This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Directions • From the Capitol Reef National Park visitors center, travel east on State Road 24 for 2 miles. The trail head is on the north side of the road.

This is one of Utah's great, easy hikes. And it's in a free area of Capitol Reef National Park. From the trailhead, you step east onto a board walk taking you above the Fre mont River. Signs tell you not to stop on the boardwalk, but that may be difficult as you look at the running river and the flowers springing from it. Then switchbacks take you higher above the river and northwest into a small canyon. If you have kids, they may want to play in the sand and underneath a small natural bridge in one of the dry streambeds. Continue on the well-marked trail. The trail makes a short loop just before the bridge. Turn south (counterclockwise) and you arrive on the high side of the bridge. But whether you travel the loop clockwise or counterclockwise, you can't miss Hickman Bridge and it's red, 133-foot span.

Destination: Hickman Bridge

Hiking time • 1 hour

Round trip miles • 1.8 miles

Elevation gain • 400 feet

Difficulty • Easy

Trail head restrooms • Yes

Dogs allowed • No

Bikes allowed • No

Fees • No