The Bryce Canyon Amphitheater can be viewed from many places, including Sunset Point in Bryce Canyon National Park.
Bryce Canyon National Park
20 Minutes
Spring, Fall, Winter
$35 per Vehicle
Overview
Sunset Point is a viewpoint along the Rim Trail in Bryce Canyon National Park. From Sunset Point, you can see many of the park’s famous hoodoos. The Rim Trail is a 5.5-mile trail that starts at Inspiration Point at the south end passes through Sunset Point, Sunrise Point, and ends at Fairyland Point on the north end.
The half-mile section from Sunset Point to Sunrise Point is paved and one of the easiest sections of trail in the park. From Sunset Point, you are looking down at the areas known as Silent City and the Queens Garden. You can also see the tilted layers of Sinking Ship that reveal the location of the Paunsaugunt fault near Boat Mesa.
Sunset Point is one of the easiest places to get the best views of the incredible rock formations of Bryce Canyon. If you only have a few hours to explore the park, make sure this is one of your stops.
Sunset Point sign
Tyler and Ryan at Sunset Point
Sunset Point Plan
Upon arriving at Bryce Canyon National Park, we stopped at the visitor center to talk to the park ranger about what were our best options for a few hours in the park with a 3-year-old and 5-year-old in our group. They gave us the Junior Ranger book for the boys to work on and suggested doing a small portion of the Rim Trail starting at Sunset Point and walking the half-mile to Sunrise Point.
We spent most of our time around Sunset Point while we were here. It’s one of the best places to overlook the Bryce Amphitheater, the canyon rim, and the beautiful pink cliffs.
Sunset Point is about 1.5 miles from the entrance to the park. You can drive down the main road or go through the North Campground to get to the parking lot.
Stephanie and Justin at Sunset Point
Views from Sunset Point
Getting There
Location
Bryce Canyon is one of the National Parks in Utah’s Mighty Five. It’s located in Southern Utah along Scenic Byway 12 a short distance from Bryce Canyon City.
Best Time to Go
Bryce Canyon National Park is one of the few places in the U.S. National Park Service that’s perfect to go to almost any time of the year. In the winter months, there’s a good chance you’ll have snow on the ground. During the summer months, the temperatures can soar to dangerous levels. Try to plan your trip to avoid July and August, the hottest months here.
Views from Sunset Point
Views from Sunset Point
Sunset Point
Who Can Go?
Sunset Point is part of the Rim Trail which is a fully paved path from the parking lot to the viewpoint. Even those with mobility issues can still see the fantastic views from the overlook. If you are traveling with children, know that there are no rails in most of the park, so keep them close or, even better, have a hand on them.
What You'll See
From the Sunset Point Overlook, looking east, you can see the Table Cliff Plateau with Powell Point in the distance. In the amphitheater, you can see Thor’s Hammer, the most famous hoodoo in the park (this is best seen along the Two Bridges side of the Navajo Loop Trail). The Queen Victoria hoodoo will be visible, but it’s better seen from the Queen’s Garden Trail.
Sunset Point is a great overlook at any time of the year. When you go in the winter months, there’s a chance you’ll get to see the canyon and hoodoos with a dusting of snow on them. In the summer months, it’s very hot and dry. The first time we went to the park, it was at the beginning of June, and it was already warm that time of year in Bryce National Park.
Views from Sunset Point
Views from Sunset Point
What to Bring & Wear
Even though this is paved I still suggest wearing sneakers instead of flip-flops or sandals. Wear clothing according to the weather and season. In the cooler months of the winter, you’ll want long sleeves and long pants and possibly a light jacket. Bring a camera so you can get photos of the spectacular views from the viewpoint.
Where to Go
That starting point is in the Sunset Point Parking Area. The parking area is a small loop that also has a vault toilet and a water-filling station. You can drive to the parking space or take the free shuttle during peak season to shuttle stop number 11.
How Long Does it Take?
We spent about 20 minutes at Sunset Point to take in all of the views of the canyon. It only took a few minutes to walk from the vehicle to the overlook point, so that didn’t add a significant amount of time to our trip.
Cost
When visiting Bryce Canyon, there are a few options for entrance fees. The standard pass is good for 7 days from the date of purchase.
- Private Vehicle: $35 per vehicle
- Motorcycle: $30 per vehicle
- Pedestrian: $20 per person entering on foot or on bicycle
You can also purchase an annual pass for Bryce Canyon for $70 which is good for one year to date from the date of purchase. Otherwise, if you will be visiting more than one park, the America the Beautiful Pass is available for $80.
Bryce Canyon does not have a timed entry or additional pass needed to enter the park.
Tips for Sunset Point
- If you like the view at Sunset Point, try some other viewpoints such as Bryce Point, Rainbow Point, and the Yovimpa Points.
- Oversized vehicles, those greater than 23 feet, are restricted in many of the parking areas during shuttle season, including the parking lot for Sunset Point.
- Even if you only want to hit a few viewpoints, make sure you drive the entirety of the scenic drive through the park.
- Bryce Canyon has one visitors center, the general store, and the Bryce Canyon Lodge. Try to stop and check out each of the unique buildings.