One of the few trails in the park that begins below the rim, the Tropic Trail connects to Navajo Loop, Queen’s Garden, Peekaboo Loop, and Rim trails. It follows Bryce Creek, which is dry much of the year. The incline is initially gradual and connects to other popular and more strenuous hikes. Total ascent to the Rim Trail is over 1,000 feet. Ponderosa forest flanks the trail and the beautifully-colored, layered cliffs and hoodoos are, at first, seen from a distance. As you hike into the base of the amphitheater, these otherworldly formations surround and tower above you.