Last Updated on: 14th December 2023, 12:58 am
After dealing with stressful hike permit lotteries and timed entry systems at other Utah parks, visiting Capitol Reef National Park is a breath of fresh air. The park’s flagship hike – Navajo Knobs – is freely accessible to anyone, while you’ll likely have much of the trail to yourself.
It’s easily one of the most incredible hikes in the Southwest. And that’s really saying something considering all the epic hiking options the region has to offer.
In the following guide, we’ll be covering everything you need to know about hiking the Navajo Knobs and the Rim Overlook trails (which are actually the same trail), in addition to the nearby Hickman Bridge Trail.
And at the end of the article, you can learn about the best places to stay near Capitol Reef along with other useful information to help you plan your trip.
About This Hike
THE BASICS: The hike to Navajo Knobs is arguably Capitol Reef National Park’s most thrilling hike. The whole out-and-back hike is 9.5 miles (15 km), with an elevation gain of about 2100 ft (650 m). Hiking to Navajo Knobs could take you anywhere from 5-7 hours.
The hike begins at the parking lot for the Hickman Bridge Trailhead. As the name suggests, you can also access the Hickman Bridge from here, though that’s technically a separate (albeit short) hike. I decided to take the detour to Hickman Bridge on my way back. In total, hiking to both Navajo Knobs and the Hickman Bridge would take me about six hours.
But what, you may be wondering, is the Rim Overlook Trail? This is actually the same exact trail as the Navajo Knobs Trail, but with hikers turning back once they reach the Rim Overlook. In relation to the full Navajo Knobs Trail, the Rim Overlook is situated at roughly the halfway point. Hiking to the overlook alone takes most people about 2-3 hours roundtrip.
Regarding difficulty, just hiking to the Rim Overlook could be considered a moderate hike, while the full Navajo Knobs hike is a strenuous one.
In regards to crowds, things get progressively quieter the higher you go. Given its accessibility, the Hickman Bridge Trail is extremely popular. Relatively fewer people hike to the Rim Overlook, and even less to Navajo Knobs.
But considering how the trailheads for Navajo Knobs and the Hickman Bridge share a parking lot, you’ll have to get there early to ensure you get a space. In my case, I arrived a little after 7:00. The parking lot was already mostly full on that summer morning, though there were still some empty spaces.
RECOMMENDED APPS: Most of Capitol Reef National Park lacks reception, so you’ll want to subscribe to an app like AllTrails or onX Backcountry and download all the necessary trail maps in advance.
As we’ll go over below, some parts of the hike can be tricky even with an app, and it would be especially easy to get disoriented without it.
WHAT TO BRING: There’s absolutely no shade throughout this hike, so it’s best to start early, wear a hat, and bring plenty of sunscreen. Of course, you’ll need plenty of water – especially if you’re hiking in a warmer month – so a hydration pack would be a good idea.
Some parts of the Navajo Knobs hike can get quite steep, so a trekking pole might be helpful, but not entirely necessary. A good pair of hiking boots or trail runners are highly recommended.
The Journey to the Rim Overlook
As mentioned above, the Rim Overlook Trail and the Navajo Knobs Trail are actually the same trail, with the Rim Overlook being located at around the halfway point.
Therefore, we’ll be splitting the following trekking guide into two main sections: the journey to the Rim Overlook followed by the rest of the hike to Navajo Knobs.
The very early stages of the trail are also shared with the Hickman Bridge Trail. But eventually, the trail will fork and you’ll have to make a detour to see the bridge itself.
The bridge is indeed worth seeing, which we’ll be covering further below. But in order to beat both the crowds and the heat on the main trail, it would be wise to save it for your return trip.
The hike to the Rim Overlook begins with a fairly steep ascent. And the views are already incredible from very early on. This is something that makes desert hikes like these so special. Mountain hikes, in contrast, often begin with long sections of dense forest in which you can’t see a thing.
Unfortunately, the trail to the Rim Overlook and Navajo Knobs can be difficult to follow at some points. Rather than signs or painted trail markers, the correct path has been demarcated with large stones and cairns.
But at the time of my visit, these rocks were in such a state of disarray that they were often indistinguishable from all the other rocks in the area!
As such, I frequently found myself getting off the trail. This is something you’re really not supposed to do, as it can damage precious biological soil, or biocrust, which can take decades to regrow.
But with the official trail being far from obvious at the time of my visit, it was nearly impossible to accidentally wander off it from time to time.
Before long, I arrived at the Hickman Bridge overlook. As mentioned, the Hickman Bridge Trail is the most popular in this area, though that trail takes you below the natural bridge. This overlook, in contrast, is a great place to admire it from afar.
