Hat Shop

The Hat Shop is a cluster of narrow orange hoodoos topped by large gray boulders, at the turnaround on the Under-the-Rim Trail. There is no store here: this is a rock formation reached on foot, about two hiking miles below Bryce Point. It is a rewarding backcountry destination if you want to get among a small, distinctive group of hoodoos; it is not a quick stop between overlooks.

From Bryce Point, plan on a 4-mile round trip and roughly three to four hours. The trail drops about 1,400 feet over the two miles to the Hat Shop, then you climb nearly all of it on the way back. The return is the demanding part, so leave enough time and water for the uphill leg. There are no services at the formation; parking is at Bryce Point.

At the turnaround, look for the thin orange columns and their oversized gray caps. The approach also opens to long views south across the colorful cliffs of the Grand Staircase. For a photograph, frame a broad capstone with the narrow stem beneath it; including a second formation or some of the cliff behind helps show their scale.

Bryce's hoodoos began as sediment in an ancient lake-and-floodplain landscape about 50 million years ago. After those layers hardened and the Colorado Plateau rose, water working into cracks froze and expanded, while weakly acidic rain slowly dissolved some of the mineral cement. More resistant layers erode differently from softer ones, leaving the Hat Shop's conspicuous boulder caps above slender columns.

The route is strenuous and follows natural, uneven terrain. Ice and deep snow can make it hazardous in winter, so go then only if you are prepared for those conditions. Pets are not allowed on the trail.