Capitol Reef National Park – Visit Planning

on October 29, 2024

Introduction:

What? :

Capitol Reef National Park is in Utah's south-central desert. The park is very long and narrow, it stretch north - south over 60 miles cover a unique geological phenomenon known as the Waterpocket Fold.

Among the park's sights are the Fruita area and Fremont River canyon, the Cassidy and Hickman Bridge arches, and the Capitol Reef impressive white sandstone domes as well as the red cliffs and Chimney Rock pillars.

Most visitors explore the park along the only road crossing the park west – east, this is highway 24 between Torrey and Hanksville.

In the remote north section of the park, you can find the towering monoliths of Cathedral Valley and in the far isolated south section (50 miles south of highway 24) you can visit Burr Trail Switchbacks and the narrow section of the fold. There are no paved road leading to the north and south section they are a lot more remote and less visited. If you want to visit here, you need a 4x4 high clearance and plan your visit.

Capitol Reef National Park is the less visited park of the other 4 National Parks in southern Utah, not because it is not less beautiful or interesting to visit but this is probably because it relatively far and isolated location.

Additional related Blogs:

Where? :

Capitol Reef National Park is located in southern Utah, south of I-70 and east of I-15, highway 24 is passing through the park.

Here are the driving distances from nearby destinations.

Moab: 144 miles, Goblin Valley State Park: 68 miles, Escalante: 75 miles, Bryce Canyon National Park: 120 miles.

Google Map Link

When and Weather? :

The park is open year-round.

Spring and Late Fall tend to be the best times to hike here, it is not too hot or too cold. Although this is the less visited of Utah National parks it is relatively busy in spring through fall, it can be difficult to find parking at popular trailheads.

Plan for all types of weather.

The summer hot is intense and mid-day is easily more than 100f.

The summer (usually from July to September) can also bring monsoon rains and dangerous flash floods.

It is very dangerous to hike in the narrows during thunderstorms. If rain is in the forecast, avoid hiking the narrows at that time.

Winter are cold and you can have rainstorms and even snow is possible.

For up-to-date weather information see:

https://www.nps.gov/care/planyourvisit/weather.htm

Accommodations and food:

The park is relatively far from large cities and there is only one road crossing the park east-west, this is highway 24.

There is no hotel or park lodge and there are no restaurants or cafes inside Capitol Reef National Park. The only food available in the park are snacks at the visitor center and pies sold at the Gifford Homestead (when it is open).

The closest town with hotels, restaurants and gas service is Torrey that is located just 11 miles west of the visitor center.

Hanksville is another option for accommodation, food and gas is located 37 miles east of the visitor center.

Campground:

The 71-site Fruita Campground is the only developed campground in Capitol Reef. Reservations are available March 1- October 31.

Reservations can be made on recreation.gov up to six months in advance. It is often completely booked from mid-March to the end of October.

A backcountry permit is required for camping outside of established campgrounds. The permit is free and can be obtained in person at the visitor center during normal business hours.

Due note 1:

This is a National Park, there is entrance fee of $20 per car or you can by a yearly pass for all America National Parks for $80. There is no entrance gate, you need to pay at the park visitor center.

Capitol Reef is open all day long, every day.

The visitor center is located at the intersection of UT-24 and the Scenic Drive is open daily, except for some major holidays.

Visitor center parking is limited. Oversized/RV parking is available in pullouts along State Route 24 and the Scenic Drive.

Due note 2:

The visitor center has limited public WiFi.

There is very little to no cellular reception in the park.

The closest towns with reception and internet are Torrey (11 miles west of the visitor center) and Hanksville (37 miles east of the visitor center).

Due note 3:

During the summer months it is better to hike during early morning or late afternoon in the day.

In high tourist season trailhead parking lots often fill up by 10 am. Be extremely cautious parking in pullouts along State Route 24, and do not block traffic lanes.

Due note 4:

Bring a map on the trail and stay on established trails.

Always carry enough water with you.

Due note 5:

Pets are not permitted on hiking trails or in the backcountry.

Due note 6:

The park is usually dry during much of the year, however, after heavy rain and summer monsoon storms, dirt roads, washes, and canyons can be very muddy and un-drivable by cars.

Due note 7:

You can extend the trail with connections to visit Frying Pan Trail and Cohab Canyon or to hike into Grand Wash canyon.

Due note 8:

This hike is relatively not long and can be done by families with kids, if they can climb the short uphill section. Make sure they are not walking to the edge of the trail or near the arch.

Due note 9:

At trailheads you can find restrooms at several parking lots, usually without any water, and no cellular service.

Due note 10:

Most hikes and trails are expose to sun, come prepared (sunhats, sunglasses, sunscreen. And log sleeves shirt) and have enough water with you.

