Draper Suspension Bridge Hike, Utah

KID RATINGS

Fun: ⭐⭐⭐ (out of 5)
Difficulty:     Very Easy    Easy    MODERATE    Hard    Very Hard

KEY FEATURES

Hiking Distance: 2.2 miles round trip
Hiking Elevation Gain: 440 ft
Terrain: Dirt trail, rocks, exposed trail, suspension bridge
Time Needed: 1.5 to 3 hours
When to Go: Spring, Summer (morning or evening), Fall 

COST

Free

AMENITIES

• Bathrooms: During the summer and fall months there are 3 bathroom stalls and water available. During the colder months, there is only a single bathroom accessible.
• Grass area with picnic tables covered with gazebos
• Climbing area for kids
• Drinking fountain on in warmer months
• Garbage cans

THINGS TO BRING

• Sunscreen, trail exposed
• Water
• Snacks
• Hiking shoes with good traction
• Dogs allowed

DETAILS

The Draper Suspension Bridge Hike is a perfect hike for adults, kids and dogs. It isn’t terribly steep and mid way through you are able to walk on a fun suspension bridge. The suspension bridge is 185 feet long and was finished in 2015 to connect the Bonneville Shoreline Trail over Draper’s Bear Canyon. 

We hiked to the Draper Suspension Bridge in early spring on a Saturday. The weather was perfect and we even brought our dog.

I was a little worried at first when I saw the amount of cars parked on the street with the parking lot full, but there are so many hikes in the area and everyone was well spread out. I felt like the trail was not too crowded and we were able to social distance appropriately during the days of COVID-19.

The Trailhead

The trailhead is at Orson Smith Park just north of the bathroom building. The parking lot can hold 30 to 40 vehicles and there is also some street parking available if the parking lot is full. There are several trails in the area, but you will want to follow signs for the Bridge Loop for the quickest and most direct path to the suspension bridge.

The hike begins with a wood stairs followed by a few quick switch backs and then levels off as you continue north and come to the Aquaduct trail.

The Hike

From here, you can continue on the Aquaduct Trail which is first flat and then you hike upwards to the bridge or you can get the uphill portion done at the first and continue east following signs for Bridge Loop. Either way you will reach the suspension bridge.

We chose to get the uphill portion done first while the kid’s legs were still fresh. We continued on a few more switchbacks following the bridge loop signs eastward and then continued north connecting to the Bonneville Shoreline Trail (BST). Follow BST until you come to the Bear Canyon Suspension Bridge. This is about 1.1 miles from the trailhead.

From the suspension bridge you can choose between 3 route options to return to Orson Smith Park or continue hiking the BST:

1. Go back the way you came for an out-and-back hike

2. Head west(downward) continuing to follow the bridge loop trail

3. Continue onward on the BST for more mileage.

We choose option 3 and continued along the BST another 0.4 miles to see a small rock tunnel. This area of the BST is flat, easy and goes under several large boulders. My kids enjoyed exploring this area for a few minutes. We didn’t stay long because of the busyness of the trail that day and the bikers who needed to pass us on the trail where we were.

From the rock tunnel, we turned around and headed south until we came back to the suspension bridge, then continued west (downward) on the Bridge Loop Trail. As you connect back to the Aqueduct Trail you head south and will see the Orson Smith Park parking lot below. The hike ended up being about 3 miles with the extra distance we added to the rock tunnel from the suspension bridge on the BST.

The terrain is fairly easy and the trail is well groomed. I even saw a family on the trail with a running stroller, although I wouldn’t recommend this on the switchbacks. There are also lots of signs and maps along the way to get in in the right direction. If my directions seem a bit complicated, just follow signs for the Bridge Loop and you will get to the bridge pretty easily. It is hard to miss.

PROS & CONS

PROS

• Beautiful views of Salt Lake Valley
• Fun destination to suspension bridge
• Family friendly: Not too steep or long for kids 
• Easily accessible – isn’t far from main freeways/highways

CONS

• Hot in the summer months and trail is exposed
• Can become crowded with hikers and mountain bikers

DIRECTIONS

The trailhead is located just off Highland Drive in Draper at Orson Smith Park. You can search Orson Smith Park on your maps app to get you to the right location. The trailhead is located at the north side of the parking lot just north of the bathrooms. There is a dirt road to the south of the parking lot —- this is not the trailhead for the suspension bridge.

MAPS 

MORE INFO

All Trails : Orson Smith Park to Draper Suspension Bridge

OTHER NEARBY ADVENTURES

Rocky Mouth Waterfall Hike (10 minutes)

Alien Tower Hike (15 minutes)

Horsetail Falls Hike (30 minutes)