Riggs Spring Loop Trail

Riggs Spring Loop is an 8.8-mile circuit from the Rainbow/Yovimpa Point access, dropping from the high rim through forest to Riggs Spring before climbing back. It suits hikers looking for a strenuous backcountry day. Allow four to six hours on the trail, plus stops. Published distances range from 8.5 to 8.8 miles; the complete mapped walk from the parking area is about 8.73 miles, so 8.8 is a fair total including the short approach there and back. The route ranges from about 7,400 to 9,100 feet, so the altitude adds to the effort.

Start at the Rainbow/Yovimpa Point parking area and follow the sidewalk toward Yovimpa Point. The signed junctions also serve Bristlecone Loop and Under-the-Rim, and Riggs shares a short stretch with Under-the-Rim before it becomes its own loop. Pay attention at those first signs; following the longer Under-the-Rim route would turn this into a different hike. The short access path to the loop is retraced on the way back to the lot.

The western side is steeper and more heavily forested, with spruce, fir and bristlecone pine. Riggs Spring sits near the loop’s low point, around the middle of the hike, and its shaded setting makes a good pause. Don’t plan on drinking untreated water there—or on finding water at all: natural sources are unreliable, and anything collected needs purification.

On the eastern side, red cliff breaks and quaking aspen groves open views to the east and south. The route descends into the Grey Cliffs, Cretaceous sandstone in the next step of the Grand Staircase. When a cliff opening appears through the trees, keep some trail or aspen in the foreground to show how the view sits within the forest.