When visiting Capitol Reef, you’ll also be visiting Utah’s least visited National Park. This remote destination is still largely unknown among Utah’s “Mighty Five”. It is, by far the most remote among the crowd, so you’ll want to plan ahead for this one to make sure you don’t find yourself going without something you’ll need.
Here are some things you’ll want to know before visiting Capitol Reef. Hint, take food, water, gas & RIDEHARD attitude!
Guide to Capitol Reef
Where is Capitol Reef
Capitol Reef is located in south-central Utah, just east of the intersection of Utah Highways 12 & 24, which meet in Torrey. The park is long and thin, spanning just over 100 miles from north to south with a width of less than 10 miles in places.
Most visitors who arrive at Capitol Reef will likely be touring other Utah parks, as this park is bordered by an expanse of public land that is nearly unequaled in the lower 48. Driving in from the west, the park visitor center is about 4 hours from Zion, and from the east, the visitor center is about 2.5 hours from Moab via Interstate 70.
Entrance Fee
As a Park Junkie, you already have the National Parks Pass, aka the Interagency Pass. It’s only $80 and is one of the best purchases you’ll make this year. It grants entrance to more than 400 national park service units and is an economic necessity for those who make it a practice to visit multiple parks in a calendar year.
You may also access the park with a Military Pass, Annual 4th Grade Pass, a Senior Pass, an Access Pass or a Volunteer Pass.
These passes can be obtained at the gate to most national park units and can also be ordered online at the link below.
If this idea doesn’t turn you on, prepare to spend $30 to enter the park. It should be stated, that Park Junkie writes fortune cookies on his days off, and he predicts this fee will certainly increase, much like postal rates and taxes…
NPS – Capitol Reef – Entrance Fee
Visitor Center
The Capitol Reef Visitor Center is located just south of Utah Hwy. 24, in the Fruita district, about 6 miles east of the west entrance, and 8 miles from the east entrance. This is the place to acquire answers to your most burning questions about the park, as well as gain current information regarding trail and road conditions if you’re considering a trek into the more remote regions of the Waterpocket Fold.
Hours for the visitor center vary according to season, so be sure to check their website or call before your visit.
NPS – Capitol Reef – Visitor Center
Seasons in Capitol Reef
The park is open year round, and adventurous travelers will find an array of activities that will reward the prepared visitor during any season. That said, most visitors will probably find spring and fall to be the most comfortable time to visit Capitol Reef.
Spring in the park is a fabulous affair, as signs of life begin to return to the Cottonwood trees that line the Fremont River. Leaves pop as temperatures warm and days lengthen. The cold breezes of winter are replaced with the warming sun of springtime.
Summer here can be a troublesome time to traipse into the backcountry, although canyon travel can be rewarding during this time. The steep walls of the park’s narrow slot canyons allow little sunlight and usually offer a cool pockets of air that refresh a summer hiker’s spirit. Outside the canyons however, temperatures often exceed the century mark, and the long days provide the opportunity to explore well into the evening.
Fall is simply brilliant in Capitol Reef, as the golden glow and soft death rattle of Cottonwood leaves remind visitors to enjoy their visit while days are warm. Fall is also a busy time in the park, as many travelers seek to cash in on kid-free campgrounds and slightly cooler temperatures.
The winter is a great time to visit this park. There are endless scenes of wonder that magically appear in the red rock canyon country when a light blanket of snow covers the desert. Temperatures can be frigid however, and may even drop to the 0 °F mark. Camping during these times requires a bit of experience in order to maintain any hope of relative comfort.
NPS – Capitol Reef – Seasons/Weather
Camping in Capitol Reef
The park’s only developed campground is located just south of the visitor center in the Fruita district. There are restrooms with flushing toilets, but no showers. No hookups are available for RVs, but there is a dump station and the facility can accommodate rigs up to 52′ in length. See the NPS page for current camping fees and reservation status.
There are two primitive, no-fee campgrounds located in the park’s hinterlands. Each site has pit toilets, but no running water. The Cathedral Valley Camp is located in the park’s northwest corner and offers six sites, while the Cedar Mesa Camp is 35 miles south on the Notom Road, and offers 5 sites. Both campgrounds are completely first-come, first served and are open year round.
Free Camping Near Capitol Reef
This park offers an endless array of free camping just outside the park boundaries on the Burr Trail. The Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument is a great place to set up home base for a visit to Capitol Reef’s southern region. Plenty of dispersed options can be found just outside the park on the Burr Trail. Please respect the environment, and pack it out if you pack it in. Don’t be a loser…
For those who want an actual campsite, the Deer Creek Campground, about 5 or 6 miles east of Boulder, Utah on the Burr Trail is an excellent creekside option. There is a small fee, but hey, you’re creekside… in the desert…
Other dispersed options exist along Hwy 12, just west of the park, in the Brown’s Reservoir area, where the Pleasant Creek Road provides an out-of-the-way entrance to Capitol Reef for the 4×4 crowd.
A few commercial campgrounds can be found in Torrey, and a few options exist just outside the northwest corner of the park, in the Fishlake National Forest, but this is a bit out of bounds for the average visitor.
To the east of the park, dispersed camping can be found along Hwy 24 at the Swingarm City OHV Recreation area, but you may wake up to a crew of moto riding mad hatters riding by in a dust storm. Also, the Henry Mountains offer several nice camping options, but these may be a bit removed from the park as well.
Lodging near Capitol Reef
Plenty of lodging options can be found just west of the Fruita district in Torrey, as well as in Boulder, at the western terminus of the Burr Trail, about 34 miles south of Torrey. To the east, the nearest accommodations will likely be found in Hanksville.
Dining near Capitol Reef
Most of the dining options for park visitors will be found in Torrey or Boulder, where several excellent options can be found.
One of my favorite dining options in this area of Southern Utah is the Hells Backbone Grill, located in Boulder. This farm-to-table establishment serves meals that are fit for a king, and their wine and cocktail selections are up-to-snuff as well. This is a fine place to kick back and enjoy a fabulous dinner after a hot day exploring the red stone desert.
Next door is the Burr Trail Grill, located right at the beginning of one of the most scenic drives in North America, the Burr Trail. This is a great spot to stop for a tasty burger before heading east on the Burr Trail, toward the hinterlands of Capitol Reef National Park.
Guests should also consider a trip to Boulder, for dinner or lunch, as a couple of choice establishments offer farm-to-table options that will satisfy the most discerning of diners. To the east, Hanksville offers a couple of options, including a great burger joint.
Guide to Capitol Reef
Relevant Links
National Park Guides
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