We took this as a side trip and we really should have given this more time. If you are thinking of…read morecoming here, I recommend looking at all the activities offered to see how much is here to do so you won't feel as though you missed out on some of what makes this park FUN! As for us, we ran around the valley, played hide and seek, marveled at how these "goblins" were made and just had a great adventure with the time we had.

A triumph of both western topography and federalism. This is one of those awesome parks that would…read morein some ways be less special if it were "upgraded" to a national park. It's great the way it is. Just a few notes: -- the campsite is just amazing; you are nestled in among caves and washes, and your kids can merrily wander off "to the kids cave" or climb up onto a crest and watch the sunset or the rhythm of the campsite. They do have a shared bathroom with running water, which keeps the place just civilized enough for moderately experienced car campers. -- at the same time, this place is really remote. If you realize at campside that your propane stove doesn't work, you would have to drive an hour each way to Green River to get more. Instead, you will just have to figure out how to boil coffee and macaroni and cheese over a campfire. -- the stars. The city lights are far far far away, and the desert sky is clear, so you can see so so many stars. And if you sit and stare at them you see more. The only place I have ever seen so many stars in my life is standing on the side of the road outside Marfa, TX. -- two decades ago this was one of the first camping trips of my life, and it remains a special place in my heart.

I called on a Tuesday morning to book a tour. Gary answered the phone. He is not in the office but…read moreat the farm. He had no schedule but assured me that we could take a jeep tour on a Saturday. He could not confirm with Pat because they do not communicate. Told me to check in with her on Friday afternoon at the office in Torrey. We did but Pat was very negative - said he should not have told us to expect a tour. She said the website had not been updated. My question is - How are you supposed to book a tour? You can't book it online, phone calls go to Gary who can't book anything, Pat is out of the office on trail rides almost every day and has no phone. Also, she said that this would be their last year, so they are not too concerned about their reputation. I definitely would NOT recommend!

We scheduled the "jeep" tour. When we arrived at the appropriate time the tour guide was prepping…read morea van not a jeep. When I mentioned we schedule a jeep tour, he said well that's what we are taking. It was fine but not what i expected at all... don't let the name fool you. He was very knowledge about the area and we had a good time, I would rather of been in a jeep! - the van felt stuffy.

We had an absolutely amazing time on our Cathedral Valley tour today. Not only did we have perfect…read moreweather, we had a perfect guide in Tallon. Tallon is an excellent driver, on roads and most especially off road. In addition to taking us to breathtaking views(which we expected), we had the really interesting conversations, which was not really expected. Tallon shared his knowledge and love of Capitol Reef...from the views to the geology to the history. We've been on a number of tours across the States and we've been on ones we wushed we could end early...but not this one! We were in a comfortable enclosed jeep, had water and snacks, and a great guide. Thank you, Sleeping Rainbow!

We had a great Jeep tour with Sleeping Rainbow Adventures. It was easy to book and the person we…read morebooked with answered all my questions and was very friendly and helpful. The driver was very knowledgeable and told us all about the geology of the area and historical facts. She was also fun and funny. She stopped lots of places for us to take photos. I really appreciated having an experienced Jeep driver navigating the mountain switchbacks and knowing where to go. I would not have felt confident doing that drive on my own. I highly recommend them.

Definitely cool overlook that lets you take in the unique landscape of a very squiggly Sulphur…read moreCreek that is slowly and surely carving out the canyon it meanders over. It's such an amazing view, as the canyons have bands of yellow, red, and browns. They denote (from descending order) the Moenkopi formation, Kaibab limestone, and the White Rim sandstone. It's such a dramatic vista. It was also snowing a little bit when I visited, so everything was capped with a thin layer of white snow too. Such a beautiful view. It's an easy hike with a roundtrip distance of 0.6 mi and minimal elevation gain. The hardest part was the unpaved road to get to the trailhead! I did it in a 2WD sedan, but there were some pits in the road I had to navigate around. Not too hard though, just go slow.

Such a dope vista point! The Goosenecks Overlook is located just a couple miles before you reach…read morethe Capitol Reef National Park Visitor's Center. Goosenecks Canyon is filled with limestone and sandstone dating back to over 270 million years old! You will have a clear view of the millions of years of erosion right from this viewpoint. The canyon is about 800 feet deep and Sulphur Creek runs along the bottom. It's almost like a mini Grand Canyon. In fact, some of the oldest rock layers of this canyon are the same rock layers that you'll find within the Grand Canyon (Kaibab Limestone). You'll have to drive a short distance up a rough and unpaved road to get here, but it's absolutely worth it for the views. From the parking lot, it's a short little hike up to the actual vista point. There's lot of room to roam around and explore the areas beyond the vista point. You'll be presented with stunning views with each and every turn. 360 degrees of pure bliss right before your eyes. If you're planning a trip to Capitol Reef National Park, this is an excellent place to stop on your way into and out of the park.

