Capitol Reef National Park is Utah’s ‘other’ park. Perhaps less famous than Bryce, Zion, Canyonlands and Arches but a beauty nevertheless.
Utah
1999, 2008
Capitol Reef National Park is another one of those parks that you can spend as much or as little time as you want or have to spend. If you are driving from Bryce to Canyonlands and Arches National park’s via Utah highway 12, it will connect with Utah’s highway 24 which cuts through the park. The park is in a very remote section of southern Utah so the crowds so prevalent in Zion and Bryce won’t be found here.
The park gets its name from a line of white sandstone domes said to look like the United States Capital building and from the ridges that jut out on the west side of the Waterpocket Fold that were referred to as ‘reefs’ by the pioneers. The Capitol Dome can be seen on the north side of highway 24 less than a mile west of the visitor’s center
The visitor center is just off the road at the start of the park’s scenic drive.
The scenic drive is a 8-
If you are just passing by and time is tight you can do the drive in less than two hours with time spent stopping, photographing and enjoying the spectacular scenery. At the right times of day the colors are amazing. More time gives you more chance to explore the park’s amazing hiking trails and spectacular beauty.
As you meander along the drive you are confronted with an array of white rock domes, spires, colorful cliffs and twisting canyons that aren’t evident until you stop and explore them. If you hike into them you may experience places where the walls are just feet apart and sometimes the walls will open up to expansive vistas and the sight of arches.
Just past the visitor center is the Fruita Historic District. Originally named Junction the name of this Mormon settlement was changed to Fruita around the turn of the century. The area was known for its orchards hence the name Fruita. It was abandoned in 1955 when the National Parks Service purchased the land to include in the national park. The orchards remain and are the property of the NPS which maintains them as part of the ‘historic landscape’. The original one room schoolhouse, constructed in 1896, which also served as a community center is still intact although the interior was restored to the 1930’s period.
The section of the road between Torrey, Utah and the park’s road contains several points of interest to stop at and enjoy the desolate beauty of them. Chimney Rock is a towering red sandstone butte. The Goosenecks Overlook is a viewpoint above a steep canyon carved by Sulphur Creek, a tributary of the Colorado River. The Twin Rocks is another attraction to stop and take a look at along this section of road.
Down the road from the visitor center, on highway 24, there is a boardwalk from which petroglyphs can be seen which date from the Fremont Culture (300-
In the more difficult to access northern region of the park is Cathedral Valley which has some incredible scenery. Unfortunately this area is only accessible via dirt roads where 4WD is recommended.
Capitol Reef was designated and International Dark Sky Park in 2015. The near-
While this park can be a drive-
For mammals there’s Desert Bighorn Sheep, mule deer, mountain lion, ringtail, squirrels, beavers, marmots and foxes. Among the reptiles are many species of snakes including the Midget Faded Rattlesnake which rarely grows over 2 feet. There’s about 10 species of lizards and a few amphibians. There’s also over 200 bird species including Golden Eagles, Peregrine Falcons, Spotted Owls and Mountain Bluebirds.
There’s no lodging in the national park. Lodging can be found in some of the surrounding towns. The closest lodging can be found in Torrey, Utah and Teasdale, Utah. Torrey is 11 miles west of the park; Teasdale is a few miles further. This link will take you to a website where you can find lodging in the area. There’s additional links for lodging options at the bottom of the page.
This is an excellent easy, fairly level hike. For the most part the trail is in the shade of the canyon walls on either side so it is a good hike for a hot, sunny day. Access to this is via the park’s scenic drive and can be an out-
This is an easy, scenic, 2 mile round trip hike out to a beautiful natural bridge.
This is a 2.6 mile out-
This is a moderate out-
This link will take you to the National Park’s Service website for hiking in Capitol Reef National Park.
For the more adventurous there is the Notom-
*Warning* Never take a back country road in wet weather. Always be aware of the weather forecast before undertaking a back country drive.
You pick up Notom-
The etiquette of back country driving dictates that uphill traffic has the right of way since it is theoretically easier to back up a steep grade than down one -
Once at the top of the switchbacks you only have a few more miles of graded road through Capitol Reef National Park. Once you exit the park you are in the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument and the road is now paved. About 10 miles or so further the road takes you though dramatic Long Canyon. After that it is about 10-
As with any back country road it is best to have two vehicles in case of a problem. Part of the beauty of taking back country roads is the solitude. You have the excitement and scenic beauty all to yourself. However, these roads tend to not get lots of traffic so if help is needed that could be a problem. Cell phone service is likely to be non-
There is a separate page on this website for Utah’s highway 12 which is on many a list of the most scenic highways in America. If you are traveling in the area, especially if you are driving between Bryce and Moab, you’ll want to read about this route. The link is below.
Capitol Reef National Park on the National Parks Service website -
Capitol Reef National Park -
Lodging Near Capitol Reef National Park-
Lodging Near Capitol Reef National Park -
Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park are 153 miles east and about a 3 hour drive if you take the interstate. A far more scenic trip would be to visit Natural Bridges National Monument on the way to these parks which would add 100 miles and another 2 hours plus whatever time you spend touring Natural Bridges.
Bryce Canyon National Park with its colorful hoodoo’s is 145 miles to the southwest and about a 3.5 hour drive on Highway 12 -
Zion National Park has its virtually sheer 2000 foot walls and is 270 miles southwest and about 6 hours drive if you take Highway 12. From Bryce Canyon Zion is 270 miles southwest and about 6 hours drive if you take Highway 12. From Bryce Canyon it is 90 miles miles away and less than 2 hours from it.
Grand Canyon North Rim Dramatic in its own right with one-
These national monuments are on Navajo Tribal land and are as worthwhile to visit as any national park.
Monument Valley Tribal Park is about 190 miles southeast and about a 4 hour drive. This is a place you’ve seen in any number of Hollywood westerns.
Canyon De Chelly National Monument Ancient cliff dwellings carved into the sides of a steep canyon is about 273 miles southeast and about a 5.5 hour drive.
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Updated 02/11/23 7:04 PM
National Parks Zone