While visiting Bryce Canyon, we wanted something truly unique to make our trip unforgettable.
That’s when we discovered the 2-hour unguided OHV rental offered by Bryce Wildlife Outfitters.
The self-guided adventure promised thrilling off-road escapades, stunning vistas, and up-close encounters with nature and wildlife.
Intrigued, we couldn’t wait to see if it lived up to the hype.
In this guide:
- Bryce Wildlife Outfitters OHV Rental Quick Stats
- What to expect on the 2-hour unguided rental
- Things to know and what to bring
- Is the tour worth it?
- Other things to do in Bryce Canyon
Bryce Wildlife Outfitters OHV Rental Quick Stats
| Activity | 2-Hour OHV rental through landscapes surrounding Bryce Canyon National Park (not the park itself) |
| Experience Level | Suitable for beginners and experienced riders. The company states the trails are beginners’ trails and that their vehicles drive like a car. We agree! |
| Cost | Starting at $295 (pricing subject to change) |
| Vehicle | 4-seater OHV |
| Driver requirements | Must be 25 years or older with a valid driver license |
| Website | Bryce Wildlife Outfitters |
| Location | 1945 W Hwy 12, Bryce UT, 84764 (located next to the Wildlife Museum) |
| Rating | 5 Mooses |
Before we begin, I’d like to note, we are not affiliated with the company in any way and paid full price for our rental. Our opinions reflect our experience that day.
What to expect on the 2-hour unguided rental
Upon arrival at Bryce Wildlife Outfitters, you’ll receive a comprehensive orientation, including safety instructions, how to operate the vehicle and a map for navigation.
The vehicles were also equipped with a GPS tracker, in case you get lost (like we did).
They do encourage you to sign up in advance in case it’s busy, but the day we visited, we called ahead and then filled out all the paperwork once we arrived.
I didn’t keep an exact copy of the map, but the example above shows the general area you’ll be driving around. The 2-hour rental we selected goes in a loop out to an ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest with panoramic views, traverses through meadows filled with cows and ends at the Tropic Reservoir.
They also told us to be on the lookout for the chance to see deer, elk, prairie dogs and even osprey flying overhead.
The Journey Begins
The road begins through the Paunsaugunt Plateau area (outside the boundary of Bryce Canyon National Park) as ATVs / OHVs are not allowed in the park. Despite that, the area near the park is quite exciting to explore.
We found the road easy to drive on (yes, even for beginners) and relatively flat the entire journey.
You’ll only need to make a couple of small turns during the first part of the trip and it’s pretty easy to stay on track at this point.
Not long into the trip, you’ll come across an area on the map marked as “prairie dogs.”
Prairie Dog Sightings
You’ll know you’ve arrived when you come to a “T” in the road. You’ll be told to pull off the road and turn off the engine and wait for them to arrive.
Right, of course, prairie dogs will come running when they hear the engine of an OHV turned off.
To our surprise, within 30 seconds of the engine going off – this guy showed up.
Followed by his friends.
They were aggressively hungry…
…and not shy.
Note: Do not feed them – it’s illegal. Plus, they might bite your finger.
After enjoying the prairie dogs frolicking around, continue on to the next stop along the journey, the Bristlecone Pine Forest.
In this area of the trip, the road is a little more rugged and rough, but still easy to drive on.
You’ll know you’ve reached the end when you come to a large clearing with a circular turn-around. This is a great spot to enjoy a picnic lunch or hike around (if you have time).
Enjoy the views and then head back the way you came.
Meadows, cows and getting lost
After leaving the Bristlecone area, you’ll pass back through the area with the prairie dogs and then head off through some meadows towards the Tropic Reservoir.
We enjoyed the lush meadows and massive amounts of cows in the areas. Sadly, we found no deer, elk or antelope.
Despite the warnings, taking photos of trail markers, having a map, and a cell phone, we still managed to miss the turn to the reservoir. The only advice we can give is to pay extra attention when they are giving you instructions.
We ended up calling them on our cell phone and they located us on their GPS tracker to get us back on the correct path. We ended up losing about 15 minutes of our rental time with the detour.
Tropic Reservoir and an Ospreys Nest
Finally arriving at the Tropic Reservoir, we looked around for the Ospreys Nest and were pleasantly surprised to see the actual bird flying through the skies.
The tiny black spot in the sky is the best we could do for a photo – but it was there!
We did find the nest as well, but never saw anything perched on top.
We finished our loop around the reservoir and headed back to drop off our rental.
Things to know and what to bring
It’s only a two-hour rental, so you really don’t need to bring much. There are a few things we wish we had with us and knew before going.
- They provide helmets and goggles – use them. Skip wearing your own sunglasses. It gets really dusty.
- Bring a hair tie and wear clothes you don’t mind getting dusty.
- Bring water and snacks as there’s nothing on the trail.
- If you have a camera with a zoom lens, bring it! We brought a back-pack and there was plenty of space for it. We didn’t have our zoom camera, but it would have been great for wildlife shots and landscape photos.
- Consider upgrading your tour to the 4-hour option to have extra time.
- They warn you about speeding in the vehicles (max speed is 25mph). They show you a terrible picture of one that rolled over and was totaled. For what it’s worth, we never felt like the vehicle could roll (we did stay within the speed limit) – whoever did that must have gone incredibly fast and possibly around a corner.
Is the 2-hour unguided Bryce Wildlife Outfitters OHV tour worth it?
Rating: 5 Mooses
What we liked:
- The prairie dogs were cute and highly entertaining.
- The OHV was easy to drive and great for beginners.
- We enjoyed the scenery at the Bristlecone Pine Forest lookout.
What we didn’t like:
- The trail signage was severely lacking and we got lost. It’s not the company’s fault and they did everything they could to try and keep us on the right track, but it was still frustrating.
- Two hours was not enough for the loop, especially given we got lost. There wasn’t time to stop for lunch, nor for a swim in the reservoir if it were hot or a quick hike in the Bristlecone.
- The dust on the trail was pretty intense if you meet another vehicle on the trail. We would not have enjoyed going in a group with multiple vehicles.
Verdict: Overall, the 2-hour unguided OHV rental from Bryce Wildlife Outfitters was a memorable adventure and we’re glad we went. If you’re in the area – we recommend taking a chance and checking it out.
