Hickman Bridge Hike – Capitol Reef National Park Utah

Capitol Reef is said to be the least visited and most-overlooked parks of the Utah Mighty 5 National Parks but it’s not short on spectacular scenery and fun hikes.

Hickman Bridge is one of the most popular hikes in Capitol Reef National Park for a good reason – it’s a short, easy hike leading to an interesting 133 foot long/125 foot high arch. Here is everything you need to know about hiking Hickman Bridge in Capitol Reef National Park in Utah.

Hickman Bridge Hike Details:

• Type: Out and Back
• Length: 2 miles round trip
• Elevation Gain: 416 feet
• Difficulty: Easy
• Time needed: About 30-45 minutes

Hickman Bridge – Trailhead Location

The parking lot is a decent size, but I could easily see this filling up on busy days. I hiked to Hickman Bridge around 3pm in mid-May and didn’t have any issues finding a spot but I remember driving past the parking lot on our way into Capitol Reef and people were parked along the side of the road. From this hiking area, you can also access three hikes in the park – Rim Overlook, Navajo Knobs, and of course, Hickman Bridge.

There is a restroom at the trailhead and for 50 cents, you can grab a trail map that will tell you everything you’ve ever wanted to know about the hike and surrounding scenery.

Hiking to Hickman Bridge in Capitol Reef National Park

The Hickman Bridge trailhead is well-marked from the parking lot. The trail starts out by following the banks of the Fremont River and then starts to gain most of its elevation shortly after leaving the riverbanks. You’ll climb up rock “steps” on your way to the bridge.

As you continue on the trail to the arch, you’ll pass through a dry wash with lots of pinon pines and juniper trees, giving you at least a tiny bit of shade on a hot day!

The trail levels out, becoming mostly flat as you reach the sandstone bridge. You’ll know you’re closing in on Hickman Bridge, as you’ll see lots of other hikers hanging out around the bridge from afar. When you’re further away from Hickman Bridge, it blends in with the other sandstone rock and can be hard to see unless you’re right next to it.

The trail is mostly well-marked, however I got a little turned around in the area after viewing the arch and ended up off-trail. Once you reach the arch, the trail turns into a small loop that goes underneath the arch and back around to the trail. I somehow got turned around here, but luckily I had my All Trails map to direct me back onto the trail.

If you want to continue your hike, you can continue onto the Rim Overlook, which will add another 2 miles to your hike. I wanted to hike to Cassidy Arch on the same afternoon so I headed back to my car after reaching Hickman Bridge.

Hickman Bridge Hike in Capitol Reef National Park – Final Thoughts

This is a short, easy hike that almost anyone can do and is a great way to get a hike in at the park if you’re short on time.

Pros:

• Easy, quick hike
• Beautiful scenery along the way

Cons:

• Parking lot will fill up on busy days
• If you’ve seen a lot of these sandstone arches, this isn’t as impressive as, say Delicate Arch or Corona Arch in nearby Moab. It’s still worth a look!