After skirting the mountain, the trail climbs to Yabut (“Sunset”) Pass before dropping precipitously (1,600 feet in 2 miles) into the sandstone canyon system. {Photo, Right] the view from Yabut Pass. The trail proceeds into Cliff Canyon (dead center of photo). Note that Lake Powell is just barely visible (blue patch in right background.
The remainder of the trail follows narrow sandstone canyons. Cliff Canyon is connected to Redbud Creek by “Redbud Pass” which is actually a climbable rock pile blasted out by John Wetherill in 1922 as a trail “improvement”. The creek flows into Bridge Canyon, the final destination.
[Photo, Left] A forming arch high in the wall of Bridge Canyon. Arches are formed by erosion due to wind and weather. Bridges are formed by erosion due to a stream or river. Navajo sandstone does not support arch formation well, and this arch will likely collapse before it is completed. Most arches occur in Entrada sandstone as seen at Arches National Park in Utah.
The final part of the trail follows sinuous Bridge Canyon [Photo, Right] reaching Rainbow Bridge in about three more miles. The canyon walls mostly obscure the bridge, until you are almost there. [Photo, Below] Rainbow Bridge is just barely visible in dead center.
The waters of Lake Powell just barely reach the bridge. The courtesy boat dock is located a short distance downstream. On our trip we arranged to be met by a boat to avoid the long uphill return hike.
It was an unforgettable feeling to experience Rainbow Bridge the wilderness way instead of the tourist way!
Note: The trails are located on the Navajo Reservation. You must have a valid camping, hiking or backcountry permit issued by the Navajo Parks and Recreation Department to hike the Rainbow Bridge trails. For current access and usage regulations, please visit the Navajo Parks and Recreation-Hiking Permits website. Also, please respect tribal beliefs while hiking on Navajo land.
To Native American tribes/nations, Rainbow Bridge is a sacred religious site. Please respect the religious significance of Rainbow Bridge to neighboring tribes and consider viewing Rainbow Bridge from the viewing area rather than walking up to or under the bridge.
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