Capitol Reef National Park Things to Do

The Waterpocket District of Capitol Reef is rugged and remote. Road conditions vary, a high clearance vehicle is usually needed. Check at the visitor center, or call 435-425-3791 for road conditions.

Navajo Dome is visible above the cliffs to your northwest. The Hickman Bridge parking lot and nearby pull-offs offer views of Capitol Dome as it rises over the river. Here’s a secret: Capitol Dome is not a dome! Rather, it is a narrow fin of rounded rock. Viewed from the side, it looks like a half-sphere. These sandstone features inspired half the park’s name: they reminded the European settlers of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. You are now crossing the central axis of the Waterpocket Fold, the defining feature of Capitol Reef. But what is the Waterpocket Fold? It is a 100-mile-long warp in the Earth's crust. It is a classic example of a monocline, a one-sided bend or "stair-step" in the rock layers. The fold formed between 75 and 35 million years ago. This was a period of mountain building in western North America that we call the Laramide Orogeny, which also formed the Rocky Mountains. The squeezing and stretching pressures in the continent reactivated an ancient, buried fault line. Movement along the fault caused the west side to shift upwards relative to the east side. The overlying layers are draped down across the fault, like a carpet over a stair step—what we call a monocline.

You find yourself at the site of a significant act of engineering. The Fremont River is currently flowing between the highway and the cliff wall to your north. This is not the “natural” course of the river. For hundreds of thousands of years, the river carved out the oxbow (or horseshoe-shaped bend) that swings around the rock to the south of the highway. In 1962, to accommodate the path of Highway 24 and avoid building bridges, the state rerouted the river to its current course. The oxbow has since transformed from a lush riparian zone to a dry upland system, dominated by small shrubs and invasive plants. The water makes the same change in elevation over a shorter distance, so the current is steeper and stronger. It erodes the surrounding rock much quicker than before. This resulted in the waterfall below the highway here. The waterfall’s plunge pool used to attract visitors for swimming. But as erosion continued and the flow quickened, the currents around the waterfall grew more turbulent and dangerous. In separate incidents in the summer of 2011, three different visitors very nearly drowned. The currents pulled them underwater and held them there for several minutes. Tragedy was only avoided thanks to the lucky presence of CPR-trained physicians each time. To protect the public, the park since closed the area to swimming. Save yourself (and Park Rangers) the trouble: follow posted rules and keep out of this dangerous spot.

Visit Panorama Point to see sweeping vistas of red rock cliffs.

View ancient rock markings carved by the Fremont Culture people who inhabited this area from 300-1300 Common Era (CE).

Capitol Reef’s sedimentary rock layers tell us stories from Earth’s ancient past.

This is the upper trailhead for the Sulphur Creek hiking route. This is not a well-marked or maintained trail. Going east, it reaches then follows the course of Sulphur Creek through canyons, cliffs, and waterfalls until it returns to UT-24 at the Visitor Center. Be aware that Sulphur Creek, like all narrow canyons in the park, is prone to flash floods after local rain. Please check weather conditions and flood alerts before beginning any hike. Just down the slope from the trailhead sign, on the left end of an outcrop of Moenkopi Formation, stands a small spire of rock called The Motorman. The early settlers thought it looked like a person wearing the flat-topped shako hat of the old highway patrol uniform. The Motorman keeps watch over the old roadbed from Torrey to Fruita. From west to east, the highway is currently descending the Miners Mountain Uplift, which rises to the west of the Waterpocket Fold. Uplift is when part of the Earth’s surface increases in elevation, due to the motion of tectonic plates and faults. Miners Mountain and the Waterpocket fold are two of many major uplifts on the Colorado Plateau. Others include the San Rafael Swell, surrounding I-70 to our north; and the Monument Upwarp, which shapes the geography of Canyonlands National Park to our east. Between here and the Visitor Center are the Chimney Rock Trailhead as well as the Goosenecks Road. The latter provides access to Panorama Point, Goosenecks Overlook Trail, and Sunset Point Trail.

The Temples of the Sun and Moon in Cathedral Valley are large monoliths of Entrada Sandstone. High clearance 4-wheel drive is usually necessary to access them, and sometimes the roads in Cathedral Valley are impassable.

