Finding the right place to stay at Bryce Canyon usually comes down to two things:
I’m Matt and have visited Bryce Canyon more times that I can count. On my last visit, I personally visited many different hotels in the area to research them out for you.
Read on to learn about some of my favorite places to stay.
Bryce Canyon Lodge is the only lodging inside Bryce Canyon.
With some national parks, staying inside the park is a big advantage because it’s closer to the action and you don’t have to wait in line to enter the park.
But with Bryce Canyon, that doesn’t matter as much. Nearby Bryce Canyon City has a lot of lodging (see below), and it’s very close to the amphitheater (where all the hoodoo rock formations are).
However, don’t overlook Bryce Canyon Lodge. It’s an historic building that is within walking distance of the canyon rim, perfect for seeing a sunrise first thing.
Note: you do not have views of the canyon from the lodge, but it’s just a short walk to the canyon rim.
They have cabins, suites, rooms, and studios, each with different rates. Rates range from about $200 to $370 per night during the summer, but they are cheaper during the winter.
It also offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
If you’re looking for a more nostalgic experience, the Bryce Canyon Lodge is worth checking out.
Get our done‑for‑you, 2‑day route with exact drives, maps, and must‑see stops so you don’t waste time in traffic or miss the best views.
Inside the guide:
*Day‑by‑day plan for Bryce Canyon including hikes, viewpoints, drives, and star-gazing!
*Exact times, activities, and where to sleep and eat
*Includes audio stories to listen to as you drive
*Best Friend Guarantee: love it or get your money back
*Visiting Utah’s 5 National Parks– Save big $ and get a plan for Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, and Arches & Canyonlands. Learn more here
DON’T MISS: The Best Places to Eat at Bryce Canyon.
Bryce Canyon City is located right next to the park entrance. It’s close and affordable. Although touristy, it still feels small enough.
There are 5 places to stay in Bryce Canyon City.
Ruby’s Inn (book here) has long been the go-to place for Bryce visitors.
Ruby’s Inn is in Bryce Canyon City, located right next to the park entrance. There is only one entrance to the park, so Ruby’s Inn has held a near-monopoly on lodging at Bryce Canyon ever since about 1916.
Today, Ruby’s Inn is a resort offering lodging, camping, tipis, a huge RV park, group tent sites, and indoor and outdoor swimming pools.
It also offers many activities, such as ATV tours, helicopter tours, and horseback rides (but make sure to read our article on horseback rides at Bryce).
It also has a shuttle stop right next to it, with an information booth staffed by a park employee at the hotel entrance.
Try Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel (book here) for a higher-end experience. This is basically a newer version of Ruby’s Inn (which is also now a Best Western).
We haven’t stayed here, but we can vouch for Best Westerns in general — we’ve rarely had a bad experience with them. It’s not just that the accommodations are nice, it’s that they all seem to value customer service more than most places.
It’s a little more expensive but reviewers seem to rave about it.
If you’re traveling with a large group, consider Ruby’s Inn Resort Vacation Rentals.
This costs over $300 per night but can be worth it if you’re traveling with a big group. We’ve used VRBOs like this because we often travel in a large group.
If you’re just looking for affordability, go with Bryce View Lodge (book here) or Bryce Canyon Pines Lodge. These have fancy-sounding names (they aren’t lodges or resorts, nor do they have views of the canyon), but they are basic options for a night or two.
They are plain, but there is nothing wrong with them at all; they get good reviews.
Tropic is a little town 15 minutes east of Bryce Canyon. This is best if you’re traveling to or from Capitol Reef National Park — many people do a Utah Mighty 5 trip.
There are many hotels, B&Bs, cabins, and the Bryce Pioneer Village. We analyzed the reviews on Google and TripAdvisor, and here are some suggestions:
For seclusion, try Stone Canyon Inn. It’s located on the edge of town in Tropic, but right at the base of Bryce Canyon.
If you want to stay in a cabin, try Bryce Canyon Inn, Bryce Canyon Log Cabins (book here), Bryce Pioneer Village (book here), or Bryce Country Cabins (book here).
If you want a bed and breakfast, try Happy Trails BnB (book here).
This is a cute little town 30 minutes west of Bryce that has old historic homes and nearby Panguitch Lake in the mountains. They also have fun festivals in June each year, like the Panguitch Valley Balloon Rally, and the famous Quilt Walk.
Stay here if you want to get away from the touristy spots and you like cute little towns.
The choice here is the Panguitch House (book here). It is a cute little old-timey bed and breakfast that gets rave reviews.
Many people visit Bryce and Zion National Park on the same trip. If you want to stay in one hotel and use it to see both parks, here are some options.
CHECK OUT: Where to Stay at Zion National Park.
Long Valley is a pretty valley that has green and forested scenery. It includes several small towns, like Mount Carmel, Orderville, and Glendale.
