We combined the Fairyland Trail with sections of the Rim Trail into a 7.5-mile (12km) circuit and couldn’t believe how apt a name the Fairyland Loop Trail proved to be. All the time the trail meandered along the rim, descended down to the valley floor, weaved through hundreds of hoodoos and spires, and then climbed back out of the canyon, we soaked up the marvellous views of a magical fairyland of pink and rust-coloured sandstone formations.

The close-up views of the hoodoos were just as fascinating as the sweeping panoramas of the rock formations from the rim, and I’d say this walk and the Queens Garden and Peekaboo Loop are the most rewarding and varied hikes in Bryce Canyon National Park.

Also, as it’s one of the longest walks in the park, it’s not as busy as the Navajo Loop Trail or the popular viewpoints on the Bryce Canyon Rim Trail, the Sunrise and Sunset Points.

The Fairyland Loop Trail is easy to follow and not a difficult walk, but does require a reasonable level of fitness to navigate the rocky terrain and a fairly constant up and downhill elevation profile.