Capitol Reef National Park

Capitol Reef is often the least popular of the Utah “Mighty 5” National Parks, and that’s only one reason you should add it to your bucket list. We spent almost two weeks in the area, making the small town of Torrey Utah our home base and frankly, we could have used a couple more days.

The unique geological feature of Capitol Reef is the waterpocket fold. This wrinkle in the Earth’s crust was formed over time by a process of uplift and erosion 50 to 70 million years ago. The result is a very unique landscape of canyons, cliffs, domes and bridges.

Capitol Reef is not your typical national park. It’s minus the crowds found in places like Bryce, Zion and Yellowstone. Instead of masses of people and lines of cars, it’s more of a laid-back area nestled in the small cozy village of Fruita. Fruita was a late 19th century settlement town. The early settlers farmed fruit trees and these same fruit orchards still exist today. They even use the original methods of irrigation to keep to the tradition. The park stretches 60 miles long from the north to the south but is only 6 miles wide with highway 24 dissecting through the center of it. Although it has a very nice visitors center, there is no manned fee booth in the park, only one kiosk on the southern scenic drive. The park is a spectacle of Utah’s amazing beauty.

There are many ways to explore Capitol Reef, from the main scenic drive to the remote back roads, and we covered it all. The park is quite spread out and split into three districts; the South (Waterpocket) District, the Cathedral (North) District and the Fruita area which is the main central part of the park. Lets cover them individually.

Fruita Area

As you pass the visitors center you come to the center of Fruita. Fruita really isn’t a town, more so a quaint section of history and remembrance to the original settlers in the region. Deer roam in this area and you will pass some of the original fruit orchards. The Gifford Homestead is now a small museum and pie shop that sells freshly baked cinnamon rolls and fruit pies from the local orchards. They sell out quickly so get there early. I would be glad to give my personal review of just about any of the flavors. And while you’re there, stop and see the horses that always seem to welcome the visitors.

As mentioned previously, highway 24 runs right through the heart of the park and this drive is amazing in itself. Many of the popular hikes, overlooks and pull-outs are along this stretch of road as well.

Easy access areas include:

Petroglyph Panel

A short boardwalk gives you a peak into 1,000 year old native carvings on the cliff walls.

Fruita Schoolhouse

See the original one room schoolhouse built in 1896 and was used until 1941.

Behunin Cabin

This sandstone cabin was built in 1883 by original settlers in the Fruita region.

Panorama Point

A popular overlook with 360 degree views of the entire area.

Goosenecks Overlook

Down a short gravel road from Panorama Point is this amazing spot with even better views but requires a short walk over rocks.

Our favorite hikes in this area include:

Chimney Rock

This hike is only 3.6 miles but there is a lot of uphill climbing on the first half. The views from the top make it all worth it. Right Shannon? The second half of the hike is equally as beautiful, traversing through a lower section. We had a nice break halfway through chatting with a young lady studying to be a strength and conditioning coach. No, we didn’t try to keep up with her.

Hickman Bridge

Super cool 1.7 mile hike to a natural bridge. One might ask what the difference is between a bridge and an arch. Natural rock arches are stone archways that have been formed by a combination of natural forces such as water and ice, whereas natural rock bridges are stone archways that span an “erosion valley” such as a stream bed. Now you know.

Sunset Point

This short easy hike extends past Goosenecks Overlook (see above) to an incredible overlook of the Freemont river canyon. We planned to go back for a sunset hike but never made it.

Grand Wash

This hike goes through a deep canyon and can be hiked from the south or north. We opted to take it from the north since this is the more scenic section. It was an awesome short hike but a rogue thunderstorm made it very interesting. Ever been deep in a canyon when lightning strikes somewhere right above you (my ears are still ringing). Thank goodness for a cave we were able to shelter in.

Cohab Canyon

This was one of my favorite hikes and starts right from the Gifford Homestead in Fruita. It’s a very steep uphill climb to start but then turns into the canyon and its incredible. No need to take it down to the parking lot at the far end, just turn around and enjoy it again. on the way back there are many opportunities to discover hidden slot canyons along the way. The best part of this hike is that you can stop at the pie shop to get a well deserved reward when you’re done.

The Rim Overlook trail is another good one that we did not have an opportunity to do but will include on the come back list for next time.

The parks Scenic Drive traverses 9 miles to the south of Fruita and immerses you even deeper into the magnificent rock landscape and provides access to even more trails. As the road continues, it turns into a gravel road for the last 2.4 miles called Capital Gorge Road. This part in particular is amazing and is a chance for those of you who don’t normally hit the off-road trails to get a little taste of the backcountry on a more friendly road. We hiked the Capital Gorge Trail at the end of the road, but it wasn’t anything special and I would recommend many of the other trails over this one.

South District

On the eastern edge of the park is Notom-Bullfrog Road, which is a gravel road traveling for 47 miles into the southern wilderness of the park. Although wash boarded in sections, the road is travelable with most vehicles. Have a full tank of gas and plenty of water with you when you travel here, as there are no facilities and no cell service. It’s a great getaway and you won’t see many people (I think we counted three cars all day). Along with the wonderful drive, there are plenty of hiking opportunities along the way. We hiked Surprise Canyon, which was a very cool short hike through (you guessed it) a canyon.