Due note 11:

In the park visitor center, there is a small bookstore, which carries a variety of maps, books, posters, and postcards. The bookstore is open during visitor center open hours.

My thoughts:

I pass through the park several times but never had the time to really explore and enjoy with this remote park has to offer. I finally manage to visit the park and I spend here only one day, I really enjoy it and I know for sure that I will visit here again, next time I will plan for a lot longer visit.

In one day, I manage to hike the Grand Wash and Cassidy Arch trails, visit the visitor center and Fruita area, look at the Petroglyphs Panels. At the afternoon on my way out west I stopped at Panorama Point and Goosenecks Overlook and near Chimney Rock.

Plan You Visit:

Capitol Reef is a huge national park but most of the people are visiting only the central section of the park, based on the corridor of highway 24 and the Fremont River canyon.

This is part of their south Utah road-trip, visiting Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches and Canyonland National Parks and even Grand Canyon that is in the state of Arizona.

On their way, people are arriving here from Bryce Canyon via the amazing highway 12 scenic drive, or from Moab area (Arches and Canyonland National Parks) where they maybe visit Goblin Valley State Park and the area of the small remote town of Hanksville.

I will provide a recommendation to a one-day visit based on my personal experience and other hikes and places and ideas for 3 days visit.

If you only passing through the park and have only several hours as you are driving through than you probably can’t do a long hike and you mainly stop at viewing point along highway 24 or even have time to drive Capitol Reef Scenic Drive.

With 2 full days visit you can see and enjoy most of the central section of the park, additional 2-3 days and 4x4 car will allow you to visit the far north and souths section of the park.

Park Map:

https://www.nps.gov/care/planyourvisit/upload/CARE_Unigrid-map-2021.pdf

One Day Visit:

With one day in Capitol Reef, you can explore the sights along Highway 24, hike one trail and drive Capitol Reef Scenic Drive.

(early) Morning:

Or: Hike to Grand Wash and Cassidy Arch

Or: Hike to Hickman Bridge

Or: Hike to Cohab Canyon and Fremont Canyon viewing points

Mid-day:

After the hike visit Petroglyphs Panels and historic schoolhouse

The park Visitor Center and Fruita area and Gifford Homestead

Afternoon:

Drive Capitol Reef Scenic Drive (this is probably 2 hours drive)

Panorama Point and Goosenecks Overlook, Chimney Rock parking view

Hike to Grand Wash and Cassidy Arch

I really like this hike, a great combination of easy flat hike in the narrow with high cliffs Grand Wash canyon and a hike up the right to the impressive red-rock Cassidy Arch.

Petroglyphs Panels

The Fremont Culture lived in south of Utah for about thousand years, from 300-1300 AC. Petroglyphs are images that are carved or pecked into stone and not painted.

You will be able to see human-like figures with animal horn on their head as well as animals.

The shorter boardwalk, just near the parking, provides views of the large petroglyphs panel. This is the most impressive panel in this location.

The visitor center and Fruita area

The visitor center is located at the intersection of UT-24 and the Scenic Drive is open daily, except for some major holidays.

Visitor center parking is limited. Oversized/RV parking is available in pullouts along State Route 24 and the Scenic Drive.

At the visitor center you can find maps and exhibits that explains the interesting and unique geological of this area. You can also find here a small bookstore.

Here you can ask park rangers about road conditions, recommended hikes, and get back country permits and more.

Fruita

The Fruita Historic District could be considered the heart of Capitol Reef National Park. The orchards that lie within a mile or two of the visitor centers, along the Fremont River Valley, are evident remnants of the pioneer community of Fruita, settled in 1880. From the 1880s to 1960s, apples, apricots, cherries, peaches, pears, and plums dotted each family’s orchards.

Today, the orchards are preserved and protected as part of the Fruita Rural Historic Landscape.

Gifford Homestead

The Giffords were the last residents of Fruita, they sold their home and land to the National Park Service in 1969 and moved away.

At the historic Gifford House Store and Museum, operate during the summer season, offering unique handmade pioneer-era items, as well as the “famous” locally baked fruit pies and homemade ice cream.

The Gifford Homestead is located 1 mile (1.6 km) south of the visitor center on the Scenic Drive.

The Gifford House Store and Museum is open March 14 (Pi Day) through November 25 daily from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm with a 45-minute closure from noon to 12:45 pm.

Drive Capitol Reef Scenic Drive

The scenic drive start from the visitor center and follow the west edge of the fold for 10.5 miles. The first 7.9 miles of the road are paved.

At the last section of the dirt road gets into Capitol Gorge canton, when weather permitting, are accessible to all passenger vehicles and RV's up to 27 feet in length. This is a 2.3-mile gravel road that twists and turns through the narrow canyon.