This is an amazing national park. One thing I noted about the park is that it offers things for…read morepeople to do regardless of their activity level. If you're super fit and want to do hikes, good for you as there's plenty of strenuous hikes! If you aren't as active or use a mobility assistive device, you can travel on the very, very scenic drive and also learn about the ghost town of Fruita (although the NPS employees live there). If you time your visit right, you can even pick fruits from the orchards. I combined the Rim Overlook trail with the trail to Hickman Bridge to get amazing views, as well as hiked the Cassidy Arch trail. The trails weren't too crowded, so it was a great place to listen to nature and focus on hiking. You're rewarded with amazing views. Definitely hit up Gifford Homestead for fruit pies. They often sell out in the afternoon.

Capitol reef is a stunner of a place, and a perfect visit spot for a short trip (1-2 days, imo)…read more You could definitely do a longer trip and REALLY see everything but I was satisfied to get a taste via some popular hikes including Cassidy arch, Hickman bridge, and the grand wash. I also was recommended to check out the Gifford Homestead where you can buy some EXCELLENT homemade pies and other goodies. I'm addicted to sugar so this was actually the highlight for me - the cinnamon roll, mixed berry and cherry pies that I bought were honestly some of the best pies I've had in my life. I had to eat them over the course of four days though since I was by myself and they are decently sizable (about the size of a large saucer/small dinner plate). As for the hikes - the arches were a bit strenuous but very doable in the span of a morning. Do beware that the trail is kind of hard to follow on the Cassidy arch trail - I got QUITE confused at one of the confluence areas of trails and ended up wasting a good 30 mins trying to figure out where I was/where the trail actually is. I saw a couple hikers coming down eventually and that's how I figured out where I was supposed to go. The Cassidy arch viewpoint is REALLY cool though, and of course the view of the vista at the arch itself is lovely. The Hickman bridge is also very impressive. I came on a random weekday in April and there were a handful of other hikers but really the trails were quite empty, and the trailhead lots had TONS of parking available, no issue. No traffic going in or out of the park either. The weather was decent; cloudy but wasn't rainy (it had been raining/sleeting just west of the park where my airbnb was though, so come prepared!). By the end of the grand wash hike in the early afternoon I was already getting pretty hot, and felt ready to move along on my NP road trip. Overall - if you're taking a tour of Utah I think it would be a travesty to miss this park, they're all incredible and unique in different ways!

This is one of those hiking trails that sorta becomes what you make of it. Want an easy little…read morestroll along the river? Go for it. This trail leaves directly from the campground and heads downriver along the Fremont, wandering past the orchards, the group campground, and eventually enters a small canyon with walls. If you've got little ones, you could easily stop here and it will have been a nice, flat stroll. But waiting for you downstream, and atop those walls, is a nice panoramic view of the Fremont River valley, orchards, and main hub of Capitol Reef National Park. Once you reach the narrowed canyon walls, you start an ascent that rises above the river and gives you some great looks at the downstream vista. You can stop at the first overlook and no one would judge you for it, and you'll get great views. But press on to the full mile and after departing that overlook, you'll again rise on a less rocky trail before summiting out on a point that overlooks the campground valley in one direction, and the canyons in all others. From there, you go back out a mile on the same trail you came in on, and you're back at camp. The park lists this one as "moderate" in its scale of difficulty. That feels like a bit much until you do that climb to the overlook. But it does wind around some rugged rocks and you will pant a bit, so take that seriously, especially if it's warm out. There's no cover once you pass the riparian corridor and head into the rocks, so it will be hot. Sunblock and water are highly recommended. It's not the most written-about or awe-inspiring hike in the park, but it will probably take you less than an hour (and that includes the time you will walk from your campsite) so if you've got the time, grab a camera and go for a little hike along the river.

Found at the end of the Scenic Drive, Capitol Gorge begins with a dirt road that weaves through the…read morebeautiful rocks and mountains of Capitol Reef. While the scenic drive in and of itself was wonderful, this dirt road to the Capitol Gorge trailheads had that beat. We drove this in a compact car without any issue, just make sure to take it slow as there are some tight, blind turns on this two-way road. If it's busy, parking can be a bit difficult at the end of the road to hike the trails. We came to hike to The Tanks, and the trail to the beginning of the The Tanks portion is super easy. You'll get to see some petroglyphs as well as the Pioneer Register - which is a cool section of rocks with signatures dating back 100+ years. There's plenty of shade in this area as you're walking between two mountain walls, and it can get pretty windy. I'd recommend bringing a jacket for this area if you're going on cooler days. The actual The Tanks hike we had planned to do was super disappointing. This 0.2 miles add-on is probably considered a moderate hike. While it had nice views, there was nothing special about the views, and you would be better off spending your time at another one of the better hikes in Capitol Reef. The other part of the Capitol Gorge Trail I previously discussed is worth it, just not the additional hike to The Tanks.

