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When visiting the Southwest of the US, there are so many Canyons and National Parks to choose from. Very often, we hear and read the question, which one is better Grand Canyon or Bryce Canyon? We have been to and explored both and will share with you the unique differences and reasons to visit both or choose one, depending on the amount of time you have for your trip.
The Grand Canyon is definitely the most famous National Park in the Southwest, if not in the entire US. Bryce Canyon is more of a local or hidden gem, which is gaining popularity each year. Both are worth visiting, but what differentiates them, and how much time should you plan for each?
In this article, we will compare the two parks on:
- character
- accessibility
- costs
- campgrounds
- possible hikes
Let's start with a quick overview.
This article covers days 7-8 of our 15-day road trip itinerary through the Southwest of the US and California. Click on the yellow 'Show Entire Route' tab, to view our in-depth guides to each stop for an even greater insight for your own road trip through the Southwest and California.
Character and Size of Bryce Canyon & Grand Canyon
Bryce Canyon is known for its orange-red hoodoos (spire-shaped rock formations) and its Amphitheater. It is located in Southern Utah and is rather small in size for a National Park, covering only 145.02 km² / 56 mi². It is actually not a canyon but a collection of big natural amphitheaters. Its altitude is slightly higher in comparison to Grand Canyon, with the rim alternating between 2,400 to 2,700 m (8,000 to 9,000 ft).
Grand Canyon is the Queen of National Parks and located in Northern Arizona. It is a real canyon, actually made up of several ones encompassing a size of 4,926 km² / 1,902 mi². It is up to 10 miles wide, 277 river miles long, and more than a mile deep, carved by the mighty Colorado River. The altitude of the North Rim is 2,400 m (8,000 ft), and the South Rim is 2,134 m (7,000 ft).
Accessibility of Bryce Canyon & Grand Canyon
Both parks are accessible by road with a regular car. Bryce Canyon only has one entrance/exit road, which leads to a dead-end, whereas the Grand Canyon has three entrances in total. Two for the South Rim, via the South and East Entrance, and one for the North Rim.
Both parks have rim trails and a Visitors Center; the Grand Canyon even has two, one on the North Rim and the other on the South Rim.
Both parks are open year-round and can experience snow in winter.
Entrance & Campground Fees at Bryce Canyon & Grand Canyon
Each park charges an entrance fee. Bryce being US$35 and Grand US$30.
Both parks can be entered with the annual National Park pass 'America the Beautiful Pass'.
It costs US$80 and is valid for one vehicle for one year. If you plan to visit at least three National Parks in the Southwest, it is worth getting this pass.
When comparing the campground costs, the Grand Canyon offers the least expensive campsites we have experienced in the US. You can almost stay two nights at the Grand Canyon (two nights are US$36) for the same cost as one night in Bryce Canyon (US$30).
Availability of Campsites at Bryce Canyon & Grand Canyon
In summer, when all campgrounds are open, you can find more than four times as many campsites inside the Grand Canyon National Park (447 campsites), compared to inside Bryce Canyon National Park (99 campsites), when camping with a campervan.
The sheer number does not paint the whole picture, though. Grand Canyon is way more popular and known than Bryce Canyon and attracts about 6 million visitors each year, while Bryce Canyon gets about 2.5 million visitors per year.
In our experience, when pulling up to Mather Campground at the Grand Canyon on a Tuesday in late April, the campground was full. Luckily we had booked our campsite back in January. The recommendation for Grand Canyon is to reserve in advance from March to November regardless of the weekday.
For Bryce Canyon, though, we pulled up on a Friday without a reservation and found free campsites to choose from at the self-check-in at Sunset Campground. Here the recommendation is to make reservations for weekends and peak season.
Grand Canyon Campgrounds
- Mather: 319 campsites, coin-operated showers, flush toilets, open year-round, US$18
- Desert View: 50 campsites, no showers, flush toilets, closed for winter, US$12
- Trailer Village: 123 campsites, showers at Mather (10 mins walk), flush toilets, open year-round, US$49 — I would not recommend staying here with a small campervan, as this campground is mainly for large RVs and motorhomes
- North: 78 campsites, coin-operated showers, flush toilets, closed for winter US$18
Bryce Canyon Campgrounds
- North: 99 campsites, no showers (available Spring-Fall at the General Store), flush toilets, open year-round, US$30
- Sunset: 100 campsites, no showers (available Spring-Fall at the General Store), seasonal portable toilet, closed in winter, US$30
Possible Hikes in the Bryce Canyon & Grand Canyon
Both National Parks boast a variety of hikes. From easy to strenuous and from short to several days. The easiest hikes you can do are the Rim Trails taking you along the rim of the canyon to allow great views.
The only way to experience either park in its full splendor, though, is to put on those hiking boots and descend into the canyon/amphitheater.
