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Capitol Reef National Park is one of the five national parks located in Utah. It’s named for the unique sandstone domes that resemble the United States Capitol building in Washington, DC. The park also surrounds a 100 mile long wrinkle in the earth called the Waterpocket Fold, which contains canyons and rock formations.
Visiting Capitol Reef
I spent one full day at Capitol Reef, concentrated on the most accessible parts of the park. My group started along UT 24, the state highway that cuts through the park, visited the Fruita Historic District, and finished with the Capitol Reef Scenic Drive.
There are two less accessible districts of the park down unpaved roads that require more time to visit. Cathedral Valley to the north and the Waterpocket District to the south. Both offer excellent hiking opportunities and incredible scenery. Visiting Cathedral Valley requires a high-clearance vehicle while a normal passenger car should be fine in the Waterpocket District in good weather.
If you’re short on time, you can see a lot in and around the Fruita Historic District and along the eight mile scenic drive. There are some good hikes in the area as well.
Visitor Center
There’s one visitor center at the park. It’s located just off UT 24 when entering Fruita and is open year-round. There are interpretive displays about the park and a water bottle station.
Entrance Fees
The entrance fee to Capitol Reef only applies to those taking the scenic drive south of the Fruita Campground. It costs US$20 per vehicle (as of September 2023) and is good for seven days. The fee is also covered by all of the interagency passes. Backcountry permits are free and can be obtained at the visitor center. The park is open year-round.
Camping
There’s just one developed campground at Capitol Reef. The Fruita Campground has 64 RV/tent sites and seven walk-in tent sites. They must be reserved in advance from March 1 to October 31. Between November 1 and February 28, the sites are first-come, first-served. Click here to reserve. The nightly fee is US$25 (as of September 2023).
Two primitive campsites are available for no fee if you’re visiting Cathedral Valley or the Waterpocket District. The Cathedral Valley Campground has six sites and Cedar Mesa Campground has five sites. Both are on a first-come, first-served basis and are open year-round. There are pit toilets available but no water.
We wanted to break up our camping a bit and sleep in a hotel, so we ended up staying in nearby Torrey at the Broken Spur Inn and Steakhouse.
Activities
Rock climbing, photography, biking, backcountry horseback riding, and other outdoor activities are available. Check the official website for more information on these activities. Information about ranger guided programs can be found at the visitor center.
Safety
The best advice I can give is to take plenty of water and use sunscreen. The heat can be brutal, especially at mid-day. Fill up your water bottles at the visitor center and make sure you have enough with you before hiking.
Also, be careful on the trails because there are some serious drops when hiking next to a cliff, and the trail can be slippery at times. Flash floods are also an issue, and you should check weather conditions at the visitor center before going out to hike.
