A Guide To Visiting Capitol Reef National Park
The Best Things To See and Do In Capitol Reef National Park and Nearby
Our trip to Capitol Reef National Park has been a long time in the making. It has occupied a top spot on our trip wish list for quite a few years, because it's a bit under the radar and has been designated as an International Dark Sky park, meaning its night sky can be equally as impressive as its daytime wonders.
One of Utah's "Mighty Five" national parks, Capitol Reef is one of its least visited parks as compared to popular Bryce Canyon N.P, Zion N.P., Arches N.P, and Canyonlands N.P.
Utah’s “Mighty 5” National Parks. Map courtesy of VisitUtah.com with my own annotations.
When visiting other national parks, we typically wake at the crack of dawn to secure trailhead parking to avoid the mass crowds (hello Glacier and Yellowstone!). For this trip, we were hopeful that a mid-week, early fall visit to a self-described "less crowded" Utah national park in the middle of southern Utah's red rock country would afford a more leisurely and peaceful experience for our family.
Drum roll... it did not disappoint! We had a simply awesome trip!
Is It Worth Visiting Capitol Reef National Park?
Yes, Capitol Reef National Park is definitely worth visiting. While researching our trip to Capitol Reef National Park, I was surprised how often I came upon this question. Of the 5 Utah national parks, Capitol Reef seems to be a brief stop on the way to somewhere else. Which is fine, but I do think this was one of the easiest national parks to visit, especially with kids in tow.
Although I concede it doesn’t hold up to the majesty of Zion, Capitol Reef is, however, a great national park for a family who doesn’t want the logistics of coordinating the park shuttles of Zion, waiting in the entrance lines of Arches, or negotiating the crowded parking areas at the popular trailheads of Bryce Canyon.
Capitol Reef provided scenic beauty, plenty of easy hikes, and while we were there, minimal people. After a 3 day visit, we came away refreshed, not frazzled, and certainly awe inspired. For us, it was absolutely worth it!
How Long Should You Spend in Capitol Reef National Park?
From our experience, a two day visit would be more than enough to see the park, but you could easily spend at least an additional day visiting nearby areas like Goblin Valley State Park or simply enjoying the peaceful solitude and grandeur of the night skies here.
If you have only one day, I would prioritize hiking the Grand Wash Trail and stopping at the Gifford House to pick up a delicious pie to enjoy at the picnic area. Read on to learn more!
What Is The Closest Airport To Capitol Reef National Park
Getting to Capitol Reef National Park isn't necessarily convenient but that distinction inherently lends itself to fewer visitors. It is located a few hours drive from any nearby airport--4 hours south of Salt Lake City International Airport or 3 hours west of Grand Junction Regional Airport in Colorado.
If you are combining it with visits to other southern Utah national parks like Bryce Canyon or Zion, you might consider flying to Las Vegas which is a little over 5 hours from Capitol Reef National Park.
If you are exploring more of southwest Utah, check out our additional Utah blogs here.
We flew to Salt Lake City, rented a car and spent the night in the nearby ski resort town of Park City. We enjoyed seeing the magnificent yellow hues of the aspen trees in the mountains around Park City before proceeding south to red rock country the next day. Utah's varying landscape is truly amazing!
Courtesy of Google Maps with my annotations
What Is the Closest Town To Capitol Reef National Park?
The tiny town of Torrey, Utah is your home base for exploring the area of Capitol Reef National Park. Torrey's recent designation as Utah’s first International Dark Sky Community will almost guarantee amazing stargazing opportunities during your stay there.
During our stay, we were thrilled to see the Milky Way each night and the number of stars visible in the night sky were more than any we've ever seen at home.
Though small, the tree-lined Main Street of Torrey offers everything you need, and it's located just 15 minutes from Capitol Reef's Visitor Center. You have plenty of lodging options here and enough restaurants to make it interesting.
Where We Stayed When Visiting Capitol Reef National Park
We stayed 3 nights in a two bedroom vacation rental (VRBO 564942) near Main Street in Torrey. The vacation rental was one of the best we've stayed at, and I can't recommend it enough.