If you’re short on time or just not much of a hiker, consider hiking to the Hickman Bridge overlook as a short out-and-back hike.
I started the hike at around 7:30 and it was still quite cool, but I could tell that things were already beginning to heat up. As mentioned, another reason to start early is to beat the crowds.
In fact, after passing the fork for the Hickman Bridge Trail, I only encountered only two other people on my way to Navajo Knobs – one person already on his way down (somehow), and a trail runner who ran past me and soon disappeared.
Just having done both Angels Landing and The Narrows at Zion National Park, it was incredible to have all these amazing landscapes to myself.
The Rim Overlook and Navajo Knobs hike has you walking along the edge of what’s known as the Waterpocket Fold – Capitol Reef National Park’s defining geological feature. But how did it form?
First, the Colorado Plateau saw a huge uplift of around 7,000 feet between 35 and 75 million years ago. But it still remained relatively flat.
Later on, however, tectonic plate shifts below the surface would cause the landscape to shift dramatically. Faults were formed, raising rocks on one side an additional 7,000 feet, ultimately resulting in the Waterpocket Fold.
The entire fold is massive, stretching out to 100 miles. And ever since the initial uplift that caused it, the rock here has been subject to millions of years of erosion – a process which remains in action to this day, particularly in the form of flash floods.
Photography of the Navajo Knobs hike – and Capitol Reef in general – can be a challenge. The reason is that many of the massive rock formations appear tilted, giving you a strange and disorienting feeling when walking among them.
Therefore, it can be rather hard to keep the camera level, while editing the photos later can leave you wondering what you’re supposed to be looking at!
After roughly an hour and fifteen minutes into the hike, I finally made it to the Rim Overlook which, as mentioned, overlooks the rim of the Waterpocket Fold.
If you don’t feel like you can make it all the way to the end of Navajo Knobs, you’ll still be able to enjoy a rewarding and memorable hike by coming this far and turning around.
From the rim, you can also directly overlook historic Fruita, first established in 1880 by Mormon settlers. Incredibly, they managed to practice agriculture in this otherwise dry and barren region with help from the nearby Fremont River.
Onward to Navajo Knobs
For those of you who are only doing the Rim Overlook trail, it’s now time to head back. But if you’re doing the full Navajo Knobs hike, you’re still just about halfway to your final destination.
The hike gets a bit more intense from here on – not to mention confusing. For example, some sections consist of multiple levels of rock, and it’s often unclear on which you’re supposed to be walking.
As much as I loved this hike, I couldn’t get over how neglected it felt. Considering how it’s located in the central part of a National Park, I expected there to be some kind of minimum maintenance requirement. Even though it was peak season, it seemed like no rangers had stopped by to pick up collapsed cairns in months.
Until they can come up with a better system, having something like AllTrails is a must for this hike.
The confusing bits aside, you’ll be greeted with more jaw-dropping views of this surreal landscape. But you’ll also have to work harder for them, as the hike gets increasingly steep.
One section is entirely comprised of bare rock that seems to be tilted at at least a 45-degree angle.
This section of the Waterpocket Fold is entirely comprised of Navajo Sandstone. The Navajo themselves didn’t settle here, however. But an ancient culture known as the Fremont people did, as evidenced by petroglyphs left throughout the region.
After a curvy section of the hike, you’ll eventually find yourself walking along the edge of the rim again. While there are a few parts that take you slightly downhill, the last section of the hike is another steep uphill climb.
Looking to your left, you’ll spot unique formations such as The Castle, a huge 6,387-foot (1,947 m) formation that can be seen from various parts of the park. But very few visitors get to see it from above like this.
Despite having an app handy, I wasn’t entirely sure where I was supposed to end up. But as I’d soon learn, the tallest formation visible in the distance did indeed mark the end of the hike.
Apparently, this is the ‘Navajo Knobs’ formation after which the entire hike was named.
The trail along the rim curved to the west, and from here it was another relentless uphill climb. It was starting to get warm out, and I found myself out of breath due to the steepness of the trail.
But knowing I was close, I kept pushing on until I finally made it to Navajo Knobs, finding myself at an elevation of 6,980 feet.
Upon arrival, I was pretty content with the view from the base of the Knobs. But I soon ran into the trail runner who’d passed me earlier, and she mentioned that it was a fairly easy scramble to the top of the formation.
While I wouldn’t exactly describe the climb as easy, it is indeed possible if you take things slow and steady. And it’s absoultely worth it, as the very top of the Navajo Knobs gives you an astounding and totally unobstructed 360° view.
