Conditions Right Now
Use sunset as your turnaround alarm.
Why Hike This
A natural bridge is not an arch. A bridge is cut by running water, and standing under Hickman's 133-foot span you can still read the drainage that did the work. The trail climbs steadily away from the Fremont River for the first stretch, which is the part that catches people expecting flat, and then levels out at the bridge. Trailhead parking on Highway 24 fills by around 9 am and stays crowded until after 4 pm, so go early or go late.
The Trail
133 ft natural bridge; pair with pie from the Gifford House. Yes, pie.
Pack Loadout (Moderate)
2 liters water, trail shoes, sun layer, snacks, small first-aid kit.
Difficulty follows the National Park Service’s own rating for this trail (source).
Getting There
Make it a weekend: Fruita Campground (Camping, 1 mi) · Singletree Campground (Camping, 15 mi) · Boulder Mountain Lakes (Fishing, 22 mi) · Fish Lake (Fishing, 32 mi)
More hikes nearby: Cassidy Arch (Hike, 1 mi) · Grand Wash (Hike, 2 mi) · Navajo Knobs (Hike, 2 mi) · Capitol Gorge & The Tanks (Hike, 6 mi)
Quick Answers
- How long is the Hickman Bridge hike?
- 1.7 miles round trip with 416 feet of elevation gain.
- How hard is Hickman Bridge?
- Moderate. Kid rating: 4 out of 5.
- When should I hike Hickman Bridge?
- Best season: Spring-Fall.
- Why hike Hickman Bridge?
- Hickman Bridge is the easiest way in Capitol Reef to stand underneath something enormous. The 133-foot span is a water-carved bridge rather than an arch left behind by weathering, and the trail reaches it in under a mile each way. The one catch is the climb at the start, which is steeper than most people expect.