Located on a quiet residential road, the location was terrific (20 min to the Visitor Center and 6 min to Austin's Chuck Wagon & General Store) and the views from every window were outstanding. Sunrises and sunsets were wonderful, and the host even supplied stargazing chairs for the evenings.
If I wasn't staying at this particular VRBO or the 1 bedroom property next door (VRBO 969884 which is managed by the same owner), I would probably stay at either Capitol Reef Resort for its variety of lodging options (teepee, anyone?) or the Red Sands Hotel.
Both look like nice options based on reviews and location. However, all the hotels along Torrey’s Main Street looked nice enough for a base camp, and all are located close to the park entrance and the restaurants of Torrey.
Heads Up: This is our personal list of places that we have stayed in previously, have been recommended by friends we trust, or we have bookmarked as possibilities for future visits. We do participate in affiliate marketing with some of the companies that we personally use. They don’t pay us to write, we simply get a commission if you enter those sites through our “gate” as opposed to say a Google search. We never accept free gifts or comped stays. Full Disclosure Statement
Where To Eat Near Capitol Reef National Park
Photo Courtesy of Capitol Burger Facebook Page
You’ll find plenty of restaurants in Torrey and a pretty good general store for basic provisions but not a large grocery store. If you have specific/unusual items on your list, you should scout out a grocery store on your way here.
Austin's Chuck Wagon Lodge & General Store in Torrey had everything we needed for grocery provisions including fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, and your usual staples.
Although the selection is limited, all the fresh offerings looked presentably good. They also have a good deli in the back of the store for breakfast and lunch. It even has a nice beer selection for us craft beer fans.
Foodie Tip: Capitol Burger food truck also sets up in Austin's Chuck Wagon and General Store parking lot most evenings, and they make a truly fantastic burger. Don't miss it!
Although we didn’t personally try them, the Rim Rock Restaurant and Hunt & Gather Restaurant were also noted as standouts. Make sure to check their websites as many restaurants in Torrey are only open seasonally.
Easy Hikes In Capitol Reef National Park
Map courtesy of NPS.gov
I have to be honest. It's often a challenge to encourage my kids (ages 11 and 15) to go hiking. Their complaints usually revolve around enduring the same redundant scenery for mile upon mile along with the uncomfortable exertion that often requires.
So to minimize the whine, we try hard to select really good "bang for your buck" hikes that are less than 5 miles roundtrip, involve a realistic elevation gain, and offer a great view or memorable experience along the trail. Fortunately for all of us, we found some fantastic hikes on this trip that everyone loved.
Important Note: Check with the rangers at the Visitor Center for trail conditions, road conditions, weather forecasts, and flash flood watches before hiking. Flash floods are a real danger here.
“Call 435-425-3791 to reach the automated phone tree, which has the weather forecast recorded daily; updates on road conditions as they change; and the fruit hotline for flowering and harvesting information.”
Grand Wash Trail
The narrow section of Grand Wash Trail
Of the easy hikes we did, Grand Wash Trail was our favorite hike in Capitol Reef National Park. This is a super easy walk through a beautiful canyon with towering walls rising straight up on either side of you. This hike was a hands down winner!
Grand Wash Trail is a wonderfully scenic hike with lots of opportunities to scramble rocks and explore along the way, but it's enjoyable even if you simply follow the flat path through the ever narrowing canyon.
As you proceed through the canyon, it eventually narrows to about 16 feet wide at just over the 1 mile mark. This can be a good turnaround point if desired, but we chose to continue exploring and backtracked for a total of 4 miles.
When we hiked this trail mid-morning in October, we often had parts of the entire canyon all to ourselves. It was a truly extraordinary experience.
Which Trailhead To Grand Wash Should You Take?
I was confused upon researching this hike about where to find the trailhead. Turns out there are two. Grand Wash Trail stretches 2.25 miles from Grand Wash Road off Scenic Drive all the way to Highway 24.
