Driving Directions

This trek is for people who boat to the bridge! 

I’ll make directions beginning from Wahweap Marina.  From Wahweap to the Rainbow Bridge Dock it is about 42 miles.  So in all, you will be travelling 84 miles roundtrip from Wahweap or even Stateline Marina.  You can hike to Rainbow Bridge, but be prepared for a multi-day experience with little water resources on the way. Make sure you fill up and have extra gas before you head on out.  Dangling Rope Marina has pumps but the fuel is very expensive.  Always check with Lake Powell staff to check for current water levels and marina openings and closures.

You won’t be able to bring your giant houseboat through some parts of the canyon, but you can make it on your boat or jet skis.

Wahweap Marina: 36.99435, -111.48396
Dangling Rope Marina and Fuel: 37.12109, -111.08169
Entry Point to the canyon before Rainbow Bridge: 37.11436, -110.97458
Rainbow Bridge Dock: 37.08382, -110.97185

These are the photos from the Entry Point into the Forbidding Canyon that leads to Rainbow Bridge Dock. Make sure to follow the signs!

In the picture below you can see a natural arch in the top right corner.

The Trail:

You can take a guided tour to Rainbow Bridge for about $130 per person.  This Trek is for those who have their own boat and are traveling there independent of a guided tour.

Rainbow Bridge is an incredible sandstone feature in Lake Powell, Utah.  The bridge is down a long winding canyon called Forbidding Canyon.  Rainbow Bridge is a massive 290 feet tall and 275 feet across.  It’s called a bridge because it spans a creek, (compared to arches which do not span water).  Rainbow Bridge is a sacred symbol to some Native American groups and deserves our respect.  These same groups and even the National Park Service ask that you do not approach the bridge or walk underneath it.

On May 30, 1910, Rainbow Bridge was created into a National Monument by President William Taft.  One of the most prominent visitors to the bridge was Teddy Roosevelt who hiked to it from the nearby Navajo Mountain.

On our trip, we took the long boat trip from Wahweap Marina, through the Castle Rock Cut, and eventually made it to where I marked the GPS coordinate for Entry Point to Forbidding Canyon leading to Rainbow Bridge Dock.  From here, you will be inside a canyon that narrows down.  It won’t be dangerously tight, but you will need to go slower through some spots to make sure you’re not creating waves for other boaters.  Just before the dock make sure to look up and to your right.  You will see a natural arch high up!



Once you are at the Rainbow Bridge Dock, tie up, and you will find some information kiosks on the far end.  You won’t see a visitor center or park rangers wandering around – this park is tiny!  You will find flushing toilets though! 

The hike is mostly on a dirt trail with some parts being on a type of asphalt.  It’s relatively flat and easy hiking.  As you are hiking, you will see lots of dangling wires on the cliff walls along the way too.  These are from the old days of the dock when the water was much higher than it is now.

At about half way down the trail, you will make a U-turn and see some small hanging gardens.  We heard the sound of water dripping as it was seeping out from the rocks in the cliffs.  It’s crazy to think that water from high up somewhere slowly trickled down through the sandstone until it came out right where you’re standing.

Around the next corner you will almost be to Rainbow Bridge.  This massive bridge is incredible to see in person and we felt lucky to be able to see it with our own eyes.  There are several shaded benches that offer great views.  Under one of them is an AED for just in case someone is having a heart attack.  Not a bad idea to have one of those around in such a remote location.  This area is very quiet and peaceful.  During our hour long visit, we only saw about six other people.

There are some petroglyphs that were probably made by a Navajo (according to the National Park Service).  The largest is a depiction of a bull with some numbers and other writings around it.

There is a wide overlook just before the bridge.  This is probably the best spot for a close-up of Rainbow Bridge.  It is located next to some cliffs that lead down into the creek bed below, so make sure to watch where you’re stepping.

The trail eventually continues on around the bridge and onward to Navajo Mountain miles away.  Make sure you plan your visit so you are not boating back to the dock in the dark.  We made sure to plan so we could be back to Wahweap before it was dark.