Bryce Canyon (Part 5 - Peekaboo)

     The final leg of our hike through Bryce Canyon National Park took us south on the Peekaboo Loop from the end of the Queens Garden Trail to Bryce Point. We started in the very bottom of the canyon and steadily climbed our way out to Bryce over the 3.3 miles of trail. It is much less crowded than the first trails we hiked as you have to be willing to do at least five miles of hiking to get onto this loop.

North end of Peekaboo Loop

Our destination, Bryce Point, in the distance.

Every rock in the park that even slightly resembled anything was named, but nobody noticed pig rock. Looks like a big hog to me.

Steep switchbacks

     Peekaboo is a directional trail that is open to hikers and horses with each moving in the opposite direction. We got plenty more good views of the hoodoos and did run into some horses along the way. The second horse group was led by a guide and he stopped for a short chat with us. He asked where we were from and we said Tennessee. Turns out they get their mules and horses from a farm less than an hour away from us in Gallatin, TN.

Wall of Windows

Horses by the Wall of Windows

What Shannon was looking at in the picture above.

These rocks look like they have concrete snow caps.

Nearing the top of the climb

View from the top of the trail at the Bryce Point parking lot

     Our total hiking for the day was only 7.2 miles, but it was a tough 7.2 with a lot of switchbacks and steep pitches. Moving time on the hike was 5 hours 10 minutes. We climbed 2,600 feet on the day, all between 7,300 and 8,400 feet elevation. It was one of the best hikes I have ever done. It's hard to beat the views, which change around every corner. We hopped the shuttle back to the campground and then went out to eat at the Cowboy's Buffet & Steak Room, which was really tasty after a long day in the dust. Tomorrow we roll out of Bryce and head east into some other parts of Utah. More coming on that in the next post.