Cassidy Arch Trail Guide: Walk Across a Natural Arch!

Get ready to walk across one of the largest natural arches in Capitol Reef National Park: Cassidy Arch!

The Cassidy Arch Trail is a legendary hike, and for good reason. It’s easy to access, has dramatic terrain, involves just enough route-finding to keep you on your toes, and ends at a natural arch that you can walk on!

girl standing on top of cassidy arch in capitol reef national park

As someone who’s hiked this trail twice, I’m going to share everything you need to know to hike the Cassidy Arch Trail in Capitol Reef National Park, including when to go, what to pack, and exactly what to expect throughout the entire trail.

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Cassidy Arch Trail Guide: Walk Across a Natural Arch!

girl standing on top of cassidy arch with her hands up

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About the Cassidy Arch Trail

The Cassidy Arch Trail is a 3.3-mile trail in Capitol Reef National Park featuring a large natural arch you can walk across!

It’s accessible via the trailhead at the end of Grand Wash Road.

Know Before You Go

This is not a dog-friendly trail. Pets are not permitted on most hiking trails in Capitol Reef National Park. They are only allowed at campgrounds, picnic areas, parking areas, paved and dirt roads, unfenced orchards, and on part of the Fremont River Trail.

A $20 entrance fee is required to enter Capitol Reef National Park. Bring your America the Beautiful Pass to get in for free!

Please Leave No Trace when recreating outdoors. Leave the trail, rocks, and arch exactly as you find them. Please do not move or stack rocks or pluck wildflowers. And make sure to pack out all of your trash.

Bonus points if you bring a trash bag and pick up other visitors’ garbage!

When to Hike the Cassidy Arch Trail

girl standing at an overlook with her hands up on the cassidy arch trail

The Cassidy Arch Trail is open year-round, but the best time to hike it is in the spring and fall, when temperatures and weather conditions are milder.

Summers are hot, with temperatures in the 90s being the norm. With limited shade on this trail, hiking this season is neither safe nor comfortable.

Also, summer is monsoon season, meaning the road to the trailhead is subject to flash floods. Do not enter the area if storms are in the forecast.

And on the other extreme end, winters are cold and can be snowy and icy. With all the slickrock on this trail and others, this is also not an ideal time of year to hike in Capitol Reef.

What to Bring

Here are some essentials to bring (and wear) for your hike:

Day pack – To store all of your essentials
Water – 1-2 liters per person
Snacks or lunch – To enjoy at the arch
First aid kit – Just in case something happens
Headlamp – To help with visibility near sunrise or sunset
Sun protection – Sunscreen, hat, sun hoodie, etc., to battle the intense sun
Boots or sandals – I wore my trusty Danners for this hike
Downloaded trail map – Get 30% off a premium AllTrails membership with code alexysabroad30
(Optional) Sun umbrella – A desert luxury and my new favorite piece of gear
(Optional) Garmin inReach – In case something happens, no cell service here

Cassidy Arch Trail Description

Length: 3.3 miles
Type of Trail: Out & back
Elevation Gain: 662 feet
Difficulty: Moderate

overlook of the rolling red hills on the cassidy arch trail in capitol reef national park

For the first 0.2 miles, you will be hiking on the Grand Wash Trail. It’s a wide, flat, and rocky path that leads into a narrow slot canyon. Side note: this is one of the best hikes in Capitol Reef!

At the first junction, turn left to get to Cassidy Arch. Going straight would take you through Grand Wash.

Immediately after the junction, you will start ascending a series of steep switchbacks before skirting the bends and following the curves of the red rock cliffs.

This is the most difficult part of the hike, and you’re getting it out of the way at the beginning!

girl hiking along the edge of the red cliffs on the cassidy arch trail in capitol reef national park

Once the steep section is in your rearview, and your main elevation climb is out of the way, the trail gets even more interesting and scenic. The views that open up of Grand Wash Road and the colorful rock beyond are unforgettable.

hiking the cassidy arch trail in capitol reef national park

Soon, your first glimpse of Cassidy Arch will materialize in front of your eyes. From a distance, the formation might look like a cave, not an arch. Keep your eyes peeled!

The trail branches at about the 1.3-mile mark. The path to the right leads to the Frying Pan Trail, so keep to the left to continue on the Cassidy Arch Trail.

Past this point, you will be hiking on slickrock slabs, and the trail sometimes becomes difficult to follow at times. On my first hike to Cassidy Arch, I definitely relied on my AllTrails for the final stretch of the trail to guide me in the right direction.

A smattering of cairns are on the slickrock to help guide the way, but it’s not always easy to spot them.

Once you near the end of the slickrock, you will probably look around and wonder where the arch is or if you’re on the right trail, just as we did the first time we hiked this. You’re going to see what appears to be a giant hole, but if you venture closer, you’ll see that it’s the arch!

As you approach the hole in front of Cassidy Arch, use caution. A fall would be a deadly one!

Overall, Cassidy Arch surprised me. It wasn’t towering above us, stretching high over the slickrock, like I thought it would be. It blended in with the slabs of slickrock, completely flush with the trail. It was definitely one of the most unique arches I’ve seen.

What made it even more unique was that it’s legal to walk on it!

You can access the top of the arch from either the right or left (we’ve done both). While the arch is wide enough, don’t forget that you are hundreds of feet above the desert floor. Be vigilant and be mindful about where you step.

Once you’re done snapping photos, pick a stretch of slickrock and draw in the views of the arch and surrounding landscape. Gaze out at the towers of red rock, rolling mountains, and sprawling desert-scapes.

Once your energy is refueled, it’s time to hike back the way you came! I found that the hike back was easier because I knew where I was going, and that first steep ascent was now a manageable descent.

See where I ranked Capitol Reef on my Utah National Parks Ranked Best to Worst guide!