The valley is located between Zion and Bryce. For example, from Orderville, it’s an hour to Bryce Canyon and an hour to Springdale (30 min to the East Entrance).
There are almost no chain hotels here (the Best Western (book here) in Mount Carmel is the exception, and a good one). There are several local motels, hotels, B&Bs, glamping spots, resorts, and forested retreats.
East Zion Resort is a popular option here.
I also like Arrowhead Country Cabins (book here), Mount Carmel Motel & RV Park (book here), the Escape to East Zion (book here), Historic Smith Hotel B&B (book here), Virgin River Retreat (book here), and Whispering Pines Covered Wagon Resort (book here).
There are few services here, but enough gas stations and restaurants to take care of you.
Kanab, Utah (pronounced kuh-naab), is larger than the towns in Long Valley, but still fairly small (5,000 residents). It’s about an hour from Springdale and 1.5 hours from Bryce.
It’s quiet, clean, and nice. It was once known as Little Hollywood because many western movies were filmed in the area, and you’ll see signs around town dedicated to the Hollywood stars who frequented the town, including John Wayne and Frank Sinatra.
It’s usually pretty affordable and has a good mix of chain and local hotels. New hotels are being built regularly as it is growing in popularity, thanks to its heavy tourism campaigns. Some options I like include Canyons Boutique Hotel (book here), the retro-themed Quail Park Lodge (book here), and the cute Purple Sage Inn B&B. Check out our article, The Best Unique Hotels & Resorts In Kanab, Utah, for more options.
Cedar City is located about an hour north of Springdale. It’s higher in elevation than St George, and greener than most of the desert landscape on the west side. It was named Cedar City by the pioneers who thought the trees in the mountains nearby were cedar trees (they ended up being Juniper trees).
Cedar City is home to Southern Utah University, which hosts the famous Shakespearean festival every summer. It has a decent historical park called Frontier Homestead State Park, and is close to Cedar Breaks National Monument, which is awesome but often overlooked because it is similar to Bryce Canyon.
The big benefits of staying in Cedar City are:
There are several chains here, and a few local hotels that cater to Shakespeare fans, such as the Big Yellow Inn (book here) and Bard’s Inn (book here).
Check out The Best Unique Hotels & Resorts in Cedar City for more ideas of where to stay.
DISCOVER: How to Connect Zion & Bryce Canyon National Parks: 11 Amazing Stops
Free PDF: which shuttle to take, where to park, and what to do at each major stop
Inside the guide:
*Zion Canyon & Springdale shuttles explained in plain English
*Exact parking + timing so you avoid full lots and long lines
*Simple map you can follow even without cell service
*What to do at each main stop so you don’t waste time guessing
St. George is the largest city in Southern Utah, with plenty of lodging options. It is an outdoor playground in and of itself and is the most common home base for Zion, but it can also be used as a jumping-off point for Bryce.
It’s 45 minutes away from Zion and just over 2 hours away from Bryce.
We also have an article on The Best Unique Hotels & Resorts in St. George, Utah to help you find somewhere to stay as well.
DON’T MISS: How to Spend 1 Day in St. George, Utah
Get our done‑for‑you, 5-7‑day route with exact drives, maps, and must‑see stops so you don’t waste time in traffic or miss the best views.
Inside the guide:
*Day‑by‑day plan for Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches & Canyonlands
*Details you need: Time frames, driving routes, and where to sleep each night to reduce back-tracking
*Includes audio stories to listen to as you drive
*Best Friend Guarantee: love it or get your money back
This is also on the east side of Zion but is located closer to Zion and Bryce.
Mt Carmel is an hour away from Bryce and only about 15 minutes away from Zion (although it’s an extra 30 minutes to drive to the shuttle).
Here are three places that stood out to us:
Yes! If you want ALL the secrets to having an amazing trip to Bryce Canyon, check out our Bryce Canyon Itinerary.
We give you a step-by-step guide to see the BEST of Bryce and it comes with an audio guide to tell you all about it while you drive through the park!
Check it out today! And keep reading for more resources on Bryce Canyon.
BRYCE CANYON TRIP PLANNER: To read or watch all of our content about Bryce Canyon National Park, check out our Bryce Canyon Homepage
THINGS TO DO: There is so much to do including, watching a sunrise, horseback riding, biking and riding trails on ATVs. Follow our Bryce itinerary or our 3-day Bryce and Zion itinerary for an epic road trip.
WHERE TO EAT: Check out the best places to eat in and around the area of Bryce Canyon
GREAT CITIES TO STAY OR CHECK OUT:Learn all about the best places to stay at Bryce Canyon and don’t miss other great cities nearby including Cedar City.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: Find out if you need a reservation and how to use the shuttle system plus tips on driving in Bryce and when you should visit.
WATCH: Enjoy videos of gorgeous Bryce Canyon National Park while learning our best tips for visiting by watching our Bryce Canyon YouTube Playlist
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