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There are hikes that you remember because of the view. There are hikes you remember because of the people you shared them with. And then there are the hikes you remember because somewhere along the way, you realized you might have gotten yourself into a little more adventure than you intended.

My solo hike into the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon National Park was definitely the third kind. I had set out on what seemed like a beautiful day for a hike. The sky was blue, the weather was mild, and, most surprisingly, the trail was nearly empty. I was about to discover that sometimes an uncrowded trail in the middle of peak summer season isn’t necessarily a sign that you’ve gotten lucky- sometimes it’s a warning.

Hiking Bryce Canyon

1. Descending Into the Hoodoos
2. The Quietest Trail in Bryce Canyon
3. When the Sky Changed
4. Trying to Find the Way Out
5. And Then the Sun Came Out
6. “You Must Be Crazy”
7. Hiking Bryce Canyon Alone: What I Learned
8. Planning a Hike at Bryce Canyon

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Descending Into the Hoodoos

I started my hike at the top of Wall Street, one of the most recognizable sections of the Navajo Loop Trail at Bryce Canyon. The trail begins by dropping down into the amphitheater through a series of steep switchbacks carved between towering walls of orange and red rock.

The farther I walked, the deeper I seemed to disappear into the hoodoos. Bryce Canyon is unlike almost anywhere else we’ve visited. Instead of looking out across a traditional canyon, you’re surrounded by thousands of tall, thin rock formations packed together in the landscape. From above, the hoodoos look almost delicate. From down inside them, they feel enormous.

As I made my way back and forth along the switchbacks, I kept looking up at the walls towering above me. Eventually, all that looking up started to make me a little dizzy. But I was having a great time. The weather couldn’t have been better, the scenery was incredible, and there were surprisingly few people around.

Which, of course, got me thinking. Where was everybody? This was the middle of peak season for the national parks. Shouldn’t there be hordes of people making their way down one of Bryce Canyon’s most popular trails?

Instead, I practically had the place to myself. I decided I must simply be the luckiest girl in the world. So I kept going.

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The Quietest Trail in Bryce Canyon

I wandered farther down into the canyon, taking my time and enjoying the strange feeling of having such a spectacular place almost entirely to myself. The hoodoos rose around me in every direction. The trail twisted between the formations, and every turn seemed to reveal another incredible view.

I remember thinking how fortunate I was. There was something almost magical about being down among the hoodoos without a crowd of people around me. I could stop whenever I wanted. I could take in the scenery without rushing. I could simply wander.

And then I noticed the sky. At first, the clouds were nothing to worry about. Just wispy white clouds drifting across the blue. But they didn’t stay that way. They began to darken. And grow. And they were moving in much faster than I would have liked.

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When the Sky Changed

By the time I reached the valley floor at the bottom of Wall Street, those harmless little clouds had turned into a dark, threatening mass overhead. This was the moment when my excitement about having the trail to myself started to give way to something else- worry.

I was hiking alone, and I knew there was no cell service down in the canyon. Then I started thinking about flash floods. Bryce Canyon’s landscape had seemed beautiful and almost otherworldly when I was admiring it from the trail. Suddenly, being surrounded by steep rock walls and down in the bottom of the canyon felt very different.

And then the rain started. Not a gentle summer shower. A downpour. Within minutes, water was running across the trail and thunder was rumbling through the canyon. My little twinge of worry turned into genuine fear. I knew I needed to get out.

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Trying to Find the Way Out

I started making my way along the valley floor toward the trail that would take me back up and out of the canyon. In my hurry, I found a signpost and started heading up the trail, only to realize after a short distance that I had taken the wrong route.

So I turned around. By this point, the rain had turned the trail into a muddy mess, and I was slipping and sliding my way back toward the correct path.

Eventually, I found the trail I needed. There was just one problem. The way down through Wall Street had been a relatively gentle descent, but the trail I needed to climb out was full of steep switchbacks. And now those switchbacks had water rushing down them.