From the end of the road at Capitol Gorge you can walk 1.5 miles round trip to see the Pioneer Register.

Along the scenic drive you can also reach the Grand Wash and Cassidy Arch west trailhead.

The Scenic Drive is not a loop, so you must return on the same road. An entrance fee of $20 per vehicle is charged for the Scenic Drive. The self-pay entrance station is located just south of the campground on the Scenic Drive. There is no entrance fee for holders of the America the Beautiful - National Parks yearly passes.

This road is good option for hot mid-day, you will enjoy the views along the drive, and you can even have short walk.

When I visit the park, Oct. 2024, the road was close for construction, but it should be open for 2025 spring.

Panorama Point, Goosenecks Overlook

The very short, 5 minutes’ walk, trail leads from the parking area to a ridgeline overlooking Sulphur Creek Canyon 800 feet below you.

From the parking lot you walk over the small hill and the “official”, fence protected overlook platform, is located on the far side just below the summit of the hill.

To the left or right sides of this location there is no fence at the rim edge so make sure you are not getting too close to the cliff.

2-3 Days Visit:

If you came to Capitol Reef for several days so you can do more hiking accessible by regular car.

If you have high clearance 4x4 car and the weather allow you can visit the remote north or south sections of the park. Driving to Cathedral Valley at the north, or drive to South Waterpocket District and Burr Trail Road, all the way to the small town of Bolder, Utah.

I did not visit yet those remote locations, but they are high on my to-do list.

Hiking Options:

Many of the Capitol Reef best trails are located near the park’s main road, highway 24. You can find trails for all levels, from easy and family friendly to long and strenuous.

Remember that the trails, and their parking lots, can get busy early in the morning. Below are the park’s most popular trails:

· Grand Wash and Cassidy Arch

· Hickman Bridge, Rim Overlook and Navajo Knobs

· Cohab Canyon and Fremont Canyon viewing points

· Chimney Rock Hile

· Sulphur Creek Hike

· Capitol Gorge and Pioneer Register

Important section if you are planning to visit the remote north and south section of the park:

You will need vehicles with high ground clearance and four-wheel drive to visit this area.

Road conditions can vary and are dependent on recent weather conditions, rain or snow.

Important note: Spring and summer rains and winter snows can leave the roads muddy, washed out, and impassable to the best high-clearance four-wheel drive vehicle.

Carry plenty of water, food, gas, adequate clothing, a shovel, and emergency supplies. No potable water is available in the park remote sections.

Do not count on local streams for water.

There is no cell reception.

You are responsible for your own safety. Please leave no trace of your visit.

ATV/UTVs are prohibited in Capitol Reef National Park, including street legal ATV/UTVs.

North (Cathedral Valley) District

The Cathedral Valley District of Capitol Reef National Park is a remote, rugged region. Along the gravel roads drive you will see large red sandstone monoliths (Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon), colorful Bentonite hills, and vast desert landscape.

This loop drive will probably take you most of the day, if not overnight stay.

Most visitors to Cathedral Valley start their drive from Hartnet Road located 11.7 miles east of the visitor center on Highway 24.

Hartnet Road near Highway 24 requires crossing the Fremont River; there is no bridge over the river. Do not attempt to cross the river during floods or other periods of high water.

On your remote drive you will be passing and visiting the following places:

Bentonite Hills, South Desert, Upper and Lower Cathedral Valley, Glass Mountain, Gypsum Sinkhole, and Volcanic Dikes and Basalt Boulders.

South (Waterpocket) District

Most visitors to the southern part of the park drive the 124-mile (199 km) loop, or various sections of it.

This loop drive will probably take you most of the day, if not overnight stay.

Some sections of the Notom-Bullfrog Road are paved, and others are relatively well-maintained gravel roads.

The Burr Trail Road from the park boundary west to Boulder is also a paved road.

There are also many opportunities for hiking and backpacking along the drive.

Notom-Bullfrog/Burr Trail Road to Lake Powell (at Bullfrog Marina) is paved from the park boundary south to the boundary of Glen Canyon NRA.

The Notom-Bullfrog Road is not paved and runs parallel to the eastern slope of the Waterpocket Fold, offering great views of the Golden Throne and other formations in the Navajo and Page sandstones. The Notom-Bullfrog Road cuts through a section of bentonite clay (in the Morrison Formation), which can be treacherous when wet.

The connection of the scenic drive to highway 12 is not paved and based on road conditions it can be challenging for driving.

Summery:

Capitol Reef National Park is one of south Utah amazing lesser-known parks.

Here you can explore many hiking trails, arches, canyons and viewpoints as well as visit remote areas and escape the crowd.

Additional Pictures:

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