Navajo Knobs Capitol Reef National Park Hike Guide

March 22, 2021 The Virtual Sherpa Comments 1 comment

The Navajo Knobs hike is the longest maintained hiking trail within Capitol Reef National Park. The trail consists of a pretty consistent uphill climb which rewards hikers with outstanding views of the National Park and neighboring mountains in all directions. This hike is most popular during the summer and can get extremely hot so a trip in the fall or winter might be more enjoyable. Along the way, you can stop to see the Canyon Overlook, Castle and Hickman Bridge which are all awesome viewpoints. The hike is mostly on dirt and slabby rock but does end with a brief class 2 scramble to get to the summit of the Navajo Knobs. This hike is recommended for moderate hikers but is certainly family friendly.

Navajo Knobs Hike Quick Facts

Virtual Trail Guide: Navajo Knobs Capitol Reef National Park

Navajo Knobs Capitol Reef National Park Rating: ★★★★ (4/5 Stars)

Distance: 9.25 Miles RT

Elevation Start: 5,344ft

Highest Point: 6,979ft

Total Elevation Gain: 2,500ft

Estimated Time to Complete: 4-6 Hours RT

Difficulty: Moderate Difficulty System Explained

Class: Class 2 What does this mean?

Season: Year Round (best to avoid in mud season though)

Weather: Check the Weather Forecast

Directions to Navajo Knobs

Trailhead: Hickman Bridge Trailhead

Getting Here: In between Hanksville and closer to Torrey Utah – take Utah 24 until you enter Captiol Reef National Park and reach the signed trailhead located in a small pull off. I am not sure which direction you are coming from so it’s best to just enter it into your GPS.

Fees: Read more about Capitol Reef National Park fees here – unlike most National Parks, there is no entrance station to this area of Capitol Reef so you must pay your fees at the visitors center.

Parking: The Hickman Bridge parking area is a popular one and will often fill up on busy weekends or summer days. However, the lot can fit about 15-20 cars and most hikers are visiting Hickman Bridge which is a shorter hike and has more turnover in the parking lot. The parking area does have a non-plumbing bathroom.

Summary

Camping: Read more about camping in Capitol Reef National Park here.

Dogs: Unfortunately, the Navajo Knobs are in a National Park so dogs are not able to come with you on almost every hike in the park, including this one.

Make it a Loop: The Navajo Knobs are an out and back hike but I would highly recommend taking a small side trip to soak in the views of the Hickman Bridge, Castle and Canyon Overlook which are just located a few yards off the trail in all cases.

Trail X Factors: Constant Hills & Time of Year You Visit

As previously mentioned, the hike up the Navajo Knobs does involve a pretty consistent trek uphill, albeit nothing super steep. This means that your legs are tested almost the entire duration of your hike.

If you do plan on visiting Navajo Knobs during the hotter months, I would highly recommend an early start so that you can avoid those deadly mid-afternoon hours as this hike has almost no shade on it. I hiked this trail during the winter and enjoyed mild temperatures, almost no crowds and insanely beautiful views which I would highly recommend. Also keep in mind that if you visit during the winter months (November – February) many of the local businesses are closed so be sure to plan accordingly.

Hike Tip(s): It is absolutely essential that you take the three or so side trips to view the Hickman Bridge, Canyon Overlook and Castle feature of Capitol Reef National park while hiking up to the Navajo Knobs. All three of these features were spectacular in their own right and involved such a little detour that it would be silly not to see them. Both the Hickman Bridge and Canyon Overlook are signed and the Castle should be pretty obvious if you know what you are looking for.

Best Views: The hike to Navajo Knobs is beautiful from start to finish but of course the best views are at the summit of this hike. Being able to see the Henry Mountains in the background of the beautiful desert scenery in all directions is just spectacular.

Navajo Knobs Hike Route

Gear Needed

Hiking Boots or Trail Runners
Backpack
Protection from Sun – this entire hike is exposed

Water (at least 2+ Liters in the summer) & Snacks
Optional: Map of area or GPS – I use the Garmin inReach
Optional: Hiking Poles

Optional: Camera
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My Trip to the Navajo Knobs: January 2021

My tour of the Utah National Parks in 2021 continued. After checking out Canyonlands, Zion and Bryce Canyon I decided to check off the last one on my list and visit Capitol Reef since I would be in the area for another hike. I had relatively no expectations for this park and decided to just find a mix of longer and shorter hikes. Navajo Knobs had great reviews and fit the bill for a longer hike where I could also see the Hickman Bridge (another one on my checklist). I arrived to the TH around 7:30 and enjoyed peaceful desert hiking all the way to the summit.

The hike was a bit longer than I expected but offered amazing views around every corner. I could not stop staring at the Castle feature or looking behind me at the Henry Mountains. When I finally did reach the top of the Navajo Knobs the views were unbelievable. If you have the time and are able to hike this kind of mileage, this one is a must try for sure.