Wondering where to stay at Bryce Canyon? This remote, but popular national park in Southern Utah is one of my favorites, and I have visited many times.
Here is an overview of your lodging options in and near Bryce Canyon, and the advantages to each.
Inside the Park
Why stay here? Location, location, location. You'll be within a short walk of the amazing canyon views and starry night skies.
You'll find a historic lodge and two campgrounds inside the park. All are conveniently located, but on the rustic side. There is no television or air conditioning at the lodge. WiFi is limited at best inside the park.
Nevertheless, expect rooms and campsites to fill fast. Book the Lodge at Bryce Canyon at https://www.brycecanyonforever.com/.
You can reserve a campsite at Sunset Campground through Recreation.gov. Camp sites at North Campground are first come, first served.
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Ruby's Inn
Why stay here? Ruby's Inn and its sister properties are the closest lodging to the park entrance and it's open year-round.
Ruby's Inn has been located just outside the entrance to Bryce Canyon for more than 100 years. Two more hotels, a campground, restaurants, general store, fuel station and activities have been added along the way and are now incorporated as Bryce Canyon City.
Ruby's Inn or Bryce Canyon Grand are the hotels I book when I want to stay as close to the park as possible. In my experience, the rooms at the Bryce Canyon Grand are newer and bigger, but a little more expensive.
Winter has become one of my favorite times to visit Bryce Canyon, but many local hotels and restaurants are closed in winter. Ruby's Inn is open year-round.
We have also stayed at Ruby's Inn RV Park and Campground. In addition to RV and tent sites, you can rent cabins or tipis. This campground has showers, laundry facilities, a pool, and access to all the other Ruby's Inn amenities.
Learn more about all the Ruby's Inn and link to its sister properties at RubysInn.com
Click the button below to see rates and reviews for Ruby's Inn at TripAdvisor.com.
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Tropic-Panguitch
Why stay here? Tropic and Panguitch are the closest cities to the park. Tropic is about 15 minutes from the entrance and Panguitch is about 30 minutes from the entrance.
Any hotels or vacation rentals you find between Tropic and Panguitch are close to the park. You'll also find restaurants, groceries and fuel stations in the area.
Tropic and Panguitch are small towns, and not very touristy. Panguitch is larger and closer to the interstate and larger cities, but services will still be somewhat limited.
Click the button below to see rates and reviews for more hotels near Bryce Canyon at TripAdvisor.com.
Cedar City
Why stay here? Cedar City is located between Bryce Canyon and Zion and is on Interstate 15. It has plenty of hotels to choose from.
We stay in Cedar City when we don't stay at Ruby's Inn. Cedar City is conveniently located on Interstate 15 and is about 90 minutes' drive from Bryce Canyon.
It is also 45 minutes from the most visited section of Zion National Park and 45 minutes from Cedar Breaks National Monument.
Cedar City has lots of hotels and restaurants to choose from, including familiar national chains. I recommend Abbey Inn. It has motel rooms and family-sized vacation homes available to book.
I recommend Cedar City if you want a convenient base for Bryce, Zion and other activities in southwestern Utah.
Click the button below to see rates and reviews for Cedar City hotels on TripAdvisor.com.
Highway 89
Why stay here? Highway 89 runs between Bryce Canyon and Zion and is more scenic and less crowded.
If you look at a map, you'll see that Highway 89 and Interstate 15 are roughly parallel. There is a mountain range in between them, which means that the towns and destinations along Highway 89 are smaller and more isolated. This area is also quite scenic.
The entrance to Bryce Canyon is closer to Highway 89, while the entrance to Zion Canyon – the most popular part of Zion National Park – is closer to Interstate 15. The East Entrance to Zion National Park is close to Highway 89, but you'll drive about 30 scenic minutes through the park to reach Zion Canyon.
Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort is located near Highway 89 and is about 90 minutes from the entrance to Bryce Canyon. It is only 15 minutes from the east entrance to Zion National Park. Zion Ponderosa has camping, cabins, vacation rentals and a long list of on-site family activities.
If you visit in the summer, Kanab is the most central base for visiting Bryce Canyon, Zion, the Grand Canyon North Rim, Grand Staircase-Escalante and more from the same hotel or vacation rental.
Click the button below to see the Kanab vacation rental we chose for our Grand Canyon North Rim trip at VRBO.com.
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Conclusion
The best place to stay is the one that best fits your itinerary and budget. I hope that our experience helps your family plan a great trip.
Have a question? Email me at [email protected]. I'll do my best to help.
Happy travels!
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