Bryce Canyon Under-the-Rim Trail

Bryce Canyon National Park (Rainbow Point to Bryce Point)

The Under-the-Rim Trail runs 22.9 miles through Bryce Canyon National Park’s backcountry, from Rainbow Point at the south end of the park to Bryce Point. As its name says, it travels below the rim, past springs, side canyons, and the Hat Shop, and connecting trails let you shorten it.

Bryce limits camping to designated sites and requires a hard-sided bear canister, so the permit sets the shape of the trip.

The hike

The NPS lists the trail at 22.9 miles one way with 5,500 feet of elevation gain, and says it is “typically hiked south-to-north (Rainbow to Bryce).” CleverHiker recommends the same direction because it means “less climbing at the end of your trip,” and suggests adding the 8.8-mile Riggs Spring Loop for about 32 miles total.

The trail descends east from Rainbow Point. The NPS brochure lists the campsites as Yovimpa Pass, Riggs Spring, Iron Spring, Natural Bridge, Swamp Canyon, Right Fork Swamp Canyon, and Yellow Creek, with group sites at Corral Hollow and Yellow Creek. Connecting trails from the rim drop in at Agua Canyon, Whiteman Bench, and Swamp Canyon, so shorter sections are possible; the brochure’s map marks the Agua Canyon connector closed.

A 2021 Backcountry Post trip report describes the stretch from Rainbow Point toward the Agua Canyon connector, about 12 miles, and praises the aspen stand at Iron Spring, “both a campsite and natural spring.” CleverHiker suggests Natural Bridge for a detour into Agua Canyon, and Swamp Canyon or its Right Fork as the midpoint camp for a one-night trip. The same trip report describes the trail where it reaches Swamp Canyon as seeming to “DROP like a stone into the canyon.”

The northern end climbs past Yellow Creek, where the trip report’s author was “completely in awe” of the flowing water, and finishes below the Hat Shop at Bryce Point. The NPS lists water at Yovimpa Spring, Riggs Spring, Iron Spring, Sheep Creek below the Whiteman connector, and Yellow Creek. CleverHiker warns that Iron Spring water “has substantial sediment and metallic taste.”

CleverHiker calls June through September the best time, sometimes as early as April, and warns of summer days in the 90s and “monsoon-like conditions” in July and August. The free park shuttle reaches Bryce Point in summer, but not Rainbow Point.

For another southern Utah trip with designated campsites and a canister rule, see Salt Creek Canyon in Canyonlands.

Tips

Hike south to north, from Rainbow Point to Bryce Point, as the NPS and CleverHiker suggest.
Arrange your own ride to Rainbow Point; the park’s Rainbow bus tour has been discontinued.
Carry at least a gallon of water a day and check spring status at the visitor center.
Treat all water by boiling, filtering, or chemical treatment.
Check in at the visitor center even with an online permit, to get your canister inspected or borrowed.
Watch for July and August storms.

Camping

Permits are required for all overnight backcountry stays, and camping is allowed only in designated sites listed on your permit. From March through November, the NPS says you can reserve on Recreation.gov up to three months ahead or get a walk-in permit at the visitor center; December through February, permits are walk-in only, up to 48 hours ahead. The NPS backcountry page (updated June 5, 2026) says permits can be picked up at the visitor center from 8 a.m. until one hour before it closes, and online permit holders must check in there before starting their trip. Groups are limited to 6 per regular site and 15 per group site, and stays to 14 nights. Hard-sided bear-resistant canisters are required and loaned free at the visitor center. No open fires; stoves only. Dig catholes 6 to 8 inches deep, 200 feet from water, trails, and camps, and pack out toilet paper.

Inside Intel: CleverHiker’s writers found Yovimpa Pass had “the best water source on the entire hike by far.” A 2021 Backcountry Post trip report singles out the aspens at Iron Spring.

Trail facts

Distance: 22.9 miles one way (NPS); about 32 miles with the Riggs Spring Loop
Route type: Point to point; shuttle needed
Difficulty: Strenuous; 5,500 feet of gain
Campsites: Designated sites including Yovimpa Pass, Riggs Spring, Iron Spring, Natural Bridge, Swamp Canyon, Right Fork Swamp Canyon, and Yellow Creek
Water: Intermittent springs and creeks; carry a gallon a day
Permits: Required; Recreation.gov (March-November) or walk-in
Food storage: Hard-sided bear canister required
Fires: Prohibited; stoves only
Trailheads: Rainbow Point (south) and Bryce Point (north)
Last verified: October 17, 2026

The Lowdown

Long days below Bryce's rim:

With 5,500 feet of gain over 22.9 miles, Under-the-Rim days are long, and you'll want to wake up ready for the next climb out of camps like Iron Spring. Side sleepers can try these fixes for waking up sore.

See the tips →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.