Can you do this?
The Figure-8 Combination — what it takes
This is the whole hoodoo experience in one walk instead of three short out-and-backs. You drop from the rim into Queen's Garden, wind through Peekaboo among the spires, and climb back out up Navajo's Wall Street switchbacks. It suits anyone reasonably fit who doesn't mind 1,500 feet of elevation change at altitude; the climb back to the rim, starting above 8,000 feet, is the work.
- Distance 6.4 mi
- Time 3–5 hr
- Permit Not required
- Season Late spring – fall; icy in winter
The gates are altitude and ice, not permits. Bryce sits above 8,000 feet, so the rim holds snow and ice into spring and from late fall, and the steep Navajo switchbacks close or need traction when icy. The route is a day hike with no backcountry permit — but summer thunderstorms build fast over the plateau, with lightning on the exposed rim.
The route, in order
How the route runs
Each stop below is a real place on the park's map — walked in sequence, with how long you spend at each.
- Queen's Garden 1 hr
The descent
The gentlest way off the rim, dropping from Sunrise Point past the Queen Victoria hoodoo onto the amphitheater floor.
- Peekaboo Loop 1.5–2 hr
Among the hoodoos
The middle loop weaves deepest into the spires — the Wall of Windows and the most concentrated hoodoo scenery. Shared with horse traffic, so watch your footing.
- Navajo Loop 45–60 min
The climb out
Back to the rim up Wall Street's tight switchbacks between the fins — or the Two Bridges side if Wall Street is closed for ice or rockfall.
Plan B
If conditions turn
A multi-day route has more ways to go wrong than a dayhike. Here is what forecloses it — and your move when it does.
- Ice on the rim
Wall Street and the steep Navajo switchbacks close or ice over from late fall into spring.
Instead: Wear traction (microspikes) and descend Two Bridges instead, or stay up top on the rim trail between Sunrise and Sunset Points.
- Afternoon thunderstorm
Summer storms build over the plateau by early afternoon, with lightning on the exposed rim.
Instead: Start early and be climbing out by noon.
Make it happen
Reserve your spot
The route is decided. The only thing between you and the trail is the permit — settle it now, while it's fresh.
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