Erosion carved a U-shaped moat behind a chunk of the cliffs above the highway. This created an isolated bluff of Wingate Sandstone we call The Castle. Currently, at eye level are the reddish-brown sheets of the Moenkopi Formation. Above that are the gentle, gray-green and maroon mounds of the Chinle Formation. The Chinle is strewn with large slabs eroded from the massive, vertical cliffs of the Wingate Sandstone. Above the Wingate is the Kayenta Formation, which is often thinner and covered with piñon pines and juniper trees. Rising at the tops of the cliffs are the rolling, pale domes of the Navajo Sandstone. These rock layers are star players across many public lands of southern Utah. They are present across Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Zion National Park, Natural Bridges National Monument, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and many more. At this point, the scenery of this tour changes notably. In the Fremont River Corridor to the east, the walls close in around verdant riparian plant communities. To the west, the viewshed opens up to rolling piñon-juniper forests and rising red mesas. Keep an eye on the tilt of the rock layers. Toward the east, the layers begin to steeply dip down into the ground. The Chinle will disappear, followed by the Wingate, Kayenta, Navajo, and so on—each generally younger than the layer below it.

The balancing act of Twin Rocks is the result of a process called differential erosion. Simply put, different layers of rock are breaking down at different speeds. Differential erosion also produces the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon National Park and the goblins of Goblin Valley State Park. The orange bottom half of Twin Rocks is the Moenkopi Formation. The white, top half is the Shinarump Member of the Chinle Formation. A landscape of rivers and streams in a tropical climate created the Chinle Formation, about 220 million years ago. The Shinarump Member is made of chunky gravel and cobbles, formed by those ancient rivers. It is tougher than the mudstone of the Moenkopi Formation below. The Shinarump protects the Moenkopi like an umbrella. But the Moenkopi still erodes on the sides. This relationship has produced a large boulder balanced on a small, shrinking pedestal. Twin Rocks will someday collapse and join the other white boulders on the ground below. The cliffs of Meeks Mesa rise above the highway on the north. They form a barrier between you and the northern reaches of the Waterpocket Fold. This area is a wild, rugged, roadless zone of sandstone fins and faults. As you drive the straightaway leading to the next stop, Chimney Rock will loom over the road. Much like Twin Rocks, Chimney Rock is a column of Moenkopi Formation. The white boulder on top is the Shinarump Member of the Chinle Formation.

Why is it called “Capitol Reef?”

The Capitol Gorge trail features natural pools of water and markings from early pioneers and travelers.

What is the Waterpocket Fold? The tilted cliffs along the Scenic Drive are part of this massive wrinkle in the Earth’s crust.

Ancient environments determine today’s rock types and colors.

Erosion changes the landscape, from small holes in the cliff, to huge natural arches.

What are those long black streaks striping the cliff walls?

The Bentonite Hills are softly rounded, large hills of various shades of gray, red, maroon, brown, and green. High clearance 4-wheel drive is usually necessary to access them, and sometimes the road is impassable.

Capitol Dome is part of why Capitol Reef has its name. The rounded dome resembled various capitol buildings, including the one in Washington D.C. It is easy to view from the Hickman Bridge Trailhead.

This is the easternmost stop of the Utah Highway 24 self-guided audio tour. You find yourself at the eastern border of Capitol Reef National Park. From here, the road travels directly across the park for 15 miles (24 km) before crossing its western border. The park is relatively narrow—only 12 miles (19.3 km) wide east-to-west at this point—but it is nearly 75 miles (120.7 km) long north-to-south. To the east, the road crosses areas stewarded by the Bureau of Land Management. The Factory Butte Special Recreation Management Area is to the north. The Mt. Ellen-Blue Hills Wilderness Study Area is to the south. The soft, sloping gray badlands are mostly formed of the marine sediments of the Mancos Shale. This is the thickest layer of rock exposed in the park, at about 2,000 feet (609 meters) thick. Lined along the road from here to Hanksville are the ghosts of several settler towns. These cropped up along the river more than a century ago, as western colonists spread into the area. These include Aldridge, Clifton, Elephant, and Giles. They have mostly passed from modern maps and minds, their ends brought about long ago by slow depopulation or rapid destruction by floods. A few of these towns persist on the map, like Hanksville, Caineville, and Fruita—the historical legacy of the latter encased within the boundaries of Capitol Reef like a fossil in amber.

The nearly 8 mile winding Scenic Drive is a great way to see and experience Capitol Reef National Park.

The orchards that lie within a mile or two of the visitor center are evident remains of the pioneer community of Fruita, settled in 1880. Many varieties of heirloom fruit are available for harvest by visitors in season.