Day Hikes at Bryce Canyon & Grand Canyon
Bryce Canyon offers a wider variety of easy, moderate, and strenuous half-day hikes besides the Rim Trail. Those are:
We did the Queen's/Navajo Combination loop counter-clockwise, and it allowed us close up views of the hoodoos, as well as other perspectives of the amphitheaters and sandy areas of the park. This hike took us about two hours, including plenty of photo stops.
At the Grand Canyon, besides the Rim Trail, no other hike should be considered easy.
From the South Rim, there are two well maintained and popular trails, the Bright Angel Trail and the South Kaibab Trail. I actually wrote an entire article comparing the two to figure out which one you should do when you only have time for one.
We opted for the Bright Angel Trail down to the Tonto Plateau. You can read all about our choice an amazing experience in my detailed article: 'Best One Day Grand Canyon Hike: Bright Angel or South Kaibab'
Additionally, there are the Hermit Trail and the Grandview Trail. Both are not maintained, and the trail is considered tougher and steeper than those of Bright Angel and South Kaibab. The National Park recommends those two only to experienced desert hikers.
The North Rim offers more variety in hikes, short and long than the South Rim. Be aware, though, that it does take a lot longer to reach the Colorado River from the North Rim than from the South Rim. To read in-depth about all the different trails the Grand Canyon has to offer, check out the National Park Services page.
Backcountry Hiking at Bryce Canyon & Grand Canyon
Both parks allow backcountry hiking with a permit only. The way to attain those permits is quite the opposite.
Bryce Canyon offers several different Backcountry Trails together with multiple campsites.
Permits must be obtained in person at the Visitor Center at the park, and reservations can only be made maximum 48h in advance. So there is not much pre-planning possible or necessary. A permit per person costs US$5.
To get the full information on backcountry hiking in Bryce Canyon, please read the official page.
While there are also trails along the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, the most popular backcountry hikes are the rim-to-rim hikes while overnighting in the canyon. Getting a permit to do so, though, is quite tricky and requires a great amount of pre-planning. Applications for a backcountry permit for the Grand Canyon can't be submitted electronically. They either need to be faxed (fastest), mailed by postal mail, or handed in in person. A permit costs US$10 plus US$8 per person per night to camp underneath the rim.
You can find more information about attaining a permit in my article 'Ultimate Guide for Campervanning in the Grand Canyon - 2 Nights' or check out the National Park Services page.
Recommended time to spend at Bryce Canyon & Grand Canyon
The size of the parks definitely plays a role here. Bryce Canyon is rather compact and can easily be covered within a day, although I recommend you overnight to experience the sunrise.
Grand Canyon, on the other hand, is enormous and you could spend weeks in the park.
For a road trip visit, I would recommend you spend half a day to a day in Bryce Canyon with an overnight. We arrived at Bryce Canyon around noon, did a half-day hike, watched the sunset, and left the next morning around 8 am, after marveling at the sunrise.
Sunrise at Bryce Canyon is definitely more spectacular than the sunset. This is mainly due to the amphitheater opening up to the East; hence the sun stands no chance at sunset to illuminate the hoodoos inside the amphitheater as they are covered in the shade from the rim and the surrounding forest.
Sunrise, on the other hand, is perfect as the sun crawls up from the East and starts to illuminate the tips first before it sun drenches the entire amphitheater in is orange gloom.
For the Grand Canyon, I recommend you to spend at least two nights to allow one full day to explore the park, e.g., with a full day hike. We arrived at around 5 pm the first night, enjoyed the sunset, had a full day hike the next day, and exited the park at around 7:30 am the following day after watching the sunrise.
Since the Grand Canyon stretches in length from East to West, both sunset and sunrise are geographically perfect for fantastic light and colors inside the canyon. Sunrise is simply less crowded and, therefore, more magical.
Our favorite National Park
I have to emphasize that both National Parks deserve your visit. However, the Grand Canyon deserves it more if you have to choose between the two.
Its sheer size and portrayed majesty can't be put into words but need to be felt and experienced.
In all honesty, before arriving at the Grand Canyon, I thought all the talk about it was a hype and a pure tourism bubble. Already watching the sunset the night before from the South Rim blew me away and proved me wrong. Actually, taking a day and diving into this Natural Wonder deeper changed my perspective by 180%, and I would love to go back and spend at least a week discovering more areas of the Canyon.
Bryce Canyon is magnificent for a shorter stop. The way we did it, arriving around noon (or even a couple of hours later), enjoying the afternoon for a hike, having a relaxed evening surrounded by a pine tree forest and with a great campfire, and admiring sunrise the next morning, totally does the trick. The hoodoos and character of the park can not be compared to the Grand Canyon or any other National Park, for that matter.
I hope you enjoyed the comparison and can choose better or plan better, where to go when on your road trip through the Southwest.
Which park do you prefer, or do you have any questions I have not answered? Please let me know in the comments below.