For that reason, you can start from either end. It's a popular shuttle hike if you have two vehicles, but if you're not shuttling, an out and back hike works well because it's flat and relatively short. The popular "narrows" section of this hike is roughly located in the middle of it, so either trailhead works great.
Grand Wash Trailheads. Maps courtesy of nps.gov.
Grand Wash Road
Prior to our trip, I had read that the packed dirt Grand Wash Road leading to the trailhead off of Scenic Drive offered beautiful scenery so we chose that trailhead.
You do not need a 4-wheel drive vehicle for this road and driving on the 1.75 mile Grand Wash Road was a super fun and beautiful experience.
Another advantage of the Scenic Drive trailhead is that you could easily add on another hike to Cassidy Arch.
The Cassidy Arch Trail (named after Butch Cassidy who purportedly hid out there) splits off on the left side of the Grand Wash Trail at the 0.25 mile marker.
Cassidy Arch trail is a short, strenuous hike which our kids didn't want to take, but it sounds worthwhile if you have the energy and time!
Important Things To Know About the Grand Wash Trail
Important! Do not hike the Grand Wash Trail if rain is in the forecast. Flash flooding is a danger. Check at the Visitor Center first.
The trailhead from Scenic Drive requires a $20 entrance fee or the America The Beautiful Pass which is $80 for the year (which is great if you are going to more than one park on your trip to Utah). The self-pay entrance station is located just south of the campground on the Scenic Drive or you can purchase a 7 day pass online. (The parking area on Highway 24 will not require the purchase of a pass.)
Note that Grand Wash Road is often closed due to weather conditions. Make sure it's open. Also, the small parking lot at the end of Grand Wash Road would be challenging for an RV.
Pit toilets are available at the trailhead.
Cohab Canyon Trail
View from North Overlook on the Cohab Canyon Trail. You can see the Fremont River and Highway 24 cutting through Capitol Reef.
Cohab Canyon Trail is another interesting and beautiful canyon to walk through and explore. Unlike the super flat and easy Grand Wash Trail, this hike offers the bonus of high elevation views of Capitol Reef along with a stroll through a beautiful canyon.
That's the good news. The bad news, according to my children, is that high elevation views typically equate to more physical exertion. Fortunately, the steep part of Cohab Canyon with its 22 switchbacks involves only a very short section (1/3 of a mile) of the trail and it occurs at the very beginning.
Take your time and pause (you'll need to!) to savor the views over Fruita as you climb to the entrance of the canyon.
View of Fruita as you begin to climb the switchbacks at the beginning of the hike.
Once you reach the canyon entrance, it is a relatively flat walk. The canyon floor is sandy in spots with some areas of smooth slickrock. All is easy going here with lots to explore and admire. The "swiss cheese rocks" embedded in the colorful canyon walls are particularly prolific here.
Experiencing the walk through the canyon is delightful on its own, but our destination was the North Overlook. At about 1.1 miles, you'll see the "Fruita Overlook" sign where an uphill spur trail leads to the South and North Overlooks.
The North Overlook is just 0.4 mile from the main trail and gives sweeping views of the Fremont River Canyon. We only visited that overlook as the South Overlook was an additional .4 miles and offered pretty much the same views of Fruita that we saw on the initial steep ascent. The North Overlook provided a great view of the park and the Fremont River.
You can see the spur trail on the left leading to the view from the North View Overlook on Cohab Canyon Trail
Where Is The Cohab Canyon Trailhead?
Cohab Canyon Trail is another "thru trail” leading 1.7 miles from the Fruita Campground area off Scenic Drive to Highway 24. Thus, you once again have the "which trailhead?" conundrum if you don't have a shuttle arrangement.
Cohab Canyon Trail from Scenic Drive Area to North and South Overlooks. Map courtesy of NPS.gov
If you can arrange a shuttle, this is an ideal hike for that. If you do have to retrace your steps back to the trailhead, it's a great opportunity to enjoy the change in light direction upon the rocks.
The trailhead off Scenic Road is a steeper but shorter ascent than from the trailhead on Highway 24. And you get the bonus of great views of Fruita as you climb and it's a nice area to picnic before or after your hike.
