Navajo Knobs

Navajo Knobs is a sandstone summit viewpoint above Fruita, reached by continuing beyond the Hickman Bridge and Rim Overlook route. It is a strenuous hike, not a roadside stop: the summit is 4.7 miles one way with 1,620 feet of elevation change, about 9.4 miles round trip. Start at the Hickman Bridge trailhead on Highway 24 and follow the route past Rim Overlook. A pit toilet and parking are at the trailhead, but carry all the water you need; none is available along the trail. Parking at many park trailheads fills by 9 a.m., and the exposed climb is a much better fit for a cool part of the day than a hot afternoon.

Rim Overlook is a worthwhile stopping point about 2.3 miles from the trailhead. Continuing to Navajo Knobs adds another long stretch of rolling rim and a steeper final push, but the views keep opening as you go. If a full-day hike is more than you want, turning around at Rim Overlook still gives you a broad view of the valley and Fold.

From the knobs, the horizon opens in every direction. Look for Fruita and its orchards below, the long Waterpocket Fold, the Boulder Mountains, the cliffs north of the route and The Castle toward the visitor-center side of the valley. For a photo that shows the scale, include a red sandstone knob or ledge in the foreground and leave Fruita and the folded ridges visible beyond it.

The Waterpocket Fold is a nearly 100-mile bend in the region’s rock layers. A buried fault reactivated roughly 50 to 70 million years ago, lifting the west side more than 7,000 feet relative to the east; erosion exposed those tilted layers within the past 15 to 20 million years. From this high rim, the layered cliffs and ridges make that enormous change in the rock easier to read.