Travel-Curious

Travel Curious

For independent travelers who want to dig deeper

Hite Crossing Bridge

The Hite Bridge over the Colorado River
 

The Hite bridge informally marks the upstream limit of Lake Powell and is the only bridge spanning the Colorado River between the bridge 110 miles upstream in Moab and the Glen Canyon Bridge, 185 miles downstream.

 
The Colorado River was a tough river to cross for early settlers and explorers. It wasn’t until 1880 that a prospector named Cass Hite established a ford 2 miles downstream from the present-day bridge location. His ford was called “Dandy Crossing”.
 
In 1946, a settler named Arthur Chaffin built an automobile ferry using an old car engine and a thick steel cable which operated for 20 years until the Glen Canyon Dam was built and Lake Powell was created.
 
The Hite Bridge was built in 1966 to create a new crossing for Highway 95 due to the old one being underwater in the town of Hite downstream from here.
 

Getting there

From Hanksville drive south on UT-95 for about 48 miles
 
Note
Stop at the Hite Overlook on the west side of the bridge. It is a turn off at ( 37.886028, -110.414385 ) and a short spur road that takes you out to an overlook.

The Hite Overlook over the Colorado River

 
 

The old car ferry crossing the Colorado River at Hite Utah

Explore Nearby...

Hikes...

Leprechaun Canyon – Hike

A short and fun hike in a non-technical slot canyon with corkscrew narrows, beautiful high-colored walled sections and a final narrow section with just a crack of light that will shine down from above.

Arsenic Arch Utah

Arsenic Arch

A little-known, rarely visited arch you can have all to yourself is hidden inside Poison Spring Canyon.

Hog Springs Utah

Hog Spring – Hike

Hog Springs is a nice rest stop and picnic area next to the highway with a short scenic hike that takes you to a spring-fed pool and the Cleopatra rock art panel is also close by

Scenic Drives...

Hite Crossing Bridge

The bridge marks the upstream limit of Lake Powell and is the only bridge spanning the Colorado River between the bridge 110 miles upstream in Moab and the Glen Canyon Bridge, 185 miles downstream.

Burr point overlooks Utah

Burr Point Overlook

A dirt road runs across the Burr Desert flat lands and takes you to a few clifftop overlooks of the Dirty Devil River, with views across the canyons.

Kathline Rock

Just a quick place to stop along highway 95, there are viewing tubes that are labeled and sight some of the specific surrounding scenery.

Everything Else...

Little Egypt Utah

Little Egypt

A much smaller and less visited version of Goblin Valley State Park, but free and always open

Carl’s Critter Garden

It is worth stopping by this free roadside attraction to see how Carl lovingly turned glass beads, recycled machinery, antique objects, and much more into an art installation

Hollow Mountain

This gas station took 100 cases of dynamite to hollow out the space for the convenience store and has been a tourist attraction ever since.

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