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Capitol Reef National Park is one of the five national parks located in Utah.
Introduction to Capitol Reef National Park
In my opinion, if it were located anywhere other than Utah, Capitol Reef National Park would get a lot more attention. Instead, this hidden gem has to compete with the state’s more well-known blockbuster parks.
The park is named for the unique sandstone domes that resemble the United States Capitol building in Washington, DC. It also surrounds a 100-mile-long wrinkle in the earth called the Waterpocket Fold, which contains canyons and rock formations.
Capital Reef National Park was first settled by Fremont culture Native Americans followed by the Paiute people. A Mormon expedition passed through in 1866, and geographer Almon Harris Thompson (1839-1906) crossed the Waterpocket Fold in 1872. Geologist Clarence Dutton (1841-1912) studied the area’s geology over several summers. Mormon settlers founded the town of Junction, later renamed Fruita, in 1880, and a claim to a uranium mine was staked in 1904.
Conservation of Capitol Reef National Park
Conservation efforts began as early as 1921, when Ephraim Portman Pectol organized a booster club in nearby Torrey. With much of the land based in Wayne County, it was named Wayne Wonderland.
Pectol contacted President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1933 to urge him to create Wayne Wonderland National Monument. The government responded by ordering a feasibility study, and 37,711 acres was set aside to create Capitol Reef National Monument on August 2, 1937.
Funding, however, was nonexistent due to the Great Depression, and administration was carried out from Zion National Park. Historian Charles Kelly (1889-1971) volunteered as a park custodian in 1943 and worked without pay until 1950, when he was officially appointed the park’s first superintendent. He retired in 1959.
Visitor numbers skyrocketed after UT 24 was built in 1962. A campground was later added and a new visitor center opened in 1966 while the National Park Service purchased private property in Fruita throughout the decade. President Lyndon B. Johnson added 215,056 acres to the park, bringing it to a total area of 254,251 acres.
The first bill to elevate Capitol Reef to a national park was introduced in 1970. It officially became one on December 18, 1971, and the size was slightly reduced to 241,904 acres.
Planning Your Trip to Capitol Reef National Park
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 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. Check the official website for more info.
Before getting into some of the trails and highlights of the park, here’s some essential information to help you plan your trip:
Entrance Fees to Capitol Reef National Park
The entrance fee to Capitol Reef varies depending on your mode of transportation. Prices are current as of September 2025:
- For private vehicles, it’s $20.
- For motorcycles, it’s $15.
- For visitors entering on bicycle or on foot, it’s $10 for adults and free for kids under 16.
- Holders of any interagency pass are covered for one vehicle or four per-person fees.
Entrance fees are payable at the visitor center and kiosks and are good for seven days. Backcountry permits are free and can be obtained at the visitor center. The park is open year-round.
Capitol Reef 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.
Camping at Capitol Reef National Park
We wanted to break up our camping a bit and sleep in a hotel, so we ended up staying in nearby Torrey. That being said, there are a few campgrounds at Capitol Reef National Park. Prices are current as of September 2025:
- The Fruita Campground is the only developed campground at Capitol Reef. It 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. The nightly fee is $25. Click here to reserve.
- Two primitive campsites are available for free 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.
Activities at Capitol Reef National Park
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 at Capitol Reef National Park
The best advice I can give is to take plenty of water. 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 an issue as well, and you should check weather conditions at the visitor center before going out to hike. Don’t forget sunscreen!
UT 24 at Capitol Reef National Park
UT 24 is a Utah state highway that cuts through Capitol Reef National Park. It’ll be your first experience with the park. There are a few points of interest along the road.
Chimney Rock Viewpoint
From west to east, the first place to stop is a small unmarked pullout to view Chimney Rock. It stands about 300 feet (91 meters) high. A difficult ½-mile (800 meter) trail takes you up to the rock for panoramic views, and you can continue on a 3.6-mile (5.9 kilometer) loop.
Panorama Point
Next, make a right turn off the road to stop at Panorama Point, where you’ll enjoy some dramatic views of the desert landscape. The best time to go is just before sunset, and the best views are of Mummy Cliff to the north.
