Visiting Capitol Reef NP

After a morning at Goblin Valley, we drove further south to spend the afternoon at Capitol Reef National Park.

Capitol Reef – capitol for the white domes of Navajo sandstone that look like the domes of capitol buildings and reef for the rocky cliffs that bar travel like an ocean reef – is located in a geologic area called the Waterpocket Fold.

Nearly 10,000 feet of sedimentary rock was deposited in Capitol Reef over a period of roughly 190-200 million years. These layers reveal that rivers, swamps, Sahara-like deserts, and shallow oceans formed here at different periods.

Long after these rocks formed and solidified, the region experienced a massive uplift – the ground rising thousands of vertical feet – due to tectonic forces. Much of the Colorado Plateau was uplifted evenly, keeping the layers of rock horizontal like in the Grand Canyon. Capitol Reef, however, is an exception.

Enter the Waterpocket fold. The Waterpocket is a monocline (a bend in rock layers that are normally horizontal) that is nearly 100 miles long. During the Laramie Orogeny, about 50-70 million years ago, an ancient buried fault was reactivated in the region. This shifted the west side of the rock upward at an angle, pushing the western side of the fold more than 7000 feet higher than the eastern.

In the last 15-20 million years, further uplift of the Colorado Plateau eroded the rocks along the fold, exposing the rock face. Waterpockets, small depressions in the sandstone layers, formed as a result of water erosion, and over time, they have enlarged into spires, monoliths, canyons, and arches.

We entered Capitol Reef NP on UT-24 and the change in the landscape was stunning. One minute we were driving in the desert, dust and scrub as far as we could see, and then suddenly, were were in a canyon, rock rising on all sides, trees budding in the early spring. Already, the beauty of Capitol Reef had captured us, defying our expectations. Tim’s brother had said this was his least favorite park, and already we were wondering why.

Our afternoon continued to stun. Here’s what we did:

Scenic Drive

The Scenic Drive through the heart of Capitol Reef is an eight-mile paved road. On this drive, you can see the many layers of the area’s ancient rock (from bottom to top):

White Rim Sandstone: 400+ feet thick, white sandstone (Fremont River Gorge)
Moenkopi Formation: 225 million years old, more than 950 feet thick, reddish-brown shale (Egyptian Temple)
Wingate Sandstone: 350 feet thick, dark red (Fruita Cliffs)
Kayenta Formation: 350 feet thick, interlaced white sandstone and red siltstone (Hickman Bridge)
Navajo Sandstone: 800-1100 feet thick, white sandstone (Capitol Dome)
Entrada Sandstone: 450-750 feet thick, earthy red (Cathedrals in Cathedral Valley)

The Scenic Drive grants access to the Grand Wash Road, Capitol Gorge Road, and Pleasant Creek Road (the last requires high clearance), which all lead to trailheads. However, these roads were closed on our visit, and since it was a bit chilly and very windy, we decided hiking the extra distance along the road wasn’t worth it. So, we opted for some more accessible trailheads.

Petroglyph Panel

Native Americans, ancestors of the modern-day Hopi, Zuni, and Paiute tribes, lived in Capitol Reef from about 300 to 1300 AD. The petroglyphs depict maps, journeys, clan symbols, deities, animals, and calendars. The peoples farmed the land next to the Fremont River, which runs through the valley, as well has hunting and foraging.

This is probably the park’s most accessible trail since it’s a very short boardwalk.

Hickman Bridge

An uphill, moderate hike, Hickman Bridge is one of the park’s most popular trails, and we thought well-worth the hike.

There were mini bridges on this trail, too!

This trail also connects to the Navajo Knobs trail, the top of which sits at 6979 feet. Too bad we didn’t have time for that – guess we’ll have to go back!

Grand Wash Trail

The Grand Wash Trail can be accessed either from the Grand Wash Road or from UT-24; we used the trailhead along the highway. Since it traverses a wash (a dry stream bed that can temporarily fill after heavy rain), the going is pretty easy and pretty flat. Don’t expect any elevation gain here.

Though washes can sometimes (often) be boring, this one is inside a canyon, walls rising up on either side, so you get a stunning view the whole way. Depending on how far you’d like to hike, you can veer off to the Cassidy Arch Trail, which evidentially connects with the Frying Pan Trail, at the Hickman Bridge Parking (about 2.5 miles from the Grand Wash parking).

We would have loved to do this, but the wash is a wind tunnel, and it got very cold very quickly, so we turned around somewhere in the narrows (don’t worry, these aren’t as narrow as the narrows in Zion, and in the dry season, there’s no water).

Panorama & Sunset Points

On UT-24 on the park’s western edge is Panorama Point, offering an excellent view of the Waterpocket Fold. The road to the point is paved, but visitors can continue along a dirt road to Sunset Point and Goosenecks Overlook.

It was soooo windy at these places, that I didn’t get out the DSLR for landscape pics at either Panorama or Goosenecks; Tim did. And then I climbed back into the car while Tim walked the .5 miles to Sunset Point. 😅 I don’t usually duck out of things, but I didn’t feel a need for another view that day.

We left Capitol Reef around dinner time, happy to have taken a chance on this under-celebrated park. Like Goblin Valley, we’re already talking about a second visit in the fall – maybe the apples at the park’s orchards will be ready for picking! This page will be updated post-return visit. 😃

Top Tips

Entrance to the National Parks costs $20/vehicle and is valid for seven days. Alternatively, you can purchase an annual pass for $80 that grants entrance to all national parks, monuments, and sites for an entire year from the date of purchase.
Scenic Drive Closure: Many of Capitol Reef’s parking lots were built in the 60s when only about 160,000 people visited the park each year; now there are more than 1.2 million visitors annually. To accommodate this, the scenic drive will be closed (estimated April 22 to October 2024) to expand parking capacity, improve drainage, widen the road, and make accessibility improvements. This closure may affect trailhead and campground access.
Parking is limited; it’s best to arrive early.

Goblin Valley & Capitol Reef mile count: 8.4 miles
Goblin Valley & Capitol Reef elevation gain: 870 ft