Northern Bryce
Fairyland Point
The park’s northernmost viewpoint along the plateau rim, looking into Fairyland Canyon and the start of the Fairyland Loop.
MeasuredUse the place description to choose what to study, then check the approach, walking effort and current restrictions before leaving.
Conditions & official access sources · Compare walking distance and climb
What you’re looking at
Fairyland Point is the northernmost viewpoint along this part of the plateau rim. It overlooks Fairyland Canyon, north of the main Bryce Amphitheater.1
NPS describes this northern landscape as having a different erosional history from the main amphitheater. Ridges and hollows break up the plateau edge here. The 2018 lidar records their shape; it does not date any single formation.1,2
The point is reached by its own spur road, which closes to vehicles in winter, and lies outside the park shuttle route. The Fairyland Loop starts here and circles Boat Mesa, above and below the rim.1,3,4
Turn it in 3D
DerivedFairyland Point sector: the 2018 lidar surface, seen at an angle.Turn the surface, cut a section across it, and compare the aerial color with the laser returns the aircraft recorded. The 3D view loads only when you open it.
Section and skyline
DerivedFairyland Point skyline: Compare the nearer and farther parts of this eastward terrain crop. The warm bands represent distance thirds along each ray, never rock layers. Drawing (SVG)Best light
DerivedCalculated sunlight on the 2018 terrain at 09:00 and 17:00 Mountain Daylight Time on 20 March, the equinox. Sun bearing and height are computed; the surface color is drawn, and clouds, haze and trees are not modeled.Walks from here
- Fairyland LoopAround Boat Mesa, above and below the rim. NPS: 8 mi, 1,900 ft of climbing, strenuous.
Trail figures are the National Park Service’s. They are not current conditions; check NPS notices before a hike.
Living things here
Habitats: Rocky breaks & rim. The viewpoint looks over exposed, rocky breaks. NPS notes that the breaks are often sparsely wooded and that rocky ridges support trees adapted to difficult growing sites.11,12
Living Bryce entries for these habitats:
Care
NPS asks visitors to stay on trails, avoid climbing hoodoos, leave natural objects where they are and avoid feeding or disturbing wildlife. Walking toward a hoodoo’s base can disturb the clay-rich slopes that help protect its foundations, so enjoy the formations from established trails and overlooks.9,10
Read without 3D
This northern sector samples the Fairyland landscape. Compare the low and high portions of each centerline before looking for the same relationship in the plan.
- West to east through the center: 2,367 m at the west edge, 2,297 m at the east edge; lowest 2,287 m, highest 2,377 m.
- South to north through the center: 2,305 m at the south edge, 2,360 m at the north edge; lowest 2,285 m, highest 2,370 m.
Plan plate (SVG) · Section plate (SVG) · Print the relief atlas
Data and sources
Datasets
- Overlook photographs
- Terrain for 20 places
- Lidar return samples
- Overlook skylines
- Calculated sun on terrain
- Trails and profiles
- Park destinations and roads
- Relief in text and print
Sources
- National Park Service · Fairyland Point · 2024-10-10
- USGS data; public Entwine organization maintained by Hobu · USGS 3DEP LiDAR Point Clouds · 2018 acquisition; LAS published 2019
- National Park Service · Visiting in Winter · 2024-03-05
- National Park Service · Park Shuttle
- US Geological Survey · USGS Lidar Point Cloud UT Southern QL1 2018 12SUG9562 LAS 2019 metadata · 2019-06-03
- USDA FPAC / Farm Service Agency · USDA conterminous US NAIP imagery service · 2024 Utah acquisition, exact flight dates per crop
- National Park Service · Parking Information
- National Park Service · Current Conditions · 2026-08-31
- National Park Service · Protect the Hoodoos · 2018-10-16
- National Park Service · Hiking · 2024-10-11
- National Park Service, Bryce Canyon · Plants · April 30, 2023
- National Park Service, Bryce Canyon · Limber Pine · March 3, 2025