Hiking Mossy Cave Trail at Bryce National Park
The Mossy Cave Trail is the perfect choice for a quick hike at Bryce Canyon. The path is less than one mile round trip with 150 feet of elevation gain. Winding through a pinyon pine and juniper forest, it has fabulous views of iconic hoodoos alongside both a cave and a waterfall. It is a relatively easy trek that provides a great introduction to the local geology and history.
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Mossy Cave Trail Stats
Trailhead: Mossy Cave
Trail Type: Out & Back
Difficulty: ⚪ Easy based on OK Which Way’s rating system
Distance: .8 miles
Elevation: About 6800 feet
Planning Your Visit
Location: Bryce Canyon National Park, 4 miles east of the main road on Hwy 12
Time Zone: Mountain Time
Seasonal Closures: Temporary road closures may occur after snow storms
Parking: Mossy Cave Trailhead Trailhead
Park Pass Needed: Standard Entrance Pass or NPS America the Beautiful Pass
Entrance Fee: $35/car, Non US Citizens pay an additional $100/person, check the NPS website for current fee pricing
Park &Trail Maps: Link to NPS park maps
Pets: Only service animals allowed
The Trail
The path to Mossy Cave and the waterfall is straightforward and easy to navigate. Begin by following the main trail, which will lead you over a bridge spanning the Tropic Ditch. Continue alongside the water until you reach a second, larger bridge that crosses the ditch once more.
Shortly after this second crossing, you will arrive at a T-junction.
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To Mossy Cave: Turn left. This section of the trail is a brief uphill climb that leads directly to the cave alcove.
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To the Waterfall: After visiting the cave, head back down to the junction and continue straight. This path leads you to a viewpoint of the waterfall. There is no marked end point here, so feel free to explore the area before retracing your steps.
Tropic Ditch
The waterway that appears to be a natural creek is actually a 10 mile man made irrigation canal known as Tropic Ditch. Its history dates back to the late 1800s when members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began settling the region.
Between 1889 and 1892, a group of 40 men used hand tools to dig the canal, successfully diverting water from the East Fork of the Sevier River. The ditch carries water across the plateau and down into the valley. This provided the consistent water supply necessary to transform the arid landscape into farmable land, making the establishment of the town of Tropic possible. Today, the ditch continues to flow from spring through autumn
Mossy Cave
Coming from the Pacific Northwest, I didn’t realize I was such a moss snob. I’ll admit I was underwhelmed by Mossy Cave. I assumed that if a hike was dedicated specifically to it, the moss would be a lot more impressive than it was.
However, if you look closely, there is definitely moss inside the cave. I can appreciate that having any moss at all is quite a feat in such an arid, desert environment, even if it doesn’t quite compare to the lush greenery back home.
Spring Flowers
We visited Bryce Canyon in May and were treated to an array of spring flowers.
Tropic Ditch Falls
Waterfall Info
Waterfall Height: 15 feet
Waterfall Type: Artificially made Plunge
Watershed: Sevier River Basin, which lies within the Great Basin Watershed
Source: East Fork of the Sevier River via the Tropic Ditch
Reaching the Waterfall Pool
According to the NPS website visitors are permitted to go off trail and go by the water as long as you enter and exit at bridge crossings. In the event there is a change, be sure to follow posted signage.
To get to the small pool at the base of the falls, climb down near the bridge to reach the water level. We watched most visitors scramble down on the side closest to the waterfall, however we found it easier to go down on the opposite side of the bridge. From there, just follow the ditch a short distance to the pool.
Return to the Trailhead
From the main trail, enjoy the spectacular views as you head back to the trailhead.
Final Thoughts
The Mossy Cave Trail was a fantastic experience that crammed so much scenery in a short hike. Getting to see the waterfall was a fun bonus, and being surrounded by so many impressive hoodoos made the trek feel like a true Bryce Canyon adventure. It is an easy trail that I would definitely recommend to anyone visiting the area.
Hike the Hoodoos Challenge
The Hike the Hoodoos challenge at Bryce Canyon is a fun and engaging way to explore the park. To participate, you find at least 3 of the 9 specific benchmark survey markers located along various trails. Once you locate a marker, you can either take a selfie with it or create a pencil rubbing of the medallion. Present the photos or rubbings to a park ranger at the visitor center to earn a reward.
I am such a fan of this program for so many reasons. First, I can never resist a good scavenger hunt. And second, I absolutely love rubbings and don’t understand why they aren’t more popular.
LEAVE NO TRACE
Optional Items to Bring
Our Stats
Date: May 2025
Distance: 1.2 miles
Start: Mossy Cave Trailhead
End: Mossy Cave Trailhead
Hiking Time: 1hr 3min*
*A quick note on our hiking style – We stop and smell the roses. When I go for a run, speed is a consideration. While hiking, it is not. We take photos, watch the chipmunk, find geocaches, and simply enjoy the adventure. So, typically a hike can be completed in a shorter time than we log.
International Dark Sky Park ✬彡
Bryce Canyon National Park has exceptional starry nights and is a designated International Dark Sky Park.
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This trail review is based only on Jennifer’s experience. Hike at your own risk with the understanding that individual scenarios in a natural environment will be variable.
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