Parking
Start at the Ponderosa Point parking area; the connector signpost is on its northwest side. The route ends on the Under-the-Rim Trail, so this lot serves only one end of the point-to-point line.
Overview
About Agua Canyon Connecting Trail
Why go
- A direct link from Ponderosa Point to the Under-the-Rim Trail.
- An open-slope view across Agua Canyon toward distant Natural Bridge.
Heads up
- Steep pitches and loose rock on a short route.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Bryce Canyon map
Full mapElevation8,035–9,006 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
3 active Bryce Canyon alerts
- CautionUnder-the-Rim Trail hiker advisoryMentions Under-the-Rim Trail, referenced in this guideHike the Under-the-Rim Trail only if you are prepared for deteriorated conditions and delayed emergency response. - The trail has many places with deteriorated trail conditions.Official details
- ClosureTrail closures due to recent weather eventWall Street and the Bryce Connector Trail to Peekaboo Loop are closed until further notice because of a recent weather event. - Do not enter these closed trails.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Bryce Canyon Tour Guide
Your drive to Agua Canyon Connecting Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Bryce Canyon National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
Ponderosa Canyon: Pines Far Below0:00 / 0:17
“Ponderosa Canyon is ahead, a quick overlook above hoodoos and a forest about a thousand feet below. The canyon takes its name from ponderosa pines down on the floor, some over a hundred and fifty feet tall.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Bryce Canyon Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Black Birch Canyon: A Likely Tree Mix-Up
- Agua Canyon: Trees on the Hunter
- A Bristlecone's Living Strip
- Natural Bridge: A Roadside Arch
- 30 audio storiesacross Bryce Canyon’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Wapiti, Utah Prairie Dog, Mule Deer, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 24 trails, 41 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Super fun and useful app! We especially enjoyed the guide as we drove through Bryce Canyon National Park.”
Trail guide
Hiking Agua Canyon Connecting Trail
What it isAgua Canyon Connecting Trail is a 1.
Agua Canyon Connecting Trail is a 1.6-mile, one-way point-to-point link from Ponderosa Point to the Under-the-Rim Trail. Allow about an hour for the connector itself. It is not a loop or an out-and-back: the distance ends at the backcountry junction, and any miles you add on Under-the-Rim are separate. Think of it as one leg of a longer backcountry route, not a stand-alone day hike.
UnderfootExpect steep pitches and loose rock.
Expect steep pitches and loose rock. The short mileage hides a real drop from the rim-side access to the Under-the-Rim junction, so the route takes more care than a casual spur. Plan the rest of your route from the junction; this connector does not return to the parking area.
The viewNear the lower end, the trail opens onto a slope below pink cliffs.
Near the lower end, the trail opens onto a slope below pink cliffs. Look north across Agua Canyon; with a careful look, Natural Bridge may appear in the distance across Agua and Bridge Canyons. Pause for the view, and keep a bit of the cliff band in the frame if you want the canyon’s scale to read.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Bryce Canyon
15 sightingsWapitiMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
50 sightingsUtah Prairie DogMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
331 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
118 sightingsPronghornMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
41 sightingsTurkey VultureMost seen around noonSighting map
44 sightingsWild TurkeyMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Bryce Canyon. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
