Utah’s Bryce Canyon is one of my all-time favorite National Parks.

It’s a gorgeous little gem full of magical hoodoos, crisp evergreen air, supersaturated scenery, and some of the best sunrises I’ve ever seen anywhere. The landscape isn’t on the same epic scale as some of the other Mighty Five, like Zion or Canyonlands, but that also means you can thoroughly explore it in just a couple of days.

I’ve now visited Bryce Canyon National Park eight times in my life, and Juno the National Bark Ranger has been with me for seven of those trips. Here’s how to get the most out of your trip to Bryce Canyon with a dog.

Where are dogs allowed in Bryce Canyon National Park?

The only dog-friendly trail in Bryce Canyon, if you can even call it a trail, is the paved path between Sunrise and Sunset Points, ~0.5 miles each way. It’s a beautiful walk, but short and often crowded.

Dogs are also allowed in campgrounds, on roads, and on paved viewpoints along the scenic drive (but not on unpaved trails to viewpoints, including the Rim Trail.)

The best part of Bryce Canyon is hiking among the hoodoos below the canyon rim — you really can’t miss it!— but dogs aren’t allowed on any of those trails.

Thankfully, Bryce Canyon has the best dog sitter/dog kennel of any National Park we’ve been to so far. (Yes, really!)

Best Dog Kennel Near Bryce Canyon

The best dog kennel near Bryce Canyon National Park is PawzDogz in Panguitch, Utah, ~30 minutes away from the Bryce Visitor Center. (It’s actually the only dogsitting option I found near Bryce, but thankfully it’s an amazing one.)

Because PawzDogz is 30 minutes away, they offer a doggie shuttle service from Panguitch to any Bryce Canyon-area hotel or campground. It’s just $20 per day and another $5 for the pickup/dropoff service.

PawzDogz will pick your dog up from wherever you’re staying around ~7am and return your dog at ~5pm. (Exact times dependent on how many other pickups and dropoffs they have that day, and where.)

I called PawzDogz just a few days before our October trip to Bryce and was able to get a reservation, though I assume they get busier in the summer.

The PawzDogz shuttle picked Juno up from our campsite in Sunset Campground at 7am, which is when we wanted to be awake for our hike anyway. (We did the Navajo-Queens Garden-Peekaboo loop, which I highly recommend!) Throughout the day they sent me pictures of Juno enjoying herself on the PawzDogz playground, which had a nice water fixture and plenty of toys.

At 5pm, the PawzDogz shuttle puttered through the campground once more and returned Juno to us, just in time for dinner and cuddles around the campfire. I loved not worrying about her during the day —especially with the hot weather!—but still being able to cuddle with her in the tent at night.

I wish more National Parks had a nearby doggie shuttle service like PawzDogz! It was incredibly convenient and, at just $25 a day, a total steal. (Even with a 20% tip, that’s less than I’d spend on a typical kennel back home.)

Dog-Friendly Hikes Near Bryce Canyon

You might not be able to hike in Bryce Canyon with your pup, but that doesn’t mean your dog can’t hike among hoodoos!

The Red Canyon area of Dixie National Forest, just outside Bryce Canyon, is a dog-friendly desert paradise. In fact, you’ll pass through its gorgeous red tunnels on scenic Highway 12 en route to the park. Unlike Bryce Canyon, Red Canyon’s trails are 100% dog-friendly.

Juno and I loved hiking the trails in Red Canyon, especially the easy Photo Trail and the intermediate Eagle’s Eye Trail. Go during golden hour if you can for the best scenery and lighting. If you don’t have time for a full hike, you can still park in one of the pullouts along Highway 12 when the scenery starts to look hoodoo-y and just walk along the paths there until you need to leave.

Other dog-friendly adventures nearby include Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park and the Pa’rus Trail at Zion National Park, both about an hour away from Bryce Canyon. (Check out my dog-friendly guide to Zion National Park!)

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Questions about visiting Bryce Canyon National Park with a dog? Let me know below!

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