At the 32-mile point of Notom-Bullfrog Road is the Burr Trail Road junction. Turning here takes you out of the park (literally and figuratively) to another beautiful backroad. Burr Trail Road, an old rancher road from the mid-1800’s, goes for 66 miles where it passes through the Grand Staircase Escalante and ultimately intersects with scenic byway 12 in the town of Boulder.

You will quickly come to the Muley Twist section, a series of switchbacks taking you about 1,000 feet up the canyon wall. This is where 4WD can be helpful and possibly necessary depending on conditions. The views up the switchbacks and at the top are amazing! We made this into a long loop (we’re talking 160 miles, plus side trips) taking 12 back into Torrey.

Along the way we took a side trail to Strike Valley Overlook because… well because it was there and we could. Note, this 3 mile side trip does require a high clearance vehicle. By the way, scenic byway 12 is also a beautiful drive, taking you 9,600 feet over a mountain pass with aerial views of Capitol Reef park and the waterpocket fold. Scenic byway 12 actually extends southwest all the way past the Bryce Canyon area.

Cathedral District

The Cathedral District is in the northern part of the park and is the most remote section of Capitol Reef. This backcountry area consists of a 58-mile loop when combining Cathedral and Hartnet roads. Although the park recommends high clearance 4WD vehicles, there is only one part, a river crossing entering the Hartnet road section, that we felt lived up to this recommendation. Although the roads can be rough in spots, the solitude and raw beauty of this area is amazing.

TIP: If you are in a high clearance vehicle, plan to start you trip from the Hartnet road side and take the loop clockwise. Depending on recent rain, the river crossing could be impassible and is good to know this upfront to avoid a 58 mile backtrack. If you are not in a high clearance vehicle, start from Cathedral road and just know that this will be an up and back for you.

Along the long loop road there are several overlooks and points of interest. Be sure to pick up a map of the Cathedral District at the visitors center so you don’t miss anything. There are plenty of opportunities to get out and explore or take some short hikes. If you’re going clockwise, the road steadily climbs and reached the peak around the halfway point. This area offers the best overlook views from Upper Cathedral Valley Overlook and Upper South Desert Overlook. Definitely get out and explore here, the views are incredible.

The road makes a quick descent into the lower sections with some pretty hairy switchbacks. Other than the river crossing, this is the most challenging part of the road. A stop and short walk to the historic Morrell Cabin is a worthy venture. This cabin was built in the 1920’s and then moved to this area and used for 40 years by cowboys when they moved their livestock.

Continuing on Cathedral road you will encounter two very unusual and related sites. The first is Gypsum Sinkhole, a 200 foot hole in the ground that you can stand over. What’s interesting about this is how it was formed. Gypsum was deposited from evaporating seawater approximately 165 million years ago The sinkhole was formed when groundwater dissolved a buried gypsum plug and then collapsed under the weight of overlying rock layers.

The second geological feature is Glass Mountain. In somewhat of a reverse method around the same time period, the buried gypsum migrated upwards through fractures in the sediments forming layers and a very rare dome. The gypsum, or selenite, crystals, resemble quartz covering this 15 feet high mound. It’s quite unusual to look at but be careful when exploring, as we found that snakes like to make the small holes home.

The last stop is Temples of the Sun and Moon, two very cool rock formation that are well worthy of a quick stop to see. From that point its about 15 miles back to the main road. It’s a full day adventure touring the Cathedral District and well worth the investment in time if you like getting out in the wilderness away from the crowds to experience the beautiful and unique Utah backcountry.

Beyond the Park

As with most places we visit, the national park may be the centerpiece but most certainly is not the only attraction, and the Capitol Reef area is no exception. We had a couple of great side trips.

If you like scenic drives, then you should definitely venture to the Hell’s Backbone scenic backway. This is a 38 mile, mostly gravel road that loops off of scenic byway 12 between the towns of Boulder and Escalante. It’s a winding road that follows ridges and mountain passes and is appropriate for all vehicle types. The bonus to this is that you get to drive more of scenic byway 12 back to Torrey. This road is a treat in itself, especially the Hogback section which traverses across a very narrow ridge. Be sure to stop in boulder on the way for a visit to the Anasazi Tribal Museum or a bite to eat at Hell’s Backbone Grill or the Burr Trail Grill, two great choices.

Speaking of Boulder, there is a hike south of Boulder that should definitely be on the top of your list. Lower Calf Creek Falls is a 6 mile hike to a tropical oasis in the desert, literally. The gorgeous waterfall forms a magnificent swimming hole and beach. It was a bit cold for my liking but the dogs sure had a blast.

TIP: If you’re hiking Lower Calf Creek Falls with dogs start early in the day, since the sand trail can get very hot on the dog’s feet. Yeah, we learned this the hard way and it was a long and slow return hike.

Goblin Valley State Park is about an hour and a half from Torrey and is it a blast! Think of this as the largest natural playground for both kids and adults alike. The park is a mass of toadstools, spires and unique rock formations aka goblins that you are free to explore and climb on. There are plenty of hikes you can take but the Valley of the Goblins is the main attraction and where we spent a few hours exploring. There’s also plenty of exploring to do outside the park with some of the backroads in the area, particularly Temple Mountain Road which has stunning view every way you turn.

Capitol Reef isn’t just a day trip to check off one of the Utah Mighty 5, it’s a destination worthy of several days or more, away from the crowds where it seems there’s just a bit more air to breath.

Check out all of our pictures from the Capitol Reef area.