This is the westernmost stop of the Utah Highway 24 self-guided audio tour. You find yourself at the western border of Capitol Reef National Park. From here, the road travels directly across the park for 15 miles (24 km) before crossing its eastern border. The park is relatively narrow—only 12 miles (19.3 km) wide east-to-west at this point—but it is nearly 75 miles (120.7 km) long north-to-south. Your current elevation is around 6,400 ft (1,950 m). The highway descends to Fruita, which sits at around 5,400 ft (1,650 m). To the east, Chimney Rock is visible. To the southeast is a glimpse of the yellow-white domes capping the Waterpocket Fold. The Henry Mountains, sometimes snowcapped, are farther behind. The Henry Mountains began as underground pockets of magma that swelled under the crust like pimples. The magma cooled and solidified without erupting. Erosion of the rock layers above exposed the tough igneous rocks, mostly a kind called diorite. A similar process formed Half Dome and the other gray peaks of Yosemite National Park. Capitol Reef also represents indigenous cultural landscapes. This area is part of the ancestral and current homelands of at least thirty-two Native American tribes and pueblos. These include the Hopi Tribe; the Pueblo of Zuni; Ute Tribes; bands of the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah; the Southern Paiute; and the Navajo Nation. The oral traditions of several tribes tell us that people have lived in this area continuously for several thousand years. The entire landscape has been their home. While we draw borders on maps to show where certain places begin and end, many natives view land as more interconnected. All the pieces of the public lands puzzle are connected to each other, and to the people. What connection will you make with the park?

The Cathedral District of Capitol Reef is remote and rugged. A high clearance vehicle is required and occasionally 4 wheel drive as well. Check at the visitor center, or call 435-425-3791 for road conditions.

Up the road and across the river is the mouth of Lower Spring Canyon. This gorge extends behind the cliffs all the way west toward Chimney Rock. The trek twists through a towering tunnel of sandstone for over 7 miles (11.3 km). Lower Spring Canyon is one of many popular backpacking routes in the park. Capitol Reef is renowned for its wilderness exploration opportunities. Around 90% of the park is managed like wilderness. This means the Park Service minimizes human interference. Wilderness management safeguards the ecological health, research potential, and recreational value of the land. We tend to think of wilderness as “untouched by humans.” But numerous indigenous cultures have been a part of this land for millennia. Much of what we think of as “wild” has been tended and shaped by humans for generations. Interested in backpacking? Please note that a free backcountry permit—available at the visitor center—is required for any overnight stays outside the designated campgrounds. Backpacking requires extensive preparation and desert survival skills. Narrow canyons like Spring Canyon and Grand Wash are susceptible to flash floods. Always check the weather forecast before you begin your adventure.

Imagine homesteading this area with your family. Would more children make it easier? Elijah Cutler Behunin, his wife Tabitha Jane, and their 13 children lived in this cabin and the alcove above for just one year.

The Lesley Morrell Line Cabin provides a glimpse into the ranching past of Capitol Reef National Park. Access requires a high clearance vehicle. Check road conditions and weather before attempting.

Take a short hike in Capitol Gorge to see the historic Pioneer Register where early explorers and pioneers carved their names into the cliff wall. It is illegal to deface, vandalize, or add your own name to the Register.

The Fluted Wall is composed of Moenkopi rocks that erosion has sculpted into a back-and-forth rank of pillars and alcoves. Capitol Reef has its fair share of fossils, though there are not many places to see them on trails. The Moenkopi Formation that surrounds you now, which is about 240 million years old, is well-known for trace fossils. A trace fossil is a preserved record of an organism’s behavior, rather than its body. For example, in the Moenkopi, we find many fossilized footprints. Imagine a Velociraptor-shaped dinosaur plodding across a stream, leaving tracks in the sand. Then a fish swims past, creating a furrow as it drags its back fin through the mud. By chance, these marks were buried soon after and turned into rock over millions of years. Even without a piece of its body, trace fossils teach us about an animal’s shape, motion, and lifestyle. Several other layers of rock in the park contain fossils. In some places, the Dakota Sandstone is full of marine fossils such as oyster shells. In the Navajo Sandstone, scientists discovered fossilized mats of marine algae, called stromatolites. This taught us that the ancient desert which created this rock layer was not dry 100% of the time. Fossils, like all natural and cultural resources within the park, are protected. It is illegal to take or deface fossils. Leave your park as beautiful as you find it—or better—and enjoy the discovery of these rare, precious pieces of the past.

Visit the Fruita Schoolhouse, and imagine what life was like for a pioneer child in this rural corner of Utah.

The Gifford House lies in the heart of the Fruita valley and depicts the typical spartan nature of rural Utah farm homes of the early 1900s. Today, the home is open seasonally, as a small sales outlet.

