How A Bridge Forms In Stone And Why Solitude Still Lives In Utah’s Least Crowded Park

We hike to Hickman Bridge in Capitol Reef and unpack why the park is named for domes and a land reef. Along the way, we spot ancient handprints, explain how a natural bridge forms, and share why this quieter park stands out among Utah's big five.

• trail overview, distance, and elevation gain
• CCC history shaping the route
• origin of the name Capitol Reef
• pictographs and respectful observation
• difference between a natural bridge and an arch
• erosion processes shaping the span
• views on crowds and why the park feels calmer
• tips on nearby towns and access

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Chapters

• 0:00 Trail Start And Plan
• 0:44 Climb Begins And Trail Basics
• 2:17 Why It’s Called Capitol Reef
• 3:35 Ancient Handprints And Rock Art
• 4:32 Bridge vs Arch Explained
• 5:46 Scenic Descent And Park Vibes
• 7:03 Why Capitol Reef Is A Favorite
• 7:40 Closing Thanks And Subscribe

Transcript

SPEAKER_01: 0:00

Okay, it's me Craig the Natural Medic. We're gonna do a trip here in Capitol Reef. Hickman Bridge. Let's take a look. There's the signage there. You can go further, but I'm just gonna go to the Hickman Bridge, which is 0.6 miles. I hope you'll join me as we go down the trail here. Got a little guide that will help us help us through here. Let's go on to Hickman Bridge. I think it's about a 1.2 mile trip up to the bridge.

SPEAKER_00: 0:33

Two feathers were standing on the bridge. One of them said the water was deep. The other one said the water was cold. I believe one of the fellas was from Arkansas.

SPEAKER_01: 0:44

It's definitely considered a moderate trail. This is one that the CCC built in the 1940s when they were building the park. It's really pretty. Wow. Isn't that gorgeous? Totally is. Not gonna lie. The trail continues this way. About 400 feet of elevation gain. So it's considered a moderate trailer. Look at this big old tall bitch. Damn. That thing is amazing. Wow. So back there behind me you can go to another overlook and Aveho Knobs. I'm not going that way today, I'm going this way. Let me show you what I'm looking at. Whoa. Wow. It's like a big yeah. Up there. Sure keeps going up. I'm gonna go up as well. I'm almost halfway up as far as the elevation is concerned. 0.7 miles to go. Hey, if you're liking this video, make sure to give it a thumbs up and that gets out to other people. I appreciate that. Let's go back to the video. Well, and just a reminder as to why they call this part Capital Reef. If you look at it, it certainly forms like an impenetrable barrier. I mean look at that, there's no way through this, just where the road goes, and I'm not sure they had to make some of that. Early people, Europeans that came through here, or European descent, Americans, thought a lot of these rock structures looked like domes. So hence the capital part, like this one right here, which looks kind of like a booby to me, but it's domed and it's white. So that's the capital part. And a reef because look at the way this thing is structured all the way through here. The only gap being where the river goes through and also where the road goes through between those two formations. So largely an impenetrable barrier to settlement and to pass through the area. Because it was a long linear structure, or it is a long linear structure, that goes from north of where I'm standing right now all the way south to what is now Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Most unexpected. Look at all the handprints everywhere. These look more like pictographs, which are painted. Put some mud on their hands and just kind of had a field day with putting their hands up here. Crazy. This is a loop trail, so you can go clockwise, actually counterclockwise. Oh that's super cool. Interesting the difference is between a natural bridge and an arch. Let's find out what those are. Wow. Scent of awe. It's not an arch because it's got more of a bridge type structure. There's no independent sides, like with delicate arch or landscape arc, that's probably the main difference. It looks like at one time this area on the other side was a wall. There was a separate canyon over there, and then over here over time, water came downhill and washed a hole which became the bridge. Under the bridge downtown, it's where I drew some blood. So a lot of interesting questions about the bridge. Do you think it's gonna continue to expand? To make the bridge itself, you had basically water coming down this canyon here over time just eroding away the rock wall. Do you think it will expand vertically like this? Or do you think it will spand horizontally like this? Or this? Let me know your answers in the comments. I just made a big loop around the bridge. Super cool area. I hope you're enjoying it. If you are, give it a thumbs up and let me know how you're enjoying the video. The thumbs up is probably the best way to get it out to other people. Thanks. If you look over there, you can see a fleeting glimpse as we go down the side of the mountain. Well, you probably recognize these domes behind me, but check out what's in front of us. Wow, it looks so rugged and massive. It's crazy. And despite how busy the park is, it's not too bad. Definitely not like canyon lands or arches, which are closer to bigger, more populated areas. I think that's why I would say Capitol Reef is probably one of my favorite parks. And probably the favorite park of mine so far. National Park, that is, for Utah, out of the big five. Yeah, this Capitol Reef still remains my definite favorite park in Utah. It's just the least crowded of all of them. Capitol Reef is out in the middle of nowhere. You still have some decent stuff to get into in Tory and the other towns that are around there. Good places to eat, places to stay, etc. But the crowds are much less in the park as a whole and on the trails and other places compared to the other five parks in Utah. Did you like this video? If you did, give it a thumbs up and think about subscribing to the channel so you don't miss further episodes here on the Natural Medic Adventures. I appreciate your attention as always. If you have any comments or anything, drop those below and we'll take a look at those. Okay. See you out there on the trail bike.