Distance: 1.8 mile (2.8 km) out and back
Hiking time: 1 to 2 hours
Best season: April–October
Difficulty: Moderate
Hazards: Steep slopes, loose gravel
Topo maps: USGS Bryce Point, Trails Illustrated Bryce Canyon National Park
Finding the trailhead: From the Bryce Canyon Visitor Center, drive south 0.4 mile to the turnoff for Sunrise Point. Follow road signs to Sunrise Point and park in the designated area. From the parking area walk southeast along well-worn paths to the Queen’s Garden trailhead.
Trailhead GPS: 37.623706, -112.167749
The Hike
The Queen’s Garden Trail is a short, 0.9-mile route that drops about 320 feet below the canyon rim. Although the trail is not a loop, hikers can loop back up to the rim by combining a connecting trail with either branch of the Navajo Loop. Interesting rock formations along this popular path include Gulliver’s Castle, the Queen’s Castle, and Queen Elizabeth herself, an interesting rock formation that rises 50 feet west of the junction at the end of the trail.
