BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK, April 11, 2026 (Gephardt Daily) — For the visual learners among us, the National Park Service is offering a picture of how much water how much water might be needed to stay hydrated during a short or longer hike.
“You often hear us say, “drink plenty of water!” but how much water do you really need?,” says a NPS news release and photo illustration based on a trip to Bryce Canyon National Park.
“Here at 8,000 feet above sea level, we have about 30% less oxygen than most people are used to breathing. As a result, your body has to work extra hard to perform the same activities – you know, the ones that keep you alive. That means you get dehydrated much quicker here,” the release says.
“This is especially the case as we get into the hotter summer months. Dehydration is one of the most common emergencies that require carry out in the park (just after injured ankles due to poor footwear choices). Do yourself a favor and make sure your water reservoirs are full before you hit the trail.
“While our rescue crew members are great, your vacation will be a lot better if you never have to meet them.”
To combat dehydration, the NPS recommends one liter of water per hour spent on the trail, per adult. (Juveniles also need water, just to be clear.)
“The handy trail guide in your park newspaper will help you determine how long your hike is expected to take. However, liters aren’t a strong suit here in the United States, so we’ve created a handy reference for some of our more popular hikes!”
One liter of water is about 34 ounces. Many reusable water bottles come in a 32 ounce size, so that’s the standard used in the photo illustration.
“If your bottle is larger or smaller than 32 ounces, do a little math to figure out how many of YOUR bottles you’ll need.”