So I climbed. Step by slippery step. The rain continued to pour. My shoes were soaked. Mud covered my legs. Water ran down the trail beneath my feet, making every step more difficult. And I was very aware that I was doing this alone. The beautiful, peaceful hike I had imagined when I started that morning felt like a very long time ago. I just kept climbing.

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And Then the Sun Came Out

Of course, because apparently this is how these things work, the moment I finally reached the top of the climb, the clouds began to break. The sun came out. The rain slowed to a drizzle.

I stood there soaked to the bone and covered in mud, looking back at the canyon I had just climbed out of. I couldn’t help but laugh. Of course. After all that rain, fear, slipping, sliding, and climbing, the storm decided it was finished.

I had made it out. And I was ridiculously happy about it. I made my way back toward my hotel, where I took what may have been one of the best hot showers of my life.

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“You Must Be Crazy”

On the way back, I passed a park ranger. He looked at me—soaked, muddy, and probably looking a little worse for wear—and said, “You must be crazy going down alone in this weather.”

I had to agree. Yes, sir. I believe I am. But I also couldn’t help thinking that this was going to make a pretty great story someday. Because that’s the funny thing about travel. The moments that don’t go according to plan are often the ones that stay with us the longest.

I went into Bryce Canyon expecting a beautiful solo hike through the hoodoos. I got that—and a thunderstorm, a muddy climb, a little fear, and a story I still remember. And honestly? I wouldn’t trade the adventure.

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Hiking Bryce Canyon Alone: What I Learned

Looking back, there are a few things I appreciate about this hike that have nothing to do with the scenery.

First, weather can change quickly in the mountains and high desert, even when the day begins perfectly. A blue sky isn’t necessarily a guarantee that the afternoon will stay that way.

Second, hiking alone requires a little more awareness. When you’re by yourself, there isn’t another person there to help you make a decision, notice a change in the weather, or find the trail if you get turned around.

And finally, beautiful places deserve respect. Bryce Canyon’s hoodoos are incredible, but the landscape isn’t just a backdrop for a hike. Weather, terrain, elevation, and trail conditions can all change the experience very quickly.

These days, I would pay much closer attention to the forecast before heading down into a canyon alone—and I would never hesitate to turn around when conditions begin to change. The adventure is supposed to be the part you tell stories about later. Not the part that puts you in unnecessary danger.

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Planning a Hike at Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon National Park is a wonderful place to explore on foot, and getting down among the hoodoos gives you an entirely different perspective of the amphitheater than simply viewing it from the rim.

If you’re planning to hike Wall Street or another trail that descends into the canyon, give yourself plenty of time and be prepared for the climb back out. What feels easy going downhill can feel very different when you’re climbing back up.

Weather is another important consideration. Summer storms can develop quickly, and rain can make trails slippery and difficult to navigate. Before heading out, check the current weather forecast, trail conditions, and any alerts or closures from the National Park Service.

If you’re hiking alone, let someone know where you’re going and approximately when you expect to return. Cell service should not be something you count on in every part of the park, so plan accordingly.

And perhaps most importantly, don’t let a beautiful morning convince you that conditions can’t change. Sometimes the safest decision—and the best one for enjoying the park—is simply to turn around.

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I went down into Bryce Canyon that day looking for a beautiful hike. I found one. I just didn’t expect the beautiful blue sky to disappear, the rain to come pouring down, or the trail to turn into a slippery climb back toward the rim. But that’s what made the hike memorable.

Years later, I don’t remember every turn in the trail or exactly how long it took me to get back to the hotel. I remember the hoodoos towering above me. I remember realizing the sky had changed. I remember the sound of thunder echoing through the canyon. I remember climbing those wet switchbacks and being so incredibly happy when I reached the top.

And I remember the ranger looking at me and deciding, probably correctly, that I must be crazy. Maybe I was. But what a mighty fine adventure it was.

Thanks for coming along on this rainy adventure hiking Wall Street in Bryce Canyon National Park. May you find clear skies and sure trails down among the hoodoos.

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Follow along for more adventures near and far!

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