Southeastern Utah Tour, March 25 2026

On Wednesday, I arose before dawn. I had my coffee and some cereal, and then broke camp as quickly and quietly as I could.

My general plan was to drive around the south and west of the Bears Ears National Monument and then camp somewhere further west, passing through Capitol Reef National Park along the way. I did not want to drive as far south as Arizona and end up retracing some of the roads that Brian and I had travelled on our visit to the Grand Canyon. The route through Bears Ears includes a stretch of 120 miles between Blanding and Hanksville that contains no gas stations. I was concerned about the camper's limited range. But in the end, my desire for adventure won out over practical considerations and I put the plan into action. It turned out to be an inspired choice.

I drove to Monticello and filled the tank there. I phoned home to relate my plans -- to the extent that they had congealed -- for the back end of the trip. Then, I continued on to Blanding where I topped up the tank before striking out across the National Monument.

Comb Ridge Pass

There is a rock cut at the top of Comb Ridge, followed by a steep downgrade. I stopped about mid-morning to admire this piece of highway engineering. It was a pretty little valley with a campground at the bottom. A place to return to sometime, perhaps.

The landscape in Natural Bridges

Driving on, I reached the top of a long rise and started down the grade on the other side. At the top, there had been a road off to the right with the sign, "Natural Bridges National Monument". I decided that I had enough time in my schedule and sufficient fuel in the tank to afford a visit to the Natural Bridges. Maybe I had seen enough of stone arches in Arches National Park. But the formations in Natural Bridges National Monument turned out to be quite different. Also, pleasantly, that national monument is much less crowded than the Park.

I spent the late morning and a good part of the afternoon viewing the natural bridges. The natural bridges are named Sipapu, Kachina and Owachome, and are arranged around a one-way scenic drive through the monument. I visited each in turn. In order to get a proper view, I hiked down into the canyon and viewed each bridge from below.

Sipapu Bridge (right eye)

Sipapu Bridge (left eye)

The Sipapu bridge is easily visible from the overlook, but because the rocks behind it are the same color, it does not "pop". At this point, I had the idea to take pictures in pairs, so that they can be viewed in stereo.

The hike down to the Sipapu Bridge is about 3/4 of a mile and goes around behind the arch as viewed from the overlook. The path includes stairways and ladders. A spur leads out onto a rock ledge, which gives a particularly nice view of the bridge. The trail descends further, so the bridge can be viewed from below.

Sipapu Bridge

Sipapu Bridge from below

Flood debris against trees

On the far side of the stream flowing under the Sipapu Bridge, I found debris wrapped around tree trunks. The trees are growing in a shelf of sediment that is 16' above the level of the stream. From this, I can deduce that some time in the last decade there has been a flash flood that caused the stream to rise 20' above its normal level. I remarked that being in such a canyon during a rain storm would be fascinating and terrifying.

After climbing back out of the valley, I went to the rock shelf to view the Sipapu Bridge from the overlook. This stereo view shows that it would not be too hard for a person to find his way to the top of the span from the other side. But if the same rules apply as in Arches NP, then walking on the natural bridge is not permitted.

Sipapu from overlook (right eye)

Sipapu from overlook (left eye)

Horsecollar Ruins

A bit further on, there is a viewpoint for the Horsecollar Ruins. These are cliff dwellings along the same stream that runs under the Sipapu Bridge. The lighting was not ideal, but I managed to capture an image of the ruins.

Next, I visited the overlook for the Kachina Bridge. Viewing this bridge from below also involved a hike of about 3/4 of a mile down into the canyon. Unlike the Sipapu Bridge, the trail down into the canyon does not involve steps and ladders. But there are still places where one has to place one's feet carefully.

Kachina Bridge (right eye)

Kachina Bridge (left eye)

Kachina Bridge has the longest span of the three. Hiking down below it is truly rewarding, since only by standing under the bridge can one really appreciate its scale. In fact, it is so large that it does not fit conveniently into a frame. I made several attempts to create a panoramic view from the floor of the arch across its chord and back down to the floor. But the camera app rebelled. I think it uses the accelerometer to gauge whether the phone is being held vertically. The way I was using it, that assumption was never true.

A pool of water deep in the canyon

Kachina Bridge from below

From close to the rim of the canyon, I could see a pool of water down in the valley. Having a dependable supply of water must have been immeasurably valuable to the native people. 

After I climbed back to the rim, I walked out across the flat rock for about a quarter of a mile, to see if I could get a view up the canyon on either side of the point. The answer was, "not really", so I headed back to the camper and drove on to the Owachomo Bridge Overlook.

Owachomo Bridge (right eye)

Owachomo Bridge (left eye)

 

The Owachomo Bridge is the smallest of the three, and is also the bridge closest to the roadway. A quarter-mile hike takes one to the bottom of the arch. The best view was from partway down rather than fully under the bridge.

Looking upstream

The Colorado River Bridge at Hite Crossing

It was mid-afternoon when I resumed my journey toward Hanksville. It was clear by then that I would not make it further than the Capitol Reef National Park that day. I had noted that my chosen route crossed the Colorado at the extreme northern end of Lake Powell (Hite Crossing). I hiked down to get a good view of the arch bridge across the river, and to take a picture of the river flowing in from the east. 

In Hanksville, gasoline was priced a bit higher than what I had paid in Monticello, but it was still not outrageous. I filled the tank and continued on toward the Park. I hoped that I might find camping within the park, but as I drew close to its eastern border, I also scanned the side of the road for likely camping spots. My search was rewarded when I spied a large pullout, with a small camp spot tucked in among the willows right next to the Fremont River. I backed into the spot and started setting up my camp. I was a bit concerned that I might be inside the park boundary, but studying the map showed that I was still at least a mile away.

The brush didn't offer much of a screen between the camp spot and the roadway. But there were long intervals between the vehicles that went by. I thought I could get away with taking a shower in the open air. So I fired up the water heater and had my shower after dinner. I was planning to spend at least some time in the Capitol Reef National Park the next day.