Rainbow Point Overlook + Bristlecone Loop Trail

The scenic outlooks along the main park road in Bryce Canyon National Park present a wonderful opportunity to see the magnificent canyon from many angles. The last outlook at the end of the road offers all of that plus a short hike to more marvelous outlooks and some ancient bristlecone pine trees. The views to the east and north from the Rainbow Point parking lot are marvelous, and a short walk on a paved trail leads to Yovimpa Point, where the vistas to the south stretch toward the lower steps of the grand staircase and all the way to the Grand Canyon on clear days.

There is a 1-mile loop trail from Yovimpa Point back to the parking lot that follows the canyon rim and reaches another overlook with some ancient bristlecone pine trees. These amazing trees can live to be thousands of years old and survive in some of the most harsh, wind-blown locations in the West. This short trail is over 9,000 feet in elevation and can be still snow-covered quite late in the spring.