Anyone Done Under the Rim?

SKLund

SKLund

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Aug 19, 2016
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...in Bryce that is. I'm interested but it seems awfully close to the main road through the park with attendant hordes and tour buses. Whatcha think?
 
SKLund said:
...in Bryce that is. I'm interested but it seems awfully close to the main road through the park with attendant hordes and tour buses. Whatcha think?
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You mean overnight? There is a quickie under and around the south end of the peninsula ridge I always thought about doing but haven't yet. Just one night and no doggies so I haven't, yet.
 
Artemus said:
You mean overnight? There is a quickie under and around the south end of the peninsula ridge I always thought about doing but haven't yet. Just one night and no doggies so I haven't, yet.
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Yes overnight, maybe a couple. Should have clarified that.
 
Nick said:
I took it off my list after hearing more about it. It looks like 90% or more of it is down in the forest, well away from the classic Bryce geology. And the dog thing...
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Don't want to dissuade you @SKLund ... once you break out back into the Orange it would be spectacular, especially if you added a day or two of off piste and didn't have dog companions.
 
It's a nice backpack, to be sure, but if you're expecting it to be, well, Bryce Canyon the whole time, you'll be sorely disappointed. There are a couple of really nice spots - Dropping down from Rainbow northward is surreal, Swamp Canyon is amazing, and then up past the Hat Shop to Bryce Point is obviously great. Agua Canyon section is pretty nice as well, some good views over the Monument to the west.

Overall, it's a really nice trip with really easy logistics (there's a bus that goes down to Rainbow Point each morning) and I do highly recommend it. Water isn't really a problem (Iron Spring is just fine, NPS literatue notwithstanding) and you don't have to worry about dirt roads when it's raining.

I've done it over a couple of Memorial Days and haven't had issues with crowds. It's permitted so it's thankfully not a free-for-all.

I will say, that in a couple of spots, you wonder what all your tax dollars are going towards, as the trail is a little bit indistinct/brushy. Not a big deal, just enough to whine and moan about if you kind of have an anti-NPS chip on your shoulder to begin with.
 
Once you're out in the BC, you don't really have issue with the tourist hordes. They tend to stay on the rim, while you're obviously Under the Rim. UTR isn't really that long, so if you're looking for a longer hike, you can always tack on the Riggs Spring loop, and even extend your hike on the north end to some of the classics in the Bryce Ampitheater. But then you'll also run into the crowds.

Bear cans are required, and provided free when you get your permit.
 
The other guys pretty much nailed the description. We did it several years ago. It was ok. It's not spectacular Bryce scenery the whole way. Some ugly burned sections. We hardly saw people which was nice. If you're not looking for the most spectacular hike, go for it. We did the 23 mile version in one night. We weren't certain about the water situation so we cached some the night before our trip near our Right Fork Swamp Camp.
 
Mike K said:
The other guys pretty much nailed the description. We did it several years ago. It was ok. It's not spectacular Bryce scenery the whole way. Some ugly burned sections. We hardly saw people which was nice. If you're not looking for the most spectacular hike, go for it. We did the 23 mile version in one night. We weren't certain about the water situation so we cached some the night before our trip near our Right Fork Swamp Camp.
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Part of the appeal for me is that it's easy/convenient. You can decide "hey I want to go hike UTR" and be out the door in half an hour. Other than the permit (just get there early in the morning and you'll be fine), there's nothing complicated about it.
 
SKLund said:
...in Bryce that is. I'm interested but it seems awfully close to the main road through the park with attendant hordes and tour buses. Whatcha think?
Click to expand...
I almost did it a few months ago, but we ended up just hitting some of the main trails instead

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
 
LarryBoy said:
It's a nice backpack, to be sure, but if you're expecting it to be, well, Bryce Canyon the whole time, you'll be sorely disappointed. There are a couple of really nice spots - Dropping down from Rainbow northward is surreal, Swamp Canyon is amazing, and then up past the Hat Shop to Bryce Point is obviously great. Agua Canyon section is pretty nice as well, some good views over the Monument to the west.

Overall, it's a really nice trip with really easy logistics (there's a bus that goes down to Rainbow Point each morning) and I do highly recommend it. Water isn't really a problem (Iron Spring is just fine, NPS literatue notwithstanding) and you don't have to worry about dirt roads when it's raining.

I've done it over a couple of Memorial Days and haven't had issues with crowds. It's permitted so it's thankfully not a free-for-all.

I will say, that in a couple of spots, you wonder what all your tax dollars are going towards, as the trail is a little bit indistinct/brushy. Not a big deal, just enough to whine and moan about if you kind of have an anti-NPS chip on your shoulder to begin with.
Click to expand...

Much help thanks.
 
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