The 16 Best Things To Do In Capitol Reef National Park

My husband and I have celebrated Thanksgiving at a USA National Park for the past two years. We decided to keep the tradition alive and researched parks we had not yet visited. We knew little about Capitol Reef, but we decided to add it to the list because why not? I am glad we chose to see this almost unknown national park. Capitol Reef is a hidden gem not yet discovered by the masses of tourists. The park is a magnificent place to explore, with beautiful arches, stunning canyons, and breathtaking cliffs. This post includes a summary of the best things to do in Capitol Reef National Park, so go on and start planning an adventure-filled trip!

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Best Time To Visit Capitol Reef National Park Utah

• Spring: This is the most popular time to visit, and there are mild temperatures.
• Summer: The summer brings intense heat, but it also bears ripe fruit near Fruita Campground. You can pick the fruit for a small fee.
• Fall: This was when we went, and we loved it! There were no crowds; the crisp fall air was perfect at night and during the day. We also found a few colorful trees.
• Winter: This is the time with the least crowds, but can be snow throughout the park. 

Read More: The Best National Park in Utah – All 5 Ranked From Best to Worst

Directions To Capitol Reef National Park

Capitol Reef feels like it is in the middle of nowhere. It can be challenging to get to, but that’s what I love about it. The park has fewer crowds than most national parks. We flew in from Salt Lake City, rented a car, and drove down to Capitol Reef.

• From Salt Lake City: 322 miles, 3 1/2 hours
• From Moab: 137 miles, 2 hours, and 15 minutes
• From Las Vegas: 338 miles, 5 hours, and 20 minutes

>>>Rent A Car Here<<<

Fun Facts About Capitol Reef National Park

• The first name of Capitol Reef was “Wayne’s Wonderland,” and in 1937, the name changed to Capitol Reef National Monument.
• The name “Capitol” comes from inspiration from the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., as some of the white dome-like formations in the park resemble it. “Reef” refers to the coral-like formations in the park.
• There are 241,904 acres in the park, but most people only see a small portion due to the small number of paved roads.
• Seventy-one mammal species live in the park, such as Bighorn Sheep, Mule Deer, Mountain Lion, and Gray Fox.
• You can pick fruit from the orchards during specific seasons for a small fee.
•  Capitol Reef National Park is an International Dark Sky Park.
• Many drives require All Wheel Drive, so make sure to talk to rangers before heading out to some of these backcountry spots.

Where To Stay Near Capitol Reef National Park

There are no Capitol Reef Hotels, so the nearest accommodation is located in a small town nearby called Torrey. Below are the three most popular hotels.

• Red Sands Hotel: I love how modern and chic this hotel is. It has this light, airy feel/vibe to it that is not generally in hotels near national parks. It is only 3 miles away from Capitol Reef, so it is super close! >Book Your Hotel Here 
• Cougar Ridge Lodge: I love the little villas and the lovely views throughout the property. There is also a bowling alley and a bar so you can relax after a strenuous day of hiking! >Book Your Hotel Here
• The Noor Hotel: The views and the location are incredible as there are many restaurants nearby. This is a great budget hotel. >Book Your Hotel Here

Read More: Where to Stay Near Capitol Reef National Park | 12 Best Hotels

Capitol Reef National Park Camping

Fruita Campground is the only developed campground in Capitol Reef, and I highly recommend staying here. You can make reservations from March 1st – October 31st, and it is first-come, first-serve anytime before or after that. We were here during Thanksgiving, and we did not have a problem finding a spot. For more information on Fruita, click here.

Fruita is a campground surrounded by hills and large natural rock formations, creating a sense of being in a canyon. There is also a lovely farmhouse with horses that grazed the land all day. The Fremont River is also flowing nearby. There are usually deer scattered throughout the area that doesn’t mind getting attention from observers. Fruita campground is surrounded by life and magnificent beauty even in the cold, dreary nights.