We chose to hike from the Cohab Canyon Trailhead (off Scenic Drive), visit the North Overlook, and then return the way we came for about a 3 mile round-trip hike.
Important Things To Know About the Cohab Canyon Trail
Nestled against the Fremont River, the green, tree-lined valley of Fruita might be considered the heart of Capitol Reef National Park. This is where you'll find the beginning of Scenic Drive, the Visitor Center, historic structures like the Gifford House (where you you can buy freshly baked pies), a large picnic area, orchards, the Fruita Campground, and several trailheads.
The shaded picnic area of Fruita is welcoming and its green foliage and orchards stand out against the backdrop of the red rocks. Nearby the picnic area, you can also access the Fremont River Trail if you simply want to stretch your legs. And, of course, don't forget about the pies at Gifford House! Click here for operating hours.
Fruita Picnic Area near the Cohab Canyon Trailhead
The Cohab Canyon trailhead is located well before the fee station to continue on Scenic Drive, so you don't need a pass to access it. You can park in the large lot across from the Gifford House and then walk up Scenic Drive (towards the campground) for about 20 yards to the clearly marked trailhead on the left.
Restrooms can be found in the nearby Picnic Area.
You are welcome to pick fruit from the orchards if it's harvest season.
The kids might enjoy seeing the horses at the barn next to the Gifford House.
Scenic Drive and Capitol Gorge Trail
Scenic Drive
Before or after completing either the Cohab Canyon or Grand Wash Trails, you also have the option of driving the 7.9 mile (fee required) Scenic Drive. We had originally planned to drive Scenic Drive to its terminus and take the Capitol Gorge Road to hike the easy 2 mile round-trip Capitol Gorge Trail.
The Capitol Gorge Trail is supposedly a really beautiful walk and has the added bonus of seeing the "Pioneer Register" where many names, dates, and places were carved and painted into the sandstone on the left side of the canyon wall about half a mile from the trailhead.
Apparently, prospectors, explorers, surveyors, cowboys, area settlers, and early visitors would often stand on their wagons to carve their names into the canyon wall (above the flood line). I thought it would be interesting to see this original graffiti!
Unfortunately, previous rains had washed out the Capitol Gorge Road, and it was still closed while we were there. Next time!
Petroglyphs Boardwalks in Capitol Reef National Park
Boardwalk to view petroglyphs. Photo courtesy of NPS.gov
While in the park, be sure to make a quick stop to walk along the wooden boardwalks along Highway 24 to view the Fremont Culture Petroglyphs. Some of the petroglyphs are hard to see, so it might be helpful to bring a pair of binoculars to get a closer view.
The petroglyphs on the shorter boardwalk closest to the parking area provide larger, easier to see figures, while the longer boardwalk is more of an "I spy…" game.
Gooseneck Point and Sunset Point Overlooks
Gooseneck Overlook. Photo courtesy of NPS.gov
Gooseneck Point and Sunset Point are two overlooks just off Highway 24 that require a super short walk to take in some mighty incredible views. Driving past the Visitor Center going toward the town of Torrey, you'll take a left turn at the sign marked Panorama Point/Goosenecks Overlook.
Continue past Panorama Point (which is yet another 360-degree view overlook from a paved pathway) and follow the dirt road roughly one mile until it ends at the parking area. Follow the short dirt trail over the small ridge to the fenced overlook of Gooseneck Point to take in a birds eye view of Sulphur Creek winding its way through Sulfur Creek Canyon 800 feet below.
The exposed rock seen here is some of the oldest in the park.
Sulphur Creek Canyon
From the same parking area, you can also take the 0.7-mile roundtrip walk to Sunset Point. If you do come for sunset, remember to arrive at least 1-2 hours before sunset time to witness the best colors on the rock cliffs. Panorama Point is also a good spot for sunset or stargazing if you want to avoid the dirt road.
Additional Hikes In Capitol Reef National Park
Sadly, our time was limited but these trail names also rose to the surface while researching this trip. The Sulfur Creek Trail sounds like a pretty fun trail. I imagine it as a much, much smaller version of Zion's Narrows Trail and a great way to cool off during the heat of summer.
