce Canyon, so we stayed at nearby Brian Head (this also allowed Adam to do some skiing).
Is Bryce Canyon National Park Dog-Friendly?
Kind of! Bryce was probably about as dog-friendly as the Grand Canyon or Black Canyon of the Gunnison (maybe there's a pattern here...)
As per usual, we did the scenic drive with the dogs, but were also able to take them out to walk and see the views a bit, which they enjoyed.
Where Are Dogs Allowed?
- Paved surfaces (including campgrounds, parking lots, and paved roads
- Paved viewpoint areas (all viewpoints except Piracy Point)
- The Rim Trail between Sunset Point and Sunrise Point
- The paved Shared Use Path between the park entrance and Inspiration Point
Where Aren't Dogs Allowed?
- Unpaved trails
- Unpaved viewpoints (Piracy Point)
- Public buildings
- Public transportation vehicles (shuttle bus)
Bryce Canyon Scenic Drive
The Bryce Canyon scenic drive in an out-and-back. It seems to be designed such that you drive all the way to the end of the park (Yovimpa Point) and then stop at viewpoints on the way back out.
I'd recommend looking up and choosing some viewpoints ahead of time, because it can be stressful deciding where to pull off in the moment.
We enjoyed Yovimpa Point and Bryce Natural Bridge, which had incredible views.
Bryce Canyon Rim Trail
At the end of the scenic drive, we stopped at the Rim Trail. There are multiple parking areas, and you can start at Sunset Point or Sunrise Point.
The Rim Trail is paved, and while Bryce Canyon probably has more exciting trails, this one gives you a great view of the canyon.
It certainly didn't hurt that we could walk the dogs along the edge of the canyon with us, although it did get pretty windy, so you may want to watch your hat (or smaller dogs). Luckily, neither of my pups is at risk of being taken away by the wind.
Reflections
Bryce Canyon was interesting – not dissimilar to our Grand Canyon experience. We could see a lot from the scenic drive, which was nice, and we could walk the dogs along the canyon. I'm sure there is a lot more to see on trails that don't allow dogs, but I feel like we got a good overview for our first visit.