The Gypsum Sinkhole is about 200 feet deep and was formed by water dissolving the gypsum, leaving a large cavity. The rock is very soft, stay back from the edge.

The Fruita District is an emerald in the rough: a pocket of life hidden in a desert landscape of seemingly barren rocks. The confluence of Fremont River and Sulphur Creek creates a riparian zone, a life community associated with a river or stream. Riparian ecosystems are complex and diverse. The concentration of water, nutrients, and food sustains many species of plants and animals. Plant roots filter toxins from groundwater. They also stabilize the soil, so the desert doesn't completely wash away with every flood. Leaves and branches offer shelter and shade for wildlife and hikers. The tall Fremont Cottonwood trees growing throughout Fruita can only thrive with lots of water. The meeting of the Fremont River and Sulphur Creek has attracted agriculture for thousands of years. Nutrients from the waters makes Fruita more fertile than surrounding areas. Several other features also make this a good spot for farming, including the sheltering cliffs and lower, warmer elevation. Indigenous tribes have harvested scores of wild plants from these lands. They used dry irrigation techniques to grow dozens of crops, including unique types of corn, beans, and squash—also known as the Three Sisters. Pioneers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints settled here beginning in the late 1800s. They lived off gardens, livestock, and wild game. The National Park Service now tends over 2,000 trees in 19 orchards to preserve the historic heart of Capitol Reef.

Juniper trees showcase dark, twisting bark and light blue berries.

Summer monsoon season brings heavy rain and flash flooding to Capitol Reef. The torrents of water can be spectacularly beautiful, but also deadly.

The incredible, edible pinyon pine helps many species survive in a harsh desert environment.

Desert bighorn sheep are often spotted in Capitol Gorge along narrow cliff ledges.

The highway is now alongside the Fremont River. The two run parallel from here east to Hanksville, where the Fremont merges with Muddy Creek and becomes the Dirty Devil River. The Dirty Devil ends at the Colorado River at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, to the south. The Krueger Orchard is primarily home to Rosa peaches. Water is diverted from the river to the orchards to sustain the crops. The park’s orchard crews vigilantly tend the trees and limit the use of artificial pesticides and herbicides. The park has around 50 different varieties of fruit! Several of these are heirloom varieties, passed from generation to generation. Some, like the Capitol Reef Red apple, don’t grow anywhere else in the world! Orchard managers also import new, climate change-resistant varieties from nurseries across the west. Eating delicious, fresh fruit in the middle of a desert park is a unique experience at Capitol Reef, connecting us to the settler legacy of Utah. However, much has changed since the late 1800’s. Fruita won’t remain an oasis forever. Humans impact the riparian habitat in many ways. Invasive species, including tamarisk trees and tumbleweed, outcompete native plants and animals. Water use for farming, livestock, and houses also alters the food web. It morphs the landscape by changing the rate of erosion. Industry, transportation, and construction release harmful chemicals into sensitive waterways. Without changes to how we use and live with our resources, riparian ecosystems will continue to decay. It may become too difficult to maintain the orchards in the park.

Fruita resident Merin Smith built this shed in 1925 as a workshop, blacksmith shop, and garage. The objects in the shed illustrate what life would have been like in Fruita during that time period.

Explore Cathedral Valley by foot. These hikes are accessible only by rough unpaved roads. A high clearance vehicle is necessary and four-wheel drive is recommended at times.

Capitol Reef protects extremely dark night skies, and is a wonderful place to stargaze.

Bicycling touring in Capitol Reef offers opportunities to explore paved and unpaved roads throughout the park. Explore colorful canyons, beautiful vistas of red rock country, and the verdant Fruita Historic District by bicycle.

Enjoy a picnic in Capitol Reef National Park! In the Fruita Historic District, look for the Doc Inglesby and Chesnut picnic areas, as well as tables and a water fountain near the Gifford House. At the end of Capitol Gorge Road, off the Scenic Drive, there are covered picnic tables as well as a pit toilet.

Watch the sunset from various scenic points in Capitol Reef. Take an easy stroll or a strenuous hike as the sun goes down. Don't forget to bring a headlamp.

Get to know the South (Waterpocket) District on foot by hiking an easy trail or strenuous backcountry route. Many of these hikes are accessible only by unpaved roads.

Take Capitol Reef's Scenic Drive, and experience colorful cliffs and deep narrow canyons from the comfort of your vehicle.

Hike a strenuous trail to view dramatic geologic formations and spectacular vistas.

Hike an easy or moderate trail to see panoramic views or to experience a deep sandstone canyon.