If you’re planning a trip to, or are currently visiting Capitol Reef, you’ve probably seen the name of the Cassidy Arch Trail thrown around. This is one of the more popular hikes in the park, and

Cassidy Arch Hike statistics

Cassidy Arch Trail Distance

The Cassidy Arch Trail is 3.4 miles (5.4 km) round trip. It’s an out-and-back trail.

Cassidy Arch Trail Difficulty

It’s a moderately difficult hike, given it’s ascent for only 1.2 miles and the rockiness of the trail. It’s easy enough to see where the trail is but you do need a little bit of dexterity. It doesn’t require any climbing, just a little bit of scrambling where you’re using your hands along with your feet.

Cassidy Arch Trail Ascent

You start the hike at 5,400 ft (1,650 m) elevation, and end at 6000 ft (1,830 m) elevation, meaning there’s an ascent of about 845 feet (260 meters). Especially towards the beginning of the hike, you feel it. You go up little step-looking rocks and it’s crazy to look down after even just 15 minutes of hiking to see how far you’ve come from the beginning.

How long does it take to hike the Cassidy Arch Trail?

For most people it takes about 2-3 hours, so plan on that. If you’re a quick hiker, you could probably do it faster. It’s the ascent that slows people down most of the time, so if you’re really fit and used to the altitude then you can plan on it taking slightly less time.

When to go on the Cassidy Arch Hike

You can go on the Cassidy Arch hike whatever time of the year you want. Keep in mind that it gets very warm in the summer and there’s very little shaded areas throughout the hike. If you visit in the summer, make sure to bring sunscreen, sunglasses, and a lot of water. It’s open during the winter, and that’s actually when I visited it (Granted, it was a warm winter) but if you’re coming in the winter, check and make sure you come prepared for the weather. If it looks like there’s going to be snow, this is definitely a hike that you’ll want spikes on your shoes for. I have an article about what to bring on winter hikes in Utah, so you can use that as a reference if you’re going to Capitol Reef in the wintertime.

Why is the Cassidy Arch in Capitol Reef Called that?

Cassidy Arch gets its name from the famous outlaw Butch Cassidy, who was known to frequent the area in the late 1800s. Butch Cassidy, whose real name was Robert LeRoy Parker, grew up in Utah and was one of the leaders of the notorious Wild Bunch. The Wild Bunch were infamous for stealing cattle, robbing trains, and various other crimes.

During that time, the rugged canyon country surrounding Capitol Reef National Park was extremely remote, making it an ideal place for outlaws to hide out between robberies. Cassidy and his gang were believed to travel through the area and use nearby canyons as escape routes while moving between hideouts, which is where the arch got it’s name.

While there’s no definitive proof that Butch Cassidy himself ever stood on top of the arch, the connection to the outlaw legend stuck. When I lead people on tours through that hike I like to tell my guests to keep an eye out for any hidden coins or treasures Butch Cassidy might have hid throughout the canyon.

Other Capitol Reef Hikes

If you’re looking for more hikes to do after or instead of the Cassidy Arch Hike, there’s lots of choices! I even have an article about the Capitol Gorge to the tanks hike which is probably my favorite in the park.

How to spend a day in Capitol Reef National Park

I actually wrote another post on how exactly to spend a day in Captiol Reef, along with a printable itinerary. I hope it’s helpful!

Thanks for reading! Make sure to check out my other posts and happy exploring!