Best Bike Trails Around Bryce Canyon: Paved, Dirt and Kids Friendly Routes

Biking is one of the best ways to see a lot of Bryce Canyon quickly, and there are lots of great places to enjoy biking as a family in the area. Here are some of our favorite places to bike around Bryce Canyon.

Below we list all of the top Bryce Canyon bike rides on paved roads, Bryce Canyon mountain bike trails and even family friendly bike rides in Bryce Canyon for kids and beginners that will have you feeling like you’re exploring another world.

If you are biking with kids, make sure to check out these biking routes that are perfect for families. We’ve listed the difficulty below so you can find the perfect family biking trail at Bryce Canyon. There really is something for everyone – paved biking trails, mountain biking trails and kid-friendly biking routes!

Also make sure to check out our other Bryce Canyon articles:
Best Hikes With Kids In Bryce Canyon
21 Adventures In Bryce Canyon With Kids

Biking Inside of Bryce Canyon National Park

Distance: 5 miles
Difficulty: Easy

Inside of Bryce Canyon, bikes are only allowed on roads and designated pathways and cannot be taken on any of the dirt trails. The best place to bike in Bryce Canyon is along the trail that leads from Bryce Canyon City up to Inspiration Point. The ride will be slightly uphill for most of the trail, so if you want a downhill ride, start at Inspiration Point and bike down. The Bryce Canyon Shuttles can each carry 2 bikes, so this is an easy and free way to get your bike shuttle taken care of.

Can I bike on the road inside of Bryce Canyon?

While bikers are allowed on roads inside of Bryce Canyon, we do not recommend road biking in Bryce Canyon, especially with kids. The roads here are incredibly busy, especially in summer, and in many places, there is not a good shoulder for bikers to ride on or pull over.

Biking Near Bryce Canyon

While bike trails in Bryce Canyon are limited and no mountain biking is allowed inside of Bryce Canyon, there are some really great trails just outside of Bryce Canyon that are great for the whole family. Here are the best Bryce Canyon bike trails for kids that are just outside of the National Park boundaries. Make sure to read about our favorite bike trails in Fruita and Park City/Heber.

Red Canyon Paved Bike Trail

Distance: 15 miles
Difficulty: Easy

The Red Canyon bike trail is one of the most scenic bike trails in all of Utah. It also happens to be really easy and perfect for biking with kids at Bryce Canyon. The trail starts at Ruby’s Inn and continues down Highway 12 all the way to the Thunder Mountain Trailhead. Is you travel from Ruby’s Inn to Thunder Mountain, most of the trail will be downhill, so if you want to keep things simple, drop a car at the bottom and ride one way. If you want to enjoy the most scenic parts of the trail, I recommend starting at the Thunder Mountain Trailhead and riding east through Red Canyon (this is slightly uphill) and then turing around and riding back once you’re all the way through Red Canyon to the Coyote Hollow Trailhead. This is about a 5 mile section and then you can ride back down to your car on the nice downhill trail. This trail is fairly new and is in excellent condition.

If you would like to ride farther, the Bryce Canyon National Park multi-use bike trail also starts at Ruby’s Inn, so you can easily ride from Thunder Mountain trailhead all the way to Inspiration Point.

Other Fun Biking Trails in Utah

Thunder Mountain Mountain Bike Trail

Distance: 8 miles
Difficulty: Advanced Riders

If you’re an advanced mountain bike rider, you won’t want to miss the Thunder Mountain Trail. The views are absolutely stunning and provide excellent access to some world class singletrack and flowy trail. This is the best bike trail at Bryce Canyon, so if you can ride it you really should. The most difficult part of the trail is that there are a lot of switchbacks that can be full of loose dirt and sand, especially if the weather has been really dry. Our 12 year old was able to ride this trail and only needed to walk a few sections.

