Peekaboo Loop Trail | Bryce Canyon City

Peekaboo Loop Trail is one of Bryce Canyon National Park’s more adventurous and less crowded hikes, offering a deeper and more immersive exploration of the park’s extraordinary hoodoos and amphitheaters. At roughly 5.5 miles round trip, it is considered moderately strenuous, with steep ascents, descents, and switchbacks that reward hikers with dramatic views and close encounters with some of Bryce’s most intricate rock formations.

Trail Overview and Access
The trailhead is located at Bryce Point, providing a high starting elevation that allows hikers to descend into the heart of Bryce Amphitheater. The loop winds through narrow passages, towering hoodoos, and sculpted rock walls, eventually circling back to the rim. Hikers often combine Peekaboo Loop with other trails, such as Navajo Loop, to create extended circuits of the park.

Scenic Experience
Peekaboo Loop delivers a striking contrast between panoramic vistas and intimate canyon sections. Notable formations include the Wall of Windows, a dramatic cluster of hoodoos with natural arches, and the Cathedral, a soaring spire that dominates the surrounding terrain. The trail showcases Bryce’s intricate geology up close: every twist reveals new shapes, textures, and patterns in the sedimentary rock. Light and shadow interplay dramatically along the trail, particularly in the morning and late afternoon, emphasizing the vibrant reds, oranges, and creams of the formations.

Visitor Atmosphere
Because it is less trafficked than Navajo Loop, Peekaboo Loop offers a more solitary experience, allowing hikers to feel immersed in a stone forest where the only sounds are the crunch of boots on gravel, the wind through pinyon pines, or distant birdsong. Wildlife sightings-such as mule deer, chipmunks, and songbirds-are more frequent along this trail, adding to the sense of intimacy with the natural environment.

Micro-Details
Small details make the hike particularly engaging: delicate striations in the hoodoo rock, patches of frost or lichen in shaded alcoves, and sunlight glinting off spire edges in the early morning. The trail’s switchbacks provide changing perspectives of formations like Thor’s Hammer from below, giving a sense of scale and drama that rim viewpoints cannot match. Seasonal variations also add interest, from snow-dusted spires in winter to wildflowers dotting the canyon floor in late spring.

Peekaboo Loop Trail provides a full-spectrum Bryce Canyon experience, combining panoramic rim views, intimate canyon passages, and striking geological features. It rewards hikers with both visual splendor and physical challenge, offering a deeper understanding of the park’s sculpted hoodoos and otherworldly landscapes.