Mossy Cave Trail is one of the most overlooked trails in Bryce Canyon National Park. Probably because it’s actually located outside of where you’d normally visit when going to Bryce.
However, it’s also a great quick hike that is perfect for families and children visiting Bryce Canyon. The hike is short, easy, and has a few payoffs in the form of a cave, lovely creek, and a waterfall. And you can complete it any time day.
The hike does not have the numerous hoodoos that Bryce is famous for. So I wouldn’t recommend it as your only hike. But it might be a fun addition on your way back to your hotel or elsewhere. This guide will hopefully help you in determining if its the right trail for you.
About the Mossy Cave Trail
Distance: 1 mile | Type: Out & Back | Avg. Time: 20 mins | Difficulty: Easy | Dog Friendly: No
The Mossy Cave Trail is one of the more unique trails in the park. It is located outside of the main canyon area of the park. In this way it may be a nice spot to explore if things are crazy in the main canyon area.
The hike gives you a very different feel for the area and it has some local historical context. The hike follows the Tropic Ditch, a canal constructed by the Mormon settlers to support argriculture in the area.
The trail splits and hikers have the option to visit two distinct landmarks. The Mossy Cave, a small overhang cave where users can peer into (but not enter) as well as the Tropic Ditch Waterfall.
In my opinion the waterfall is the more interesting of the two to see. But given how close they are in proximity it’s an easy hike to visit both.
Mossy Cave Trail Trailhead & Parking
Trailhead Location: Mossy Cave Trail Parking
The Mossy Cave Trail and Trailhead is located outside of the main part of Bryce Canyon National Park. It is located basically in-between the towns of Bryce Canyon City and Tropic Utah.
The trailhead and parking area is located off UT-12 about 5 miles from Bryce Canyon City and 3.8 miles from Tropic. You’ll see a small parking area with pit toilet in the vicinity as well.
The parking lot can and does fill-up. It generally has pretty quick turnover as the trail is rather short. There unfortunately are not any good spots nearby to park for the trail.
Best Time to Do the Hike
The hike is pretty good all year long. It’s the lowest elevation hike in the park and it’s pretty easy to complete.
Summers in the park and here as well can be quite hot. The hike is short though, so I find it’s one of the easier ones to do regardless of the time of day. Late summer you need to be careful about monsoons in Southern Utah. Be sure to check on the weather.
I prefer doing the hike in the Fall, I find the weather to be the best option and October in particular is past monsoon season. Spring is also a great season. Early spring may still have ice/snow so be cautious of that. Mid to Late spring is generally nice. I found that April in the Utah parks tend to have good weather with lower crowds.
Winter can be cold and windy in the park. Dress for the weather and you may choose to bring microspikes for traction on the trails. Trails can be snowy and icy in this part. But winter is a magical time in Bryce and other Utah parks.
The Mossy Cave Trail Hike
The trail begins from the small parking lot. Several people I met didn’t recognize the trail start. If you are facing the bathrooms from the trail, bear to the left for the start of the Mossy Cave hike.
The photo above also shows you the trail after you pass the bathroom. Stay to your left.
The trail is really beautiful. You’ll be on a pretty flat trail here. The peaks of the cliffs around you are quite beautiful as you can see.
You’ll cross several bridges along the trail here. You’ll cross the first bridge at about 0.2 miles into the hike.
After about another 0.1 mile you’ll get a view of the waterfall to your right. You’ll cross another bridge soon after that.
Slightly past this bridge you’ll come to the intersection above. You have a choice here, but you’ll eventually do both. Either head towards the mossy cave or the waterfall.
We’ll head to the mossy cave here first. Head up this trail and after about 0.1 miles of ascending this trail you’ll reach the mossy cave.
It’s a viewing area with a fence, so you can only look in the cave but not enter the cave.
Return to the intersection and head straight. You’ll head along the ditch and cross a bridge. After about 0.1 miles from the intersection you’ll be along the waterfall. From here there is a trail that goes to the left. However, i walked it a while and didn’t find anything worth continuing on here. If anyone else went far and found something do let me know.
From here you return back to the intersection and then turn left to return back towards the trailhead. In total if you’ve visited both sites you’ll have done about 1 mile.
Tips & FAQs
- The trail continues beyond the waterfall to the left. However. I didn’t find much worth seeing beyond the waterfall.
- The trail is easy, but would recommend good shoes or sandals. There’s uneven areas.
- If the parking lot is full, we recommend waiting a bit if there’s room. The hike is only 20 minutes so there’s frequent turnover.
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