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Capitol Gorge Trail is a trail at Capitol Reef National Park. The trailhead is located at the end of Capitol Gorge Road, which starts at the end of the Capitol Reef Scenic Drive.
The Trail
The one-way trail is one mile long and is easy. At the end, there’s a spur trail that leads up to the Tanks (see below). Another more difficult trail leading up to the Golden Throne starts at the Capitol Gorge trailhead.
The Capitol Gorge Trail starts by winding along a dried up stream bed through the bottom of a canyon. The canyon begins to narrow quickly.
Pioneer Register
About a halfway into the trail in the narrow section of the canyon is the Pioneer Register. Look closely and you can see the names of several pioneers who etched their names into the rock as they passed through the area.
The trail begins to open up shortly after Pioneer Register. At one point, if you turn around and look back, you can see the Golden Throne.
The Tanks
Finally, at the end of the trail there’s a sign that points to the Tanks. You have to climb up a short but steep path to access a series of potholes filled with water. It was along this trail where I saw a huge wasp attack a locust and drag it to a hole.
The Tanks were filled with water and are used by local wildlife for survival. It’s forbidden to touch the water because oils from human skin can contaminate the water for animals.