Things to Pack for Capitol Reef National Park

1. Sunscreen: This is needed all year long! >Buy some sunscreen, so you don’t accidentally burn!
2. Hiking Boots/Shoes: Hiking shoes or boots are needed for Capitol Reef. Don’t hurt your feet hiking in regular tennis shoes.  >Buy my Hiking Shoes
3. Hiking socks: Having the correct socks helps you prevent getting blisters. Smart Wool is probably my favorite brand out there. I also love how they now have pink socks too 🙂 >Buy Hiking Socks
4. Refillable water bottle: I always bring a Hydroflask on all my adventures. They are on the heavier side, but I know for a fact they will not break. I have had a few cheap water bottles break on me before. >Check Prices Now
5. Water: Hiking, for sure, requires water.
6. Sunglasses: I usually wear the most fashionable sunglasses when I hike. 🙂 >Check Out These Sunglasses
7. Snacks: The best snacks are jerky, nuts, energy bars for hiking. >Clif Bars are great for hiking so click HERE.
8. Trekking Poles: This is an optional product, but they help with the knees. The poles I have listed are known to be one of the best in the market. >Buy My Trekking Poles Here
9. Camera: I have linked the camera I used to take pictures of Capitol Reef. The Sony A6000 is an excellent camera for people that want to start improving at travel photography.  >Buy Sony Camera Here
10. First Aid Kit: This is one of the first things I bought when I first started backpacking and camping. It is super portable. >Buy This Awesome First Aid Kit Here
11. Day Pack: The REI bag I have linked, we have had for seven years now, and it is still going strong! >Buy This Great Quality Backpack
12. Good hiking pants or shorts: These are probably the best hiking pants that I have found. If you are hiking in the summer bring some shorts. It will get hot! >Buy my hiking pants here
13. Breathable sweat-wicking shirts
14. Sports Bra: For women. >Check Out This Awesome Sports Bra
15. Jacket: This is needed in the Fall and winter. Also, it might be chilly at night. >Buy My Favorite Jacket
16. Tripod: This is an optional item, but it is excellent for getting the perfect sunset pictures. >Check out this tripod
17. Headlamp: Just in case you get stuck hiking at night! >Buy A Headlamp Now
18. National Park Pass:  I highly recommend getting a year-long America The Beautiful Pass. >>>Get It Here
19. Map: I love the National Geographic Maps! They are the best! >Buy One Here

Capitol Reef National Park Map

Below you can see all the areas we visited, including Fruita Campsite in Capitol Reef National Park:

For the official Capitol Reef, hikes map click here. Or you can buy a National Geographic Map from here. I love these maps!

Things To Do In Capitol Reef National Park

Cassidy Arch Hike

• Distance: 3.1 miles
• Elevation Gain: 666 ft
• Type of Route: Out and Back
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Trail Guide: Link

Cassidy Arch Hike is one of the best short hikes in Capitol Reef. When we arrived at the Arch, the only people there were climbers repelling to the ground below. We watched them while eating lunch, relaxed, and enjoyed the view. Once they left, we had the whole place to ourselves, and so we took about a million pictures with the Arch. It is such an incredible view!

Make sure to watch where you are going because my husband and I steered off the wrong direction for a bit and had to do a small scramble up to get back on the trail. Also, bring some water and food. The shade is not the best on this trail, and this hike is a bit steep. It can be pretty strenuous for beginner hikers.

Grand Wash Trail

• Distance: 5.0 miles
• Elevation Gain: 341 ft
• Type of Route: Out and Back
• Difficulty: Easy
• Trail Guide: Link

Grand Wash Trail is an easy flat hike through a canyon. Many people love to walk this trail after the more difficult Cassidy Arch Hike since they both have the same trailheads. Even though Grand Wash is long (5 miles), it is still an easy hike, and you don’t have to hike this trail the whole way through. You can go as far as you would like.

You do not need to park at the Cassidy Arch Trailhead, as there are two trailheads to hike this trail:

• Grand Wash Trailhead off of Highway 24
• Cassidy Arch Trailhead off of Grand Wash Road

Hickman Bridge Trail

• Distance: 1.7 miles
• Elevation Gain: 426 ft
• Type of Route: Out and Back
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Trail Guide: Link

This is an excellent hike for people of all ages. The views were incredible, and I loved how the canyon surrounded us. The area is enormous, so there are many options for finding a spot to eat lunch or take pictures.

You can explore the area, but getting on top of the bridge is not an option; however, that did not stop our adventuress friends from at least trying… They failed, of course.

If you are hiking during the Fall, you can take pictures with some of the fall foliage on the trail.

Read More: Best Capitol Reef Hikes

Cohab Canyon Trail

• Distance: 3.0 miles
• Elevation Gain: 793 ft
• Type of Route: Out and Back
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Trail Guide: Link

The Cohab Canyon Trail is a short trail that takes you to an overview of Highway 24 and its outstanding canyons. I hiked this trail in February, and it was blistering hot, so bring plenty of water and food. Also, the trail was pretty steep initially, but the views at the end are well worth it!

There are two viewpoints: North Fruita Overlook and South Fruita Overlook. I recommend seeing both as they are pretty close to each other. We ended up parking by the Hickman Bridge parking lot (on the other side of Highway 24) because there were more parking spots available.

Goosenecks Viewpoint

Goosenecks is an accessible lookout right before you head over to Sunset Viewpoint. The short trail leads from the parking area to an overlook above Sulphur Creek Canyon.

Sunset Point Hike

• Distance: 0.5 miles
• Elevation Gain: 50 ft
• Type of Route: Out and Back
• Difficulty: Easy

If there is one thing on this list that I HAD to pick to only do at Capitol Reef, I would watch the sunset at Sunset Point. I am OBSESSED with sunsets and all things pink, so naturally, I loved the idea of Sunset Point. I also love it when national parks name trails “sunset” as it makes it so much easier to plan my itinerary.

This area did not disappoint on the sunset aspect! I will note that we arrived a whole hour before sunset. I was pretty glad we came early because Sunset Point is a small area, so we had the best spot to take pictures and watch.

By the way, I have seen Alltrails mention this is 2.5 miles, and it is not true! You can park right next to Goosenecks walk a quarter of a mile at most to Sunset Point.

