Our Mighty Five Finale: A Tasty Stop at Bryce Canyon National Park

When we first started planning this journey to Moab, it was just that, a trip to Moab. There was no focus on taking on the Mighty Five in five days, but looking at the map, we realized ‘why make a six-and-a-half-hour drive to and from Las Vegas in one stretch when you can break up the drive and add in a full Utah National Park checklist instead.

With four parks already explored, it only made sense to add the fifth and final piece to this grand adventure: Bryce Canyon National Park.

Because Bryce Canyon was our final resting spot and more of a way to officially check off the last of the Mighty 5, intensive hiking wasn’t our priority, and camping wasn’t on the itinerary. Instead, we had a laid back and delicious to-do list: grab a pizza at Valhalla Pizza and take a leisurely walk along the canyon rim.

I don’t know if it was the fact that it’s the only pizza available after days of camping, or because when we first visited, it was the ultimate comfort food after a long hike, but ever since our very first trip to Bryce Canyon, Valhalla Pizza has been our gold standard when it comes to pizza. It was the pizza we compared all other pizzas to and the one we always wished we had closer to home. Unsurprisingly, its popularity has surged over the years and with that fame has come a shift.

On our first-ever visit, we walked right in, waited a few minutes for our food, and sat down to eat. Now? You can easily expect to wait upwards of an hour or more but if you have the time and nowhere to be, it can still be absolutely worth the wait. That being said, for this visit, it felt just a tiny bit less thrilling than those first few times. I'm not sure if the massive crowds and long wait times take away from the experience or if the flavors are slightly less dramatic, but as a road trip lunch spot and with the excitement of completing a Mighty Five trip, it was still a delicious addition to close out the visit.

With lunch complete and only a brief bit of time remaining until we needed to get back on the road to head home, we headed out to the Rim Trail and enjoyed a leisurely walk between the Fairyland Loop Trailhead and Sunset Point, fully appreciating the magnitude of the rock formations and contrasts in colors thanks to some remaining snow drifts. Even without trekking below the rim these views were just as breathtaking as I'd remembered.

On a previous trip, we ventured down into the canyon to hike the Navajo Loop (you can read all about that two-park adventure here), but for this trip, keeping our boots on top of the rim was what what time allowed and even though we were feeling a bit of regret not adding an additional day to our trip for some grander hiking options, this simple walk along the dirt path with its gentle inclines, not only allowed us to enjoy some spectacular views, but really was the perfect final stop on our five day adventure.

After five days of early mornings, long drives and continuous hikes and sightseeing, revisiting Bryce Canyon gave us a chance to slow down and reflect on the whirlwind of Utah beauty we had just witnessed before making the final drive back to Vegas.

Below are some signs from along the Bryce Canyon Rim Trail taken during my visit in March, 2026, in no particular order. (click images to expand for easier reading)