This is the wondrous Capitol Gorge area of Capitol Reef National Park at the end of the paved road…read moreportion of the Scenic Drive. This Capitol Gorge is fantastic for grasping the true essence of what makes Capitol Reef NP so special. The red rocks and canyon cliffs are simply stunning! I was visiting here in late July 2021 and unfortunately the overcast skies did darken the scenic setting somewhat, but I was still able to capture some beautiful examples of vintage Utah scenery. I'd put the Scenic Drive to arrive at this Capitol Gorge along with hiking Chimney Rock Trail as 2 of the best activities I did while exploring the park. The Scenic Drive starts right beside the Visitor Center and runs for 10 miles each way into the heart of the Capitol Reef landscape. Along the drive there'll be plenty of opportunities to pull your car off to the side, get out and snap amazing picture moments including standing at Capitol Gorge. Also of note...the Scenic Drive runs on paved road for about the first 7 - 8 miles and the last 2 - 3 miles are set on dirt/gravel road. Unfortunately, I had a compact car with me and didn't want to chance driving on the rough road in this remote part of the country. So...after stopping here at Capitol Gorge, I turned around and headed back the 7 - 8 miles towards the Visitor Center. It is a $20 fee to drive the Scenic Road, otherwise to enter and do anything within Capitol Reef it's absolutely free! You pay an attendant during normal business hours that they're open but when the Visitor Center closes, they use the "honor system" and ask you to drop the $20 into a box as proof of payment. Btw, the Visitor Center is great for buying souvenirs and picking up a park pamphlet and map of all the trails. I highly recommend stopping at the VC for any questions you may have and general advice about exploring around. Lastly, while in this Capitol Gorge area...I'd suggest hiking the Grand Wash Trail as well as the Rim Overlook Trail for 2 different, yet unique perspectives for appreciating Capitol Reef from high above and also down below in between the rugged canyon walls. Alright well, this is the Capitol Gorge section of Capitol Reef National Park!

I combined the Rim Overlook trail with the trail to Hickman Bridge to get the most out of my hike…read more Unfortunately, the sky was threatining rain so I didn't want to risk it hiking to Navajo Knobs. The Hickman Natural Bridge is a 125-foot-tall natural bridge in Capitol Reef National Park. It's an 1.8 mile out-and-back trail, with some switchbacks, but it's an easy trail if you don't have any trouble climbing a few flights of stairs as baseline daily activity. The first part of the trail is the steepest with some stairs, but it gets more level afterwards as it follows a dry riverbed. You are hiking from the canyon floor to the rim! On the way up, you get to see the rock formation that reminded travelers of the Capitol dome that inspired part of the national park's name. It's a much better name than "Wayne Wonderland" which was what the region was called before it became a national park. The natural bridge is absolutely amazing. Climbing on it is prohibited, but you get to go up close and personal with the bridge to satisfy your photo-taking cravings. Vault toilets are at the trailhead, otherwise you're on your own.

This is a lovely hike. It's not too steep, not very hard, and the bridge is pretty massive and…read morebeautiful when you reach it! It was recommended to me by friends and the volunteer at the visitor center because it's easy to do in a short time/on a short trip. There was plenty of trailhead parking as well. Would definitely recommend if you're passing through Capitol reef NP!

Came here with some family members to go Tubing. Pretty laid back company that was ran by younger…read morekids. They do a pretty good job with taking care of customers. They supply life jackets and a ride up river for $18 a head. Once in the river you float about an hour & half back to their base. This time of year the river is basically a shallow canal. They call it the Lazy River Float and that's what you get. Fun for younger members and relaxing for the rest. We had a good time and we had about 25 others that seemed to echo our experience too. Tubes & Life Jackets were in good condition. They have a raft trip that goes also. Zip line & endurance course too. You can rent UTV's too.

We were at Big Rock Candy Mountain staying at Caboose Village and booked a Lazy River Float Trip…read more Myself my wife and our grandson were on the trip. Our guide Jordyn was the best. She was good to give us directions and she she even inflated a tube by mouth so my wife could have the tube she wanted. The trip was fun and it was very reasonable price. Next time we may do the whitewater rafting. If you are in central Utah and need an activity look up Big Rock Adventures. 10 out of 10 recommend

Seriously one of my favorite place on earth. Beautiful red rock canyons and solitude. The…read morehighlight for me is the "reef". A sandstone feature that shoots up out of the earth. You drive right through it on I-70. There're are endless camping spots. From the established spots like Goblin Valley and The San Rafael River. But the true gems are the little spots that you will find down a bumpy dirt road. Grab a map or check Google earth. There's tons of area to explore. Summers can be brutally hot, so I recommend the spring and fall. Also come prepared. Unless you are near 70 there's not much for cell service. Enjoy your public lands!

Fantastic rest stop with beautiful views of the San Rafael Swell right off the 70…read more Ample parking for cars and even saw a couple semi trucks resting. Interesting informational pieces explaining the area. Great place to stretch your legs and get some sun on this long stretch of highway.