From Your Boat To The Bridge

Once you disembark, take the path through the canyon to the observation areas for Rainbow Bridge

NPS

Take a hike - from your boat up the trail to the observation area at Rainbow Bridge.

If you have the time, continue on the trail around to the commemorative plaques and beyond!

The trail’s length, difficulty and time it takes to complete varies depending on lake levels. Expect to walk anywhere from 0.5 to 1.5 miles (0.8 to 2.4km) each way. Proceed carefully and at your own risk. There is considerable elevation gain from the courtesy dock to the bridge itself. Follow the dock to the trailhead. Walk the rough trail along the wall next to Bridge Creek. After the second viewing area, a section of trail completed in 2017, extending the existing path entirely around the bridge. Visitors who decide to take this newer part of the trail can now see the bridge from multiple angles while honoring the sacred nature of the bridge by not walking directly under it. The new section of trail also gives visitors the opportunity to see the two large metal plaques located on the other side of the bridge commemorating Nasja Begay and Jim Mike for their help in the official discovery of Rainbow Bridge in 1909. Take extra water and plan to hike another 20-30 minutes round trip.The section of trail from the upper viewing area onward narrows considerably and transverses a steep section of slick rock sandstone. 

Extreme Heat Warning: You must bring WATER! There is very little to no shade along the trail and summer temperatures can be above 100°F/37°C 

Things to Know Before You Go 

• Use caution in the extreme heat.
• Leave your pets and drones at home.
• No swimming at the Rainbow Bridge courtesy dock, or within the boundaries of Rainbow Bridge National Monument.
• Let the wild animals eat animal food, not people food.
• There is no restroom after you start up the trail. Take care of your needs before you leave the docks.
• Respect the vegetation and biotic soil crusts by staying on the trail.

Rainbow Bridge is a sacred site to several Native American tribes. Please respect these long-standing traditions by not approaching or walking under the bridge.

Things to ponder as you hike the trail (hopefully you'll know when you reach each of these spots).

1. Hanging Garden: How does it feel to see so much green in the desert?
Hanging gardens are spring-fed colonies of plants that cling to the vertical wall of a cliff in an alcove or “glen”, protected from the direct force of the desert sun. Hanging gardens support an incredible amount of diverse water loving plant species, including the Ryberg’s thistle (Cirsium rydbergii) and the Maidenhair fern (rydbergii Adiantum-capillus). As you continue up the trail and around corner, notice how the plant and animal life quickly changes as you leave the shade and moisture of the hanging garden. 

2. Lower Viewing area: What gives you hope?
As you continue to ascend, you will begin to see a massive mountain in the distance. This is Navajo Mountain. At 10,388 feet, Navajo Mountain lies entirely inside the Navajo Nation. The harsh and hidden landscape around Navajo Mt and Rainbow Bridge once served as a safe haven for the Navajo people. Protecting a small group of people from the Long Walk of 1864; the forced removal of the Navajo from their homeland in Arizona and New Mexico to Fort Sumner, some 300 miles away at Boseque Redondo. The juxtaposition of Rainbow Bridge and Navajo Mountain, serves as symbol of resilience and hope for the future for the Navajo people.

3. Upper Viewing Area: Does it look like a rainbow to you?
Standing 290 feet from its base to the top of its arch - nearly as tall as the Statute of Liberty – and spanning 275 feet across the stream below, Rainbow Bridge is one of the largest natural bridges in the world. The top of the arch measures 42 feet thick and 33 feet wide. Throughout time the span has undoubtedly inspired people from the neighboring Native American tribes who consider Rainbow Bridge sacred, to the thousands of people from around the world who visit it each year. As an active sacred site please visit with respect by voluntarily not approaching or walking under the bridge. Interested in learning more? Ask a Park Ranger to tell you more about the cultural significance of the rainbow turned to stone.

4. A Sidelong View: How does water shape your life?
A natural bridge is created by flowing water. The stream flows around the site where the bridge will be, and slowly eats away at the stone until a hole forms. The hole gets bigger, and a natural bridge is born.
A natural arch is created by wind, ice, and water forces which never flowed under the span; rather they chipped away at the rock itself to create an opening.

 
5. Nasja Begay and Jim Mike: What will you be remembered for? 
Late in the afternoon on August the 14th, 1909, two groups of Anglo explorers led by Paiute guides Nasja Begay and Jim Mike, saw Rainbow Bridge for the first time. In May of 1910, President William Howard Taft created Rainbow Bridge National Monument. Commemorated here in the plaques mounted high in the sandstone are Nasja Begay and Jim Mike for their help in sharing Rainbow Bridge with the world. Today thousands of people from all over the world come to experience the scenic beauty, cultural significance, and history preserved in Rainbow Bridge National Monument. 

This concludes the trail. We hope this guide helped you slow down, enjoy a closer look at the landscape, and learn about the bridge’s history and what Rainbow Bridge means to you.

Details

Duration

2-8 Hours

The length of this trail changes every day. As the water levels on Lake Powell rise and fall, the docks have to be moved so they will reach the shore.

The amount of time it takes to enjoy this hikes depends on how you got here. If you joined a boat tour, you have to leave when your boat does.

If you brought your own boat, you have to be gone by sundown. The trail is usually about a mile and a half one way, but does involve walking uphill, on some sandy and rocky areas, in extreme desert weather. You can choose when to turn around and go back to your boat.

Activity

Front-Country Hiking

This is the hike from the docks to and around Rainbow Bridge. There is no overnight camping at Rainbow Bridge, so unless you have a permit to keep hiking across the Navajo Nation lands, you must come back to your boat before sundown.

Age(s)

All ages are welcome at Rainbow Bridge, but there are no comfort facilities, restrooms, benches, or shade along the trail or at the observation areas. Know your families' limits when walking the trail.

Pets Allowed

No

Pets are not allowed at Rainbow Bridge National Monument. If you choose to take the walk to Rainbow Bridge, your pet must remain on your boat. Do not leave your pet in your boat unattended.

Activity Fee

No

Rainbow Bridge has no entrance fee. You will be traveling through Glen Canyon National Recreation Area to get to Rainbow Bridge, which does charge an entrance fee. Rainbow Bridge is only accessible from Glen Canyon by boat, so if you do not have a boat of your own, you will most likely have to rent a boat or take a boat tour.

Location

The hike from the docks

The map pin is approximately at the end of the Rainbow Bridge dock. Once you disembark, there is one trail you can take to Rainbow Bridge and to the other side of the bridge. Most other areas are closed for revegetation or for your safety. Please stay on the trail.

 

Reservations

No

While no reservations are required, consider tour times and popular visitation times to ensure a spot to tie up on the dock.

Season

Year Round

While Rainbow Bridge National Monument is open all year, it is most heavily visited in the summer months. Despite the lack of shade and 100+ degree temps, visiting Rainbow Bridge in the summer is easiest because boat travel is easiest then.

Time of Day

Day

Rainbow Bridge National Monument is closed from sunset to sunrise.

Accessibility Information

The trail is a combination of boat dock, mud, concrete, packed dirt, loose dirt, rocks, and some uphill/downhill walking. It is not recommended for people with low mobility.

Service animals are permitted on the trail only.

The trail length changes throughout the year, all dependent on water levels. It is always at least 1 mile one-way.

If water levels are low, traversing up and down the bank and crossing a shallow creek may be required to reach the main trail. Soft sandy soil and muddy creek beds may be present. 
If water levels are high, the main trail is hard pack dirt/sand with sections of varying elevation gain and slick rock sandstone.