The Chimney Rock Trail was heartily endorsed in our Guest Book at our vacation rental, so it might be worth a try as well. We had to save these for next time!
Tip: Once you veer away from hikes in the Fruita area, many of the roads in Capitol Reef are unpaved and require a 4-wheel drive vehicle. If you want to keep your options open, you should consider renting a higher clearance, 4WD SUV as your rental car.
Click here to see a list of hikes and trail difficulty ratings provided by the National Park Service as well as some backcountry hiking options.
Additional Places To See Near Capitol Reef National Park
Map is courtesy of Google Maps. This area is a 90 minute drive from Torrey.
Outside the national park, you'll find additional and equally amazing places to explore. Goblin Valley State Park and Little Wild Horse Canyon Trail might possibly be the most memorable experiences of our trip, so I hope you can carve out some time to visit them if you're even remotely close to this area.
We actually visited this area on our way to Capitol Reef from Salt Lake City, but you could also make this a day trip from your home base in Torrey. The drive takes about 90 minutes from Torrey and less than 4 hours (3:45) from Salt Lake City.
Tip: On the way back from your fun day, stop in the tiny town of Hanksville to refuel your car’s gas tank and enjoy a cold milkshake from Stan's Burger Shack! Hanksville is 38 minutes from Goblin Valley State Park, and you'll drive through it on your way if driving to or from Capitol Reef National Park.
Goblin Valley State Park
Goblin Valley State Park
Hiking among the goblins in Goblin Valley State Park
The photos of this unique place simply cannot capture its uniqueness and beauty.
Although Goblin Valley State Park offers 3 official trails and an Observation Point (a covered platform with picnic tables), the best and most fun way to explore this park is simply walking down the stairs from the Observation Point to roam among the valleys of these goblin-like sandstone formations.
You can't get lost as you can always find a way to look up to see the parking area above you in the distance. A fun game of hide and seek could also be had here!
You'll need to pay a $20 fee at the Visitor Center to enter the park. The Visitor Center offers cold drinks and some snacks and, more importantly, restrooms with flush toilets!
Although Goblin Valley State Park sits in the middle of nowhere, it has two fantastic attractions within 20 minutes of it: 1) Little Wild Horse Canyon and 2) Temple Mountain Wash Pictograph Panel.
Little Wild Horse Slot Canyon
The narrowest section of Little Wild Horse Canyon
Located just 20 minutes from Goblin Valley State Park, this trail offers the unique opportunity to experience a non-technical slot canyon. Be sure to check at the Visitor Center at Goblin Valley State Park for weather and trail conditions as this hike is a flash flood risk. Do not hike it if there is a chance of rain. Seriously. Tip: They also have a trail brochure with directions and a map.
The hike can be an 8 mile loop combining both Little Wild Horse Canyon Trail and Bell Canyon Trail or an out and back hike on Little Wild Horse Canyon Trail. For the "most bang for you buck", stick to the Little Wild Horse Canyon Trail and simply retrace your steps when you are ready to turn around.
After walking a short way (about a 1/2 mile from the trailhead) along a wide, dry riverbed and scrambling over a few rocks, you'll eventually encounter a sign indicating to go right to continue the trail through Little Wild Horse Canyon.
Within about one easy and relatively flat mile from here, the canyon walls will continue to narrow and rise until eventually offering only a shoulder's width passage. So fun!
Little Wildhorse Canyon Trail is 3.3 miles long end to end and apparently contains 3 sets of narrows with the first set being the narrowest. With constraints on time and having explored Goblin Valley prior to this hike, we turned around once we reached a small clearing after squeezing through the first set of narrows.
It was a spectacular hike for us, and we ended up with maybe about a 3-4 mile roundtrip hike although I didn't track the distance and no one ever asked when it would ever end. It was that fun!
We saw only a handful of people on the trail while we there, which is unusual for this popular hike. Perhaps it was uncrowded due to it being fall season, mid-week, and a late afternoon outing. Whatever the reason, it was lucky and fortunate for us!