Goosenecks Point
The road continues to Goosenecks Point, where a short 600-foot (183 meter) trail leads to an overlook. From there, you’ll get dramatic views of a canyon cut by Sulphur Creek 800 feet (244 meters) below.
Sunset Point
At Goosenecks Point is another short trail to Sunset Point. It runs 0.4 miles (600 meters) one-way, first with some excellent views of the landscape and Mummy Cliff.
The trail then winds towards the canyon with Sulphur Creek below, ending at a panoramic viewpoint. Obviously, it’s great for sunsets, but just as beautiful when we went mid-morning.
The Castle Viewpoint
After driving back to UT 24, on the way to the Fruita Historic District, you can stopped at an unmarked pullout to see the Castle.
Native American Petroglyphs
Just to the east of the Fruita Schoolhouse are two short boardwalks leading to ancient Native American petroglyphs. The Fremont people, who were the ancestors of the Hopi, Zuni, and Paiute, carved the petroglyphs between the 4th and 13th centuries.
The petroglyphs describe activities of daily life, gods, animals, calendars, and more. There used to be more symbols but some were destroyed by a natural rockslide. It’s also possible to spot the names of pioneers carved into the rock.
Navajo Dome Viewpoint
Continuing along the road past the Fruita Historic District, you’ll come to another unmarked pullout with views of Navajo Dome. This is one of the many white Navajo sandstone domes at Capitol Reef National Park. It’s 1,100 feet (340 meters) high.
Behunin Cabin
Finally, the Behunin Cabin is near the east end of UT 24 running through the park. It’s a one-room cabin built in 1883 by Mormon settler Elijah Cutler Behunin, one of the very first pioneers who attempted to homestead in the Capitol Reef area. He lived there with his wife, Tabitha Jane, and their 13 children. The Behunin family left about a year later, moving east to Caineville. They returned to settle in Junction (now Fruita) in 1893.
Fruita Historic District
While the striking natural scenery at Capitol Reef National Park is the main draw, the Fruita Historic District adds an intriguing human element.
Fruita was founded in 1880 by a group of Mormon settlers. It was originally named Junction and took its current name around 1902 or 1904. The town was famous for its large orchards. It was abandoned in 1955 after it was purchased by the National Park Service for inclusion in the park.
Only a few buildings remain today, but they do an excellent job of telling the town’s story. Interpretive panels often feature buttons you can push to listen to stories about life in Fruita from actual residents.
Fruita Schoolhouse
The Fruita Schoolhouse, located on UT 24, is a one-room schoolhouse built in 1896. It originally had a flat dirt roof. As the town’s only public building, the school was also used as a church and community center.
The first teacher was Nettie Behunin. Her first class had 22 students, 3 of whom were her siblings. The peaked roof was added in 1912 or 1913, and the school walls were plastered in 1935. It closed in 1941 with the decline of Fruita’s population, and it was restored by the National Park Service in 1966. Peek into the windows to see the type of desks that may have been used during the school year.
Nearby, “Fruita Grade School” is inscribed on a large rock, along with the names of several pupils and other people throughout the years.
Merin Smith’s Shed
Merin Smith’s Shed is located on the way to the Capitol Reef Scenic Drive. Smith moved to Fruita after World War I and was a fruit grower and a blacksmith on the side. He built the shed in 1925.
In 1940, Smith purchased the town’s first tractor. The Eimco Power Horse tractor, which is on display inside, was invented in Utah by the Bonham brothers and produced until World War II.
When the National Park Service acquired the shed, they decided to restore and furnish it as it would have looked in the 1930s. The tools and equipment inside were acquired by the National Park Service and Capitol Reef Natural History Association over a period of several years.
Chinese Wisteria Vine
At the picnic area past the shed, there’s a Chinese wisteria vine that was planted by pioneers in the early 1900s. Residents used it as a swing, but unfortunately it stopped flowering after several decades. In the spring of 2010, however, the vine showed signs of life as a few leaves emerged from the base. Park employees are hoping it will revive itself once again in the future.
Gifford Homestead
Further along the road is the Gifford Homestead. It was built by Calvin Pendleton in 1908 along with the nearby barn. His family lived there for eight years. The house originally consisted of a combined front room and kitchen as well as two bedrooms.
