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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 US$20.
- For motorcycles, it’s US$15.
- For visitors entering on bicycle or on foot, it’s US$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 US$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.
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.
