Parking
Use the small parking area at Swamp Canyon Overlook / Swamp Canyon Loop Trailhead, about five miles south of the visitor center on Bryce Canyon Scenic Drive. The area also serves the Sheep Creek route.
Overview
About Swamp Canyon Connector Trail
Why go
- Gets below the rim on a short out-and-back.
- Swamp Canyon Butte comes into view near the low junction.
Heads up
- The downhill switchbacks become a steep climb on the way back.
- Several paths leave the overlook, so the first junction takes attention.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Bryce Canyon map
Full mapElevation7,507–8,084 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 Swamp Canyon Connector 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
Swamp Canyon: Why the Name Fits0:00 / 0:21
“Swamp Canyon's overlook is coming up, with Mud and Noon Canyon Buttes beyond the rim. Two tiny creeks and a spring keep the canyon below unusually wet for Bryce, supporting grasses and willows.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Bryce Canyon Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Pine That Smells Like Vanilla
- CCC Picnic Area: The Camp Behind the Name
- Whiteman Connecting Trail: A Wooded Walk Below the Rim
- Paria View: A Mountain on the Horizon
- 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 Swamp Canyon Connector Trail
A short way below the rimSwamp Canyon Connector is a 2.
Swamp Canyon Connector is a 2.1-mile out-and-back from Swamp Canyon Overlook to the junction with the Under-the-Rim Trail, then back up the same route. It drops through a limestone draw into a forested canyon, making this a good short change of scenery if you want to get below the rim. Allow about 1½ hours. This is the connector on its own; the separate Swamp Canyon Loop is about 4 miles and includes other trails.
Find the right pathSeveral paths leave the overlook area.
Several paths leave the overlook area. Take the signed path heading downhill to the left, north, to the Sheep Creek junction; there, turn right, south, for Swamp Canyon. The connector winds southwest between limestone cliffs, through Gambel oak, juniper, manzanita, Douglas fir and ponderosa pine. At the low junction with Under-the-Rim, Swamp Canyon Butte rises to the south. Turn around there for this hike.
Plan for the climb backThe route drops about 575 feet over roughly a mile, so you regain that elevation on the way…
The route drops about 575 feet over roughly a mile, so you regain that elevation on the way back up the switchbacks. The trailhead is at the small Swamp Canyon Overlook parking area, about five miles south of the visitor center. Pets aren't allowed on unpaved park trails; only ADA-recognized service animals may go where visitors are permitted.
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.