Jorgen Jorgensen moved into the house in 1916. His daughter, Nell, married Dewey Gifford in 1923, and he sold them the homestead in 1928. The Giffords added a kitchen in 1946 and electricity arrived in 1948. In 1954, they built a bathroom, utility room, and carport as well as a small motel for park visitors. They lived in the home until 1969, when they sold it to the National Park Service.
Inside is a museum of Mormon pioneer life. Several items used by families in Fruita, including clothing and household items, are on display. You can also see photos donated by former residents.
The house contains a store where it’s possible to buy a fresh-baked fruit pie, homemade ice cream, jams, bread, and a selection of locally-made crafts. It’s open from March 14 to late November. The pies are delicious!
Orchards in Fruita
Several historic orchards containing almost 1,900 trees can be found in Fruita. Their locations next to the Fremont River and Sulphur Creek are a perfect natural place for cultivation. They were originally planted in the 1880s and provided income for residents until the 1960s.
The National Park Service continues to maintain the orchards using historical irrigation methods, including ditches dug by the pioneers themselves. In fact, Mormon settlers found ancient irrigation ditches used by the Native Americans who came before them. Among the fruits you’ll find are apples, pears, peaches, apricots, cherries, and plums.
Visitors are allowed to sample the fruit for free while visiting the orchards in the park. If you wish to take some fruit with you, you can pick ripe fruits from any orchard with a u-pick sign. Bags are available near the cash boxes to collect fruits, and the cost per pound is listed on a sign. Weigh the fruits and place the correct amount in the small metal cash box. Payments are on an honor system, and all cash collected goes towards the maintenance and preservation of the orchards. Harvest time is generally June through October. Fenced orchards are open from 9am to 5pm while unfenced orchards are open from dawn to dusk.
Capitol Reef Scenic Drive
The road through the Fruita Historic District at Capitol Reef National Park leads to the Capitol Reef Scenic Drive. It’s a 7.9-mile (12.7 kilometer) one-way paved road with pullouts and a dirt spur road to Grand Wash. At the end of Capitol Reef Scenic Drive is a picnic shelter, vault toilets, and the beginning of Capitol Gorge Road.
Danish Hill
The first stop is at Danish Hill. This spot has the most spectacular views on the entire scenic drive.
Grand Wash Road
Next is a turn down Grand Wash Road. At the pullout near the beginning of the road, you can spot the entrance to the Oyler Mines. There’s an interpretive panel explaining the negative effects of allowing uranium mining inside park boundaries in the 1950s. Along the road, it’s easy to spot abandoned mine shafts from those days.
Grand Wash and Cassidy Arch Trails
At the end of the road is the trailhead for the Grand Wash and Cassidy Arch trails. The Grand Wash Trail is an easy 2.2-mile (3.6 kilometer) one-way trail through a narrow canyon. It ends at UT 24.
The Cassidy Arch Trail is a strenuous 1.7-mile (2.7 kilometer) one-way trail with a 670-foot (204 meter) elevation change. Butch Cassidy (1866-1908) supposedly had a hideout in Grand Wash, and the arch is named after him.
Unmarked Pullout #1
Returning back to the Capitol Reef Scenic Drive and heading further south, there’s an unmarked pullout with some nice views.
Slickrock Divide
Further down the road is Slickrock Divide where you can enjoy more breathtaking scenery.
Unmarked Pullout #2
Another unmarked pullout allows for more nice photo opportunities. You can also access the Old Wagon Trail Loop, which is a difficult 3.8-mile (6.1 kilometer) one-way trail with 1,080 feet (329 meters) of elevation change. It takes you through a pinyon-juniper forest for views of cliffs and the Henry Mountains.
Capitol Gorge Trail
Capitol Gorge Trail is starts at the end of Capitol Gorge Road. It’s an easy one-way trail that’s 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) long. At the end, there’s a spur trail that leads up to the Tanks . Another more difficult trail leading up to views of the Golden Throne, which is a 462-foot (141 meter) high mountain, starts at the Capitol Gorge trailhead. That trail is a difficult 2-mile (3.2 kilometer) one-way hike.
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 is a sign pointing 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 it for animals.
