Bryce Canyon: Two Trails Closed After Rain, the Rest Stay Muddy

If you're planning a hike at Bryce Canyon right now, two routes are off the table. After recent rain, Wall Street and the Bryce Connector trails are closed until further notice. No reopening date has been announced, and the call will depend on how fast the ground dries out and what shape the paths are in.

This closure isn't a minor one, because Wall Street is one of the most photographed stretches in the park. It's the switchback section that drops into the canyon from Sunset Point, running between two tall walls of orange rock. If it was on your list, you'll need to rework your plan for the day and line up a backup loop.

The good news is that the rest of the park's trails are still open. The bad news is that after rain, Bryce's soil soaks up water and turns to heavy clay that cakes onto your soles. The open trails are passable but muddy and slippery, which completely changes the pace of a descent into the hoodoos.

Here's what we'd do. Wear lugged soles, bring poles, and leave yourself some extra time for the climb back out, which always takes longer than expected on soggy ground. Slopes that feel easy in dry weather turn treacherous once the mud sets in, and a slip comes fast at the edge of a drop-off. Better to move carefully than to chase a schedule.

Before you set out, check the day's conditions right at the entrance or the visitor center, since things shift as the ground dries and a muddy stretch today may fully reopen tomorrow. It's also worth pushing your hike toward mid-morning, giving the sun time to firm up the exposed paths a bit.

To plan the rest of your visit around these limits, lean on the Bryce Canyon park guide, which lists the viewpoints and alternate loops. And if Bryce is just one stop, it fits easily into our road trip itinerary that runs through the park, handy for reshuffling your plans when the weather gets involved.