Access to Rainbow Bridge National Monument is only via boat or by backpacking from Navajo Mountain. Permits are required from the Navajo Nation for backpack trips.

At current lake levels, the hike from the Rainbow Bridge dock to the bridge is approximately 1.25 miles (1.8km).

There is no lodging, food, or other services at Rainbow Bridge. There is boat gas and limited food services at Dangling Rope Marina, approximately 10 miles south of Rainbow Bridge.