Out of all the hikes I’ve done throughout the world, it’s very rare to get to a viewpoint that’s entirely clear in all directions like this.
I stood for a while at the top, repeatedly turning around to admire all of the formations. There’s plenty of variety everywhere you look, while the view of the road down below puts how high up you really are into perspective.
Eventually, it would be time to head back. I had to be very careful to make it down from the top of Navajo Knobs, which would be quite the fall!
I then simply proceeded the way I came up, though some of the confusing sections would catch me off guard yet again.
During the return hike, I stopped for a bit to admire a herd of bighorn sheep walking along the uneven rocks. They didn’t seem the least bit intimidated by the terrain.
While the formations in the east part of the trail was partially obscured by shadow on the way up, they were fully illuminated by the sun during the return trip, adding even more variety to this already incredible hike.
I could also enjoy a clear view of the Capitol Dome, the formation after which the park was named. Back in the 1800s, early settlers likened it to the dome of the US Capitol building in Washington DC.
The Hickman Bridge Trail
Though I was feeling exhausted and dealing with leg pain that had started several days prior after Angels Landing, I couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to see the Hickman Bridge from up close.
As mentioned above, there’s a fork in the trail not too far from the parking lot that the Rim Overlook/Navajo Knobs Trail and the Hickman Bridge Trail split into two.
Therefore, you can easily stop here on your way down. It will indeed be crowded, but it seemed just as crowded when I arrived earlier in the morning.
To be clear, the Hickman Bridge Trail isn’t exactly the quickest detour, with the whole thing lasting a little under an hour. But if you still have any energy left, I think it’s worth it.
It’s fascinating to get to see the rim that you just walked along from this time, while the bridge itself is excellent.
Once you get near, you’ll encounter a short loop trail that will take you under the bridge and then back the way you came.
This huge natural bridge spans 133 ft (41 m) and easily rivals some of the arches you’ll find at Arches National Park. After admiring the views, it will be time to loop back around and finally return to the parking lot.
If you’ve started the Navajo Knobs trail early enough, you should still have time for another hike this day – if you have any energy left, that is.
Be sure to check out our comprehensive guide to Capitol Reef National Park to learn about the various other hiking options.
Additional Info
Capitol Reef National Park is one of the easier Utah parks to plan for in regards to accommodation and transport. The park is just a 15-20 minute drive from the town of Torrey, and that’s pretty much where everyone stays.
Despite being a small town, Torrey thrives on tourism, so there are plenty of options in the area.
While not exactly budget options, Capitol Reef Resort and The Noor Hotel are as close to the park as you can get, being just a 7-minute drive to the Chimney Rock Trailhead.
While I didn’t stay there, I did eat a few times at the Rim Rock restaurant across the street, at the views were fantastic.
Closer to the quaint and charming town center, meanwhile, are the Red Sands Hotel and the Broken Spur Inn, both of which are highly rated. Of course, there are a number of good Airbnb options to choose from as well.
For those interested in camping, the main developed campsite within the park is the Fruita Campground which offers picnic tables, fire pits and a few restrooms.
It’s possible to camp there with either a tent or RV (if you don’t have your own, consider renting one on a site like Outdoorsy). You can learn more about camping at Capitol Reef here.
Given its remote location, most people will be visiting Capitol Reef National Park after seeing other parks in Utah.
For those coming directly from Bryce Canyon National Park, the drive to your accommodation in Torrey should take a little over two hours. But also be sure to check out Kodachrome Basin State Park during the journey.
The drive to or from Moab (the base for both Arches and Canyonlands National Parks), meanwhile, takes around 2.5 hours. But there are plenty of places to stop along the way, such as Goblin Valley State Park, which is about an hour and forty minutes from Torrey.
At the time of writing, Capitol Reef National Park costs $20 to enter (learn more here).
If you’re visiting from abroad, note that in contrast to many other countries, US parks typically charge per vehicle rather than per person. However, if you’re traveling by bicycle instead, they’ll charge you for an individual pass which costs $10, while those on motorcycles will be charged $15.
Considering how many National Parks and National Monuments there are to see in the Southwest alone, the best option for most will be to buy an ‘America the Beautiful’ Annual National Parks Pass.
These cost $80 for the year. In most cases, you’re already saving money by just visiting four National Parks/Monuments anywhere in the country within a full year.
What’s more, is that only one person in your vehicle needs to have the pass. Additionally, seniors can buy the pass for just $20. So if you have someone over 62 in your party, just have them get the annual pass and everyone else will be set.
As for where to get the pass, you can purchase it in person at most National Parks or Monuments. But you can also order it in advance online.