Capitol Reef National Park

Capitol Reef is a very long and narrow National Park in southern Utah. It preserves the 100-mile long Waterpocket Fold, a north-south wrinkle in Earth’s crust that runs all the way to Lake Powell in Arizona.

Along the fold, erosion has exposed the layers of the Earth and rocks have been pushed upward, making for a very unique landscape.

Capitol Reef is one of the least popular of the Utah Might 5 National Parks, which is a shame because there is so much to see and do here. Hiking and off-road driving are the best things to do here, and the views and rock formations will not disappoint!

Best Things to Do in Capitol Reef

FRUITA DISTRICT & GIFFORD HOUSE: Visit one of the few Mormon settler sites remaining from the early 1900s. The area is scattered with 19 orchards that were planted by the settlers and the fruit is used to make homemade pies at The Gifford House. They are open 9-4:30 and often sell out of pies before noon in peak season.

CASSIDY ARCH TRAIL: Hike through some famous Utah slickrock and get a photo of you standing on the Cassidy Arch! This 3.1-mile hike is rated moderate and is one of the most popular hikes in the park. Fun fact: the Cassidy Arch is actually named after bandit Butch Cassidy since he was rumored to have a hideout in this area!

CAPITOL REEF SCENIC DRIVE: The Capitol Reef Scenic Drive is an 8-mile paved road with gorgeous, otherworldly scenery. There are some great trailheads located off of this drive as well.

HICKMAN BRIDGE TRAIL: This trail is a short, 1.7-mile loop to a gorgeous natural bridge. You’ll wind up some switchbacks along the Fremont River before beginning the loop to the bridge.

PETROGLYPHS: Capitol Reef National Park preserves petroglyphs dating back to the Native American tribes that inhabited the area. They are located right off of Highway 24 and have boardwalks that go up to them.

LOOP THE FOLD: Looping the Fold is a 124-mile driving tour of the Waterpocket Fold district. A 4WD vehicle is recommended for this drive, but not necessary. It’s one of the most unique and fun things to do in Capitol Reef National Park!

COHAB CANYON TRAIL: The Cohab Canyon Trail is a 3.3-mile, moderately strenuous hike up to and through an incredible hidden canyon. There are 2 optional viewpoints with panoramic views over Fruita.

CATHEDRAL VALLEY LOOP: The Cathedral Valley Loop is another off-roading tour similar to Looping the Fold, but it’s more remote. A 4WD vehicle is required for this loop, as you will need to cross the Fremont River. You’ll explore Capitol Reef’s northern district full of sandstone monoliths and wide-open deserts.

DRIVE HIGHWAY 24: Utah Highway 24 is the main road that runs east-west through the park. Even though this isn’t an “official” scenic drive, it is very scenic!

PANORAMA POINT: A great viewpoint with sweeping views of the incredible, colorful, sandstone cliffs. 

GOOSENECKS OVERLOOK & SUNSET POINT: The Goosenecks Overlook is a short trail to an overlook of 2 horsehoe bends that the Sulphur Creek carved out from the sandstone and Sunset Point is a viewpoint of colorful rock formations. The short trails to both of these viewpoints are located in the same parking lot, so it’s easy to visit both at the same time.

HIKING: The best viewpoints at Capitol Reef National Park are accessed via hiking trail. Check out the top 10 day hikes in Capitol Reef for more detail on available hikes here. For the ultimate hiking adventure, hike the Rim Overlook to Navajo Knobs trail on a 9-mile strenuous trek to one of the highest points in the park with incredible panoramic views.

When to Visit

The best time to visit Capitol Reef National Park is in the spring or fall when temperatures are pleasant. It gets brutally hot in Utah during the summer, with highs over 100 degrees. Summer is also the busiest time to visit since kids are out of school and people are taking their summer vacations.

In Utah, most hikes don’t have treecover to shade the trails, so you get full sun exposure most of the time. It’s important to prioritize hiking early or late in the day because of this.

October is another busy time to visit since you get all the fall breakers, but the weather is perfect. Capitol Reef doesn’t get as many visitors as its more popular neighbors, Arches and Bryce Canyon, but still expect some crowds midday here. If you really want to avoid the crowds, try visiting the last week of October or early November instead. 

How Many Days Do You Need?

The time needed in Capitol Reef National Park depends on what you like to do.

If you enjoy hiking and/or off-road driving, you can easily spend 4 days here and not get bored. Looping the Fold and driving the Cathedral Valley Loop will take up 2 days of your time. You can easily fill 2-3 more days with incredible hiking opportunities. The more nights you can fit in here on your Utah road trip, the better!

If hiking or off-road adventuring isn’t your thing, 1 day is all you need to visit the highlights and do the Scenic Drive.

We have spent a collective 5 days in Capitol Reef and we still haven’t gotten to everything on our list.

How to Get There

Capitol Reef National Park is located in south central Utah. If you’re looking at the Utah Mighty 5 National Parks in a line, Capitol Reef is situated between Bryce Canyon and Canyonlands National Parks.

There are no major nearby airports, so your best option is flying into Las Vegas or Salt Lake City and renting a car.

Las Vegas is a 5 hour drive to Capitol Reef, but is more convenient to the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park. Salt Lake City is a 3.5 hour drive to Capitol Reef and is more convenient to the Moab area.

You really can’t go wrong with either airport, so choose the one that is most convenient for the trip you are planning. 

From Salt Lake, you’ll take I-15 south to US-50 south, and then head east on UT-24. From Las Vegas, you’ll take I-15 north and then wind along some two lane highways until you reach UT-24.

Utah Highway 24 is the main road that runs east-west through the park. Many of the attractions are located right off this road.

Where to Stay

Torrey is the best place to stay near Capitol Reef National Park. It’s a cute town located just 8 miles west of the park with restaurants, hotels, gas stations, gift shops, and a general store.

Here are some good lodging options in Torrey:

• RED SANDS HOTEL AND SPA: We stayed here for 2 nights on our second trip and would recommend it. There is a pool, spa, rock garden, and a restaurant on-site.
• CAPITOL REEF RESORT: You can stay in a luxury room, a glamping teepee, or a wagon with an amazing view of the red rock cliffs. There is also a restaurant, pool, and hot tub.
• CHUCK WAGON LODGE: This is a great budget option with a convenient location above the general store with a bakery and deli. 
• BROKEN SPUR INN: Simple, affordable accommodations 5 minutes from the park. They also have wagons you can stay in.

There are no lodges or restaurants inside Capitol Reef National Park except for the Gifford House, which only serves pie and ice cream. Plan to pack a lunch to bring into the park or eat in Torrey (there are some really good options here).

As far a restaurants go, we really loved the bakery and deli in the Chuck Wagon General Store for breakfast and ate here almost every morning! 

Our other favorite restaurants neaby are Chak Balam for Mexican, Hunt and Gather for a slightly more upscale dining experience, and Slackers for burgers.

I also highly recommend making the trip to Hell’s Backbone Grill in Boulder for a special meal. Hell’s Backbone Grill is a world-famous, farm-to-table restaurant that features a regional cuisine. We ate here on both of our trips because the food is really that good. The hours change every season, so make sure it’s open when you plan to go.