Hickman Bridge Trail

It was a fun trail! Sunny so best to do when it’s cooler.

This is a trail with a striking visual payoff once you reach the Hickman Bridge. I hiked it on a weekday at 5:30 pm 93 degrees and sunny. The beginning of the trail has the main elevation gain via several series of "stairs", wiggles, and structured inclines made of slick rock and dirt. This is not easy if you have cardiac issues, knee problems, balance issues, or are not used to the altitude. Once you reach the "top" you will hike across a completely exposed desert area until you reach the next series of wiggles down to the canyon floor. The views are really great here and you can spend time gazing at Capitol Dome and Pectols Pyramid. The trail continues through the sandy wash with trees and some shade. On the approach to the bridge you will be hiking on slick rock and climbing over other smaller rocks. I took the clockwise loop - it was not well marked and I ended up on a ledge with a sign that told me this was not the trail. Making my way back I wandered a bit and took a slight right and suddenly the Hickman Bridge appeared. You can continue under the bridge and pick up the trail again. Most of the trail will be hiking in a general direction with the path you choose as it is often across rocks and markers (such as 15) may be down. I suggest plenty of water, go later in the day so the canyon cools off for the return trip, bring trekking poles, and expect to spend more time on the hike due to the heat and exploring areas like the little natural arches.

Fun and easy trail. We spend some time hanging out on the back side of the arch and watched the birds and the chipmunks. There isn't much shade on the trail so bring lots of water.

This was a nice out and back tail with some easy challenges. The prizes were the beautiful natural bridge at the end and the nice cool river to soak your feet in back at the trailhead. The moderate climb from the river was enough to get your heart pumping but it was relatively easygoing from there, minus a few scrambles around boulders at the pinnacle. We sat our pack chairs in the Fremont River near the trailhead and had a picnic, complete with a great local heffenweizen, when we returned. It was one of my favorite hikes in the area!

Nice fairly easy hike with some great views along the way. The bridge was beautiful and you get to hike right through it.

This was a great hike. The beginning of the trail is where you gain all of the elevation. The trail loops under the bridge which is gorgeous. Probably the best "bang for your buck" hike in the park.

Great short trail. If you get to Capitol Reef and don't have a ton of daylight left, this is your hike!

Can be heavy traffic, but plenty of alone places when you get near the top.

This hike is short and sweet and right off the roadway. While it was a quick intro to Capitol reef, it seemed like the real heart of the park was to the west of this area—wish we had chosen something among the deep red rock formations. The trailhead was busy with less-seasoned hikers, so I would consider this more of a tourist stop than a real hike.

Decent hike. Good destination. Easy hike compared to Cassidy Arch.

Great trail! Took my two boys(6 and 4) with us. 6 year old didn't have any issues but the 4 year old struggled in the begining. Midway there is some interesting things to check out. the natural bridge is breathtaking and you should sit and enjoy it before heading back.

This is a perfect trail for kids, it’s busy, very easy, and the bridge is amazing.

Confusing trail, but pretty neat. You feel like you are on a different planet. The hike is up hill 60% of the time, but not too bad. Keep an eye open for all the sites along the trail (arches) there are also many different features that might trick you in to thinking you found the Hickman Bridge. This feature is enormous, you will know when you get to it.

Such a good trail. First half has a few switchbacks with some elevations gain but the bridge is amazing. We went around 8:30 AM on a Thursday and we only saw about four people. Would highly recommend.

The most popular trail in a not very busy park. Once you get to the part of the trail that loops, make sure to go right in a counter clockwise direction to get the most stunning approach

Great hike to see a natural bridge in a beautiful National Park! It didn't take too long, but the first part to Hickman Bridge was all gain. After that part, the rest is fairly easy. Worth the heat if you go mid-day in late June!

Beautiful hike, had a great vantage point to watch the sunset from. We also had good views of some of the rock formations that inspired them to name the park after capitol buildings.

Worth the walk!

This is a quick easy hike. It was the busiest trailhead we saw in the park.

Great short hike.

Very busy but short and nice

Short but beautiful.

Great, short trail

Easy nice Hike.

This was a fun and relatively easy hike. Our teenage kids liked it and the view was nice. If your looking for a nice little adventure do this hike.

Definitely worth your time. Hike past the arch for a little more adventure. Good scramble just past the arch up to the rim.

Saw a cute chipmunk!

Great hiking. Not much shade in the first part. Neat little cave with skylights. Can walk through the arch... amazing view!!

A mostly easy hike to a signature natural bridge in Utah. The hardest parts were the switchbacks, so make sure you're prepared to gain lots of elevation in the first portion. The bridge is absolutely incredible.

Easy hike. Enjoyed the views.