Navajo Knobs Trail

The first stretch uses the same path as Hickman Bridge. After about a quarter mile, take the branch for Rim Overlook and Navajo Knobs rather than continuing to the bridge. The trail climbs across rocky terraces and around small washes, with a look down on Hickman Bridge from above along the way. Keep to the marked path: the desert plants here are fragile, and the slickrock can make a faint tread hard to follow.

At about 2.3 miles one way, Rim Overlook gives you a strong view over Fruita and the Fremont River from a cliff roughly 1,000 feet above the valley. You can see the Waterpocket Fold and the Henry Mountains from here. It is a satisfying shorter hike on its own: turn around for about 4.6 miles round trip. If you continue to Navajo Knobs, this is only the halfway point. From a safe step back, include the river and valley below in your photo; they show how far the rim drops.

Past the overlook, the route dips and rises along canyon rims, dry draws and slickrock shelves. The view keeps opening west toward formations such as The Castle and Pectols Pyramid, with the Henry Mountains in the distance. This stretch is more exposed and has little shade. Follow the cairns across slickrock and keep checking for the next turn; the knobs can look close before the trail makes its final bend.

Near 4.6 miles from the trailhead, a cairned, steeper path turns up the back of Navajo Knobs. The last few minutes cross low rocky ledges to a small summit at about 6,979 feet. It is exposed and has little room to stand, so take your time and leave the scramble out if it feels uncomfortable. The broad views start before the highest point, and the return follows the same route.

The long, tilted layers in every direction are the Waterpocket Fold, a nearly 100-mile monocline formed as ancient faults moved during mountain building. Rock layers on the west side were lifted more than 7,000 feet relative to those on the east. Uplift and erosion exposed the striped cliffs, domes and canyons you walk past; water still carves small pockets into the sandstone.

The shared Hickman approach passes traces of prehistoric American Indian culture and evidence of Civilian Conservation Corps work from the early 1940s. The nearby Hickman Natural Bridge is a separate spur, not part of the 9.4-mile Navajo Knobs route. You can look down on the bridge from the trail, but walking beneath it adds distance.

There is no food or potable water along the route, and little shade for most of the day. A pit toilet is at the trailhead. The small lot can fill, and roadside overflow can be unsafe, so arrive early. Spring and fall are more comfortable; summer heat and winter snow or ice make the slickrock harder. The trail is for foot traffic only, and pets are prohibited. Lightning is a hazard on the exposed rims; get off high ground when storms build.