Historic Fruita

Alright, guys and gals, if you want the most epic campsite views, then you need to head to the Fruita Campground. Even if you are not camping, this place is pretty epic. When we first got to our campsite, we just looked around in wonder at all the surrounding beauty.

We were here in the fall when there was no one (seriously, I think there was only one more group camping other than us), and I couldn’t believe how lucky we were to be camping at this magnificent place. They also had the cutest horses just roaming around and deer just chilling on the lawn. In the summer you can pay a small fee to pick fresh fruit!

Capitol Reef Scenic Drive

You must pay a park entrance fee before taking this Capitol Reef Scenic Drive, but you can also use The America The Beautiful Pass.

The stunning Scenic Drive is around 8 miles one way and has outstanding views throughout the road. You also need to get on this road when you hike trails such as Cassidy Arch. The road starts at Fruita Campground and ends at Capitol Gorge Road which I talk about below.

Capitol Gorge Road

When you get to the end of the Scenic Drive, you can drive through Capitol Gorge Road. Just take a left when you hit a fork. The drive is around 2.3 miles one way, but you can park and hike The Capitol Gorge Trail once you get to the end.

You can see a panel of petroglyph rock art on the trail created by ancient Fremont people. Also, there is a place called Pioneer Registry, where early pioneers carved their names into the canyon wall. You can hike as little or as much as you want as the trail is pretty flat and pretty similar throughout.

Eat Pies At The Gifford House

One of the best things about going in the offseason in Capitol Reef is having the whole park to yourself. What is not so great about going in the offseason is not having the opportunity of eating a pie from The Gifford House! Ugh, this seriously broke my heart as I heard so much about these pies. But they are only available in the summer when the fruit is blooming. Do you know how I mentioned you could pick fresh fruit from Fruita Campgrounds? Well, that is where Gifford House gets its fruit from to make these fantastic pies.

Please, if you are here in the summer, eat one! And then come back and tell me in the comments below how they were. You might convince me to go back to Capitol Reef just to eat a pie :-P.

Panorama Point

The first thing you need to do when you get to Capitol Reef National Park is to stop at Panorama Point! That is what we did, and it was so stunning! The sun was starting to set, and all the views surrounding us were glorious! It is a great way to start your journey in Capitol Reef, located off of Highway 24.

Highway 24

Highway 24 is the main road passing through the park, and it has glorious views throughout the highway. I took the picture above while our friend was driving, and I can’t believe how great the picture came out. There are many great spots to stop at, including the Panorama Point mentioned above.

Petroglyphs Panel

Something you definitely need to do when visiting Capitol Reef National Park is to see Petroglyphs. There are some amazing ones located off of highway 24. There is a parking lot and a short trail to these drawings made by Ancient Native Americans from approximately AD 600 to 1300- very cool and short activity.

Cathedral Valley Loop Drive

One of the most Instagram famous areas in the park is the magnificent Cathedral Valley. This area is remote, so you won’t see many crowds out here. Also, it is highly recommended to have a high clearance car or a 4×4 car to get here. Many people get stuck, especially after a winter storm or a rainy day. There is no service, so be careful when heading out here. Driving the loop can be an all-day thing as you might want to stop at many places and take photos.

If you need more information on how to get here and road conditions, click here.

Burr Trail Scenic Byway

Burr Trail Scenic Byway passes through Capitol Reef National Park, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

To drive to the Burr Trail Scenic Byway from Fruita, you must get on the Notom-Bullfrog Road on the park’s south side.

The 8.5-mile portion of the Burr Trail Scenic Road that is inside Capitol Reef includes a breathtaking set of switchbacks rising 800 ft in only a half-mile. Once you get to the top, the views are glorious! You can add the Strike Valley Overlook hike/road trip to the mix (which I talk about below).

Strike Valley Overlook

• Distance: 6.2 miles
• Elevation Gain: 400 ft
• Type of Route: Out and Back
• Difficulty: Easy
• Trail Guide: Link

Strike Valley Overlook has fantastic views of the Waterpocket Fold from above, and it is outstanding! Getting there is tricky, but it might be a good thing if you love to stay away from crowds. You have to go through some of the Burr Trail Scenic Byway, and from there, you might have to park or hike the whole way. It all depends if you have a 4WD car or not.

Capitol Reef Tours

Final Thoughts On Things To Do At Capitol Reef National Park

Overall, Capitol Reef is a fantastic National Park to visit for a day or two. It is the least well-known of the five National Parks in Utah but, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t explore it. I viewed its low popularity as a strength because it provides an opportunity to experience a magnificent National Park without big crowds. Make sure to check out some of my other adventures in Utah below!

• Ultimate Guide To A Canyonlands Backpacking Trip
• Hiking Guide To Goblin Valley State Park
• The Delicate Arch Ultimate Hiking Guide
• The 10 Best Hikes In Arches National Park
• Best Hikes In Canyonlands National Park
• The Best Hikes In Utah

Also, follow me on Instagram, where I discuss all things hiking, camping, and backpacking. You can get ready for your next outdoor adventure!  Follow Me Here.

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