Cassidy + Rich Loop Mountain Bike Trail

Distance: 4.5 Miles
Difficulty: Intermediate

If you want a mellow trail that has easy access, then the Cassidy trail, combined with the Rich loop make for a nice lollipop loop ride. The trail climbs steadily uphill and has a few rocks and roots to avoid but nothing terribly difficult. When we rode this Bryce Canyon mountain bike trail with kids, it had been very dry and the trail was covered in about 4-5 inches of loose dirt/dust which made the climb really difficult for the kids since their tires kept sliding. Luckily, even in these dry conditions, we didn’t have any problems riding downhill even with our 7-year-old.

Skunk and Badger Bike Trail

Distance: 18 Miles
Difficulty: Advanced

This 18-mile long trail is one of the most revered for its breathtaking views. The start begins at Kings Creek Campground and takes you south along FR 091, passing Tropic Reservoir with red rock formations that seem to surround you in their beauty as well as a beautiful view overlooking Sunset Cliffs just before returning back to your starting point.

Dave’s Hollow

Distance: 12 Miles
Difficulty: Easy

This easy, yet scenic trail is a connecting route between the Bryce Canyon National Park entrance and Tropic Reservoir. The 12-mile loop takes you through beautiful ponderosa forests and meadows; it starts at one of two boundary signs south of Ruby’s Inn on Hwy 63. This trail is perfect for beginners and for biking with kids around Bryce Canyon National Park.

Casto Canyon Bike Trail

Distance: 5.5 Miles one way, 14 Mile Loop
Difficulty: Easy

The perfect way to experience glorious red rock views around Bryce Canyon on bike! This 5.5-mile one-way ride or 14.4 mile loop takes you through the spectacular canyons of Red Canyon with its incredible, awe inspiring vistas and a plethora of beautiful trails passed by Butch Cassidy’s notorious outlaw gang in their time on the run from law enforcement during America’s Wild West days. However, this trail is not just about history; it also invites visitors to enjoy great things such as solitude amidst some of nature’s most breathtaking beauty that Dixie National Forest has to offer. This is a good Bryce Canyon mountain bike trail for beginners.

Best Time To Visit Bryce Canyon for Biking

While Bryce Canyon is in a desert, it’s important to remember that it’s a HIGH ALTITUDE DESERT, so temperatures are significantly cooler here than you’ll find in other Utah Desert areas. The best times to visit Bryce Canyon are from early April- end of October. In spring and fall, expect cooler temperatures, and we don’t recommend visiting in the winter unless you are comfortable biking in potential snowy conditions.

Where to Stay at Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon is a small National Park that you can either stay near the park with less expensive lodging or right in the heart of it. Bryce’s location makes visiting other parks easier since they’re all within driving distance and accessible to one another, but if camping outside isn’t your thing then prices inside may be more cost effective for you.

Ruby’s Inn

Our family loves staying at Ruby’s Inn and choose it as our favorite place to stay with kids at Bryce Canyon. Located just outside of the Bryce Canyon National Park borders, you can be right in the heart of the national park in under 10 minutes from your hotel.

Ruby’s Inn is set up to be a destination, so you can find everything you need for Bryce Canyon family fun all in one spot. Here you’ll find 3 places to eat (Ebaneezers, Canyon Dinner and Cowboy Buffet – details on all below), ATV Rides, bike rentals, Horseback Rides, and the Soaring Utah experience.

The Lodge at Bryce Canyon

The lodge at Bryce Canyon is the best place to stay for those looking to get an up-close and personal experience with all that this fantastic National Park has to offer. The location right between Sunrise Point, Sunset Point, and just a short walk from the canyon rim makes it easy access no matter what time of day you want to explore one of Utah’s most famous landmarks.

Where to Camp at Bryce Canyon

North Campground Bryce Canyon

This campground in Bryce Canyon has 99 sites and all are first come first served. When we were there mid-week in July, only about 1/3 of the campsites were occupied, so you do have a good chance of getting a campsite there.

Bryce Canyon Sunset Campground

This Bryce Canyon Campground has 100 sites that are all reservable in advance. If you are visiting Bryce Canyon during peak times, plan ahead to get reservations here.

Ruby’s Inn Campground

This campground is right outside of Bryce Canyon and has a great location for camping at Bryce Canyon City. This is a large campground and RV park with full hookups, tents sties and even cabins and teepees for rent. Prices start at around $30 for tent sites.