| Capitol Reef National Park | |
Things to Do:
Capitol Reef National Park offers opportunities for a variety of activities depending on your personal interests. To make the most of your visit, stop at the visitor center first. It is located 10 miles east of the town of Torrey, Utah or 37 miles west of the town of Hanksville, Utah on Utah Highway 24.The visitor center museum offers an overview of park features and includes exhibits on geology, archeology, and history as well as a short orientation slide program.
Special Activities
From May to September, the park offers a variety of ranger-guided
programs, including guided walks, talks, and evening programs at the Fruita
campground amphitheater. Nearby points of interest include: the Fruita schoolhouse,
a restored and refurbished
historic structure located on U-24, 0.8 miles east of the visitor center; the blacksmith shop,
0.5 miles south on the Scenic Drive, which offers a recorded message about life in a
Mormon pioneer community; and the Historic Gifford Homestead, 1 mile south on the
Scenic Drive, which is typical of rural Utah farm-houses of the early 1900s. Cultural
demonstrations and handmade sales items are available.
Scenic Drives
The park's main driving tours include the paved Scenic Drive and two
long, mainly unpaved, loop tours through the park's Cathedral and Waterpocket
Districts. The Scenic Drive starts at the park Visitor Center and provides
access to Grand Wash, Capitol Gorge, Pleasant Creek, and the South Draw Road.
The Scenic Drive is a 10 mile paved road with dirt spur roads into Grand Wash
and Capitol Gorge that, weather permitting, are accessible to ordinary passenger
vehicles.
Hiking
In the Fruita area, there are 15 day hiking trails with trailheads
located along Utah Hwy. 24 and the Scenic Drive. These trails offer the hiker a
wide variety of options, from easy strolls along smooth paths over level ground
to strenuous hikes involving steep climbs over uneven terrain near cliff edges.
Round trip distances vary in length from less than 1/4 mile to 10 miles. A free
guide to the trails is available at the visitor center or by clicking here.
The park also offers many backcountry hiking options. Marked hiking routes lead into narrow, twisting gorges and slot canyons and to spectacular viewpoints high atop the Waterpocket Fold. Popular backcountry hikes in the southern section of the park include Upper and Lower Muley Twist Canyons and Halls Creek.
Climbing
Traditionally, Capitol Reef National Park has experienced minimal use by
technical rock climbers. However, recent years have seen an increase in climbing
in Utah's canyon country. Permits are not required for climbing. However, if you
plan to camp overnight on a climb, you are required to obtain a free backcountry
use permit, available at the visitor center.
A picnic area near the visitor center provides tables, fire grills, restrooms, drinking water and shade trees.