We first hiked Bryce Canyon National Park in October of 2012 and at that time we decided that the Fairyland Trail was our favorite hike of the whole year (link to the story).   We returned a year later to hike it again.

We were ready this time for the overwhelming views, the unearthly formations, the explosion of color, and the stunning variety of points of interest.   The hike is 8 miles long, but it can take all day with so many viewpoints, especially if you hike with photographers.    The trail itself is beautifully constructed, winding in and out of gullies and ridges, around and between hoodoos, under and over erosion features, past pinyon, bristlecone, and juniper, and always scenic in a dynamic way, changing and offering new features.   This trail is still the best designed trail we know and among our favorites for every year.

There is so much to see that it can be sensory overload, hard for the brain to take in, so we decided we had to set some objectives.   We chose to focus on smaller scale views, changes in color, and combinations of features, foreground and background contrasts.   This resulted in a different set of photos, but on our return, it is clear that this strategy will work again, with some changes in settings and adjustments in composition.   Perhaps by the 5th trip to Bryce Canyon, our photos will do justice to what we see.

The trail gently drops to its lowest point, winding around ridges, then climbs back to the top, completing the last two miles on the Rim Trail, up at 8000 feet.   On both days of hiking, we had blue skies and clear views.   We would like to return to Bryce in the winter to cross country ski on the plateau above and to hike these trails with a covering of snow.

In a year with multiple hikes in the Rockies, Selkirks, Grand Canyon, Zion, and the mountains  of B.C., the Fairyland Land is not our favorite hike of this year, but is in the top 5 still and is still a magnet for a return visit.