Inspiration Point lives up to its name at Bryce Canyon National Park! Offering breathtaking views and a wide spectrum of color and stone, Inspiration point does not disappoint and is definitely worth a visit. If at all possible, hike to the top of Inspiration Point. This allows you to see Bryce Canyon in an entirely new light! Keep reading to learn more and to see photos at each viewpoint.
Inspiration Point Details & Location
Elevation Gain: 134 ft. | Distance:  .6 miles out and back from the parking lot | Hiking Time:  About 12 minutes (depending upon stopping time)
Location:  Inspiration Point is located right off of Bryce Point Road in Bryce Canyon National Park. Take UT-63 south and then take a left onto Bryce Point Road. The turnoff for Inspiration Point is well labeled and is your first turn off to the left. There is a parking lot at Inspiration point with easy access to three separate viewpoints.
Lower View of Inspiration Point
According to the National Park Service Website, “The viewpoint at Inspiration Point consists of three levels that provide varied spectacular perspectives of the main amphitheater. From here, visitors look toward the Silent City (near Sunset Point) with its many rows of seemingly frozen hoodoos set against the backdrop of Boat Mesa. All who look out from this point are bound to be inspired, considering the intricacies of the hoodoos and their formation through the erosion of the Claron Formation.“ Can you see the boat mesa in the photograph below? These photographs were taken from the Lower View of Inspiration Point. This viewpoint is easily accessible, close to the parking lot, and is beautiful. Â
One thing I like about the lower viewpoint is how close the canyon is.
You feel as if you are staring out across an endless sea of hoodoos.
The lower viewpoint at Inspiration Point also has close access to the Rim Trail and is only a half a mile away from Sunset Point. Â
Mid View of Inspiration Point
The mid view of Inspiration Point offered a unique perspective and gave some more amazing views of the canyon.
Photographically, I really liked the above tall rock formation jutting out right in front of me.
Although the late afternoon sun cast a deep shadow across Inspiration Point, I was still able to get some decent photographs.
One thing I love about Bryce Canyon National Park is the diverse rock formations. The National Park Website gives more insight into the geological features of Bryce Canyon.
From their website: “The Claron Formation consists of two members, the lower Pink Member, a “dirty” limestone that contains sand, silt, and iron that lends the rock its reddish color, and the upper White Member, a purer freshwater limestone. This upper White Member of the Claron Formation is visible below Inspiration Point, although few hoodoos form in this softer rock.” I love learning about the science behind the rainbow of colors at Bryce Canyon.
After we viewed the Mid Viewpoint at Inspiration Point, we continued on up towards Upper Inspiration Point.
One thing to note at Inspiration Point (as well as most points along the Rim Trail) is that there are steep drop offs all over the place. The hiking trails are well marked and easy to follow, but if you have small children, keep them close by for safety.
Upper View of Inspiration Point
Honestly, all I can say is “WOW!” The Upper View of Inspiration Point allows you to stare out at eye level with some incredible structures.
While it was a steep hike, the Upper View of Inspiration Point was strikingly beautiful and worth every step.
We saw deep canyon gulfs,
as well as trees with sprawled roots clinging onto to the edges of the cliff walls.
While they say sunset is spectacular at Inspiration Point,
I also believe that sunrise would be equally stunning.
After I took my photographs, I took a photo of Dave and some of my kids and then we headed back down.
Hiking back down from the upper view of Inspiration Point is steep, but doable
I’m not gonna lie, this short hike felt pretty steep. Perhaps it was because we stopped here right after hiking 4.5 miles on the Swamp Creek Trail. Either way, we could feel the burn in our legs. That said, there were hand rails and the path was clean and easy to navigate. Â
One thing that continued to astound me at Bryce Canyon was the diversity in the landscape.
On one side of the path there was a dense forested area with bits of snow on the ground.
On the other side was the vast Bryce Amphitheater.
The entire hike out and back at Inspiration Point provided amazing landscape photography opportunities.  I’m so glad I got to go!
I hope you get the opportunity to see Inspiration Point for yourself and to visit Bryce Canyon National Park. If not, at least you can see it through my photos! Thanks for reading and sharing my adventures with me!
Happy travels!
Juventa Vezzani
One of my bucket list items is to visit all 60 National Parks! For detailed posts about my adventures, click here!
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