Temple Mountain Wash Pictograph Panel
Temple Mountain Wash Pictograph Panel Near Goblin Valley State Park
Also nearby and a super quick and accessible stop, the Temple Mountain Wash Pictograph Panel is found right off the side of the road. Traveling on Temple Mountain Road, you'll see a sign pointing you to the parking area on the right.
According to the informational sign at the parking area, the "Temple Mountain Pictograph panel is significant because it contains some of the largest prehistoric painted figures in Utah. The largest image is, at present, about 6 feet tall."
We found the Temple Mountain Wash Pictograph Panel on this large cliff face to be more impressive than those found in Capitol Reef, mainly because of their size. See the Trek Planner's blog post for detailed information on this worthwhile stop if you are in the vicinity of Goblin Valley State Park.
If You Have An Additional Day in Capitol Reef National Park
I'm pretty sure that these activities mentioned below would have been wonderful, but rain socked us in on our last day, and we ended up hiking nearby on Capitol Reef’s short and popular Hickman Bridge Trail. (Not nearly as impressive as Grand Wash or Cohab Canyon Trails and much more crowded, even on a rainy day!)
Note that the activities below are located outside of Capitol Reef National Park and would be best grouped together.
Scenic Biway 12
Our original plan for our last day was to drive 37 miles south on Scenic Biway 12 from Torrey toward the town of Boulder, Utah to visit the Anasazi State Park Museum and then continue on to check out Singing Canyon on the Burr Trail (Note- this is not a hiking a trail).
Scenic Biway 12 offers amazing views of Capitol Reef National Park, Dixie National Forest, Boulder Mountain and high elevation turnouts at Larb Hollow Overlook. Although our end point was Boulder, Utah, the highway continues on through Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and on to Bryce Canyon National Park located about 2.5 hours from Capitol Reef.
Tip: Hell's Backbone Grill & Farm is apparently THE place to eat in Boulder. Be sure to check their website for hours. They were only open for dinner at the time.
Anasazi State Park Museum
Anasazi State Park Museum looks like an interesting stop on this drive. For a $10 family pass, you can explore the artifacts and dwellings of the 200 + Anasazi people who lived there between 1050 and 1200 AD. After exploring the artifacts that were excavated from the site, you can go outside to tour a life-sized, six room replica of an ancient dwelling and view a portion of the original site.
Afterwards, eat lunch at Magnolias Street Food, a well-reviewed food truck (actually a Chevy Bluebird Bus!) that serves breakfast and lunch at the state park 7 days a week (except in winter season).
The Burr Trail and Singing Canyon
From Anasazi State Park, you can reach Singing Canyon on the scenic Burr Trail Road in about 25 minutes. From Boulder, the Burr Trail Road is paved for the first 18 miles until it reaches the border of Capitol Reef National Park. At this point, the road becomes a graded rugged dirt road with a series of switchbacks that look terrifyingly thrilling. Visit the NPS Guide for an excellent mile-by-mile guide.
Our plan was simply to travel about 11.5 miles on the paved section of the Burr Trail to Singing Canyon (a super short slot canyon with amazing acoustics) and then return to our home base in Torrey.
Singing Canyon is not signed or marked but look for a small, unmarked paved pullout on the left side of the road. Follow a wide, flat trail for about 5-10 minutes to the entrance of the canyon. See Visit Utah's website for more detailed info on visiting Singing Canyon.
Next Time…
I would love to return to Capitol Reef National Park one day. I would rent the same house, hike more trails, and watch the sun rise and set each day. It would also be amazing to plan a trip to coincide with a major celestial event or star gaze during a new moon.
Note that fall and late spring would be the best times to visit, as summer might be unbearably hot (July average temp is 91 degrees) and would certainly have more crowds. Hope you get to enjoy this special place sometime. It’s worth it!
Capitol Reef Hiking Books That I Used
Note: Simply Awesome Trips is a partner with Amazon’s Affiliate Program.
I also liked the detailed trail descriptions on “Live and Let Hike’s” website.
