Sport & Outdoor
Outdoor AdventureGrand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
FreeHike slot canyons, slickrock and desert waterfalls in the remote canyon country of southern Utah's Grand Staircase-Escalante.
Photo: Wolfgang Staudt, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
Sport & OutdoorOutdoor AdventureHistory Buff
Capitol Reef National Park
Visitor center on UT-24 at the Scenic Drive, Fruita · Torrey, UT
Why you should go…
Capitol Reef National Park protects most of the Waterpocket Fold, a nearly 100-mile-long wrinkle in the earth lined with colorful sandstone cliffs. Its name comes from white Navajo Sandstone domes that resemble capitol buildings. In the Fruita district you can see a Fremont Culture petroglyph panel, stop at the Gifford Homestead for pie, and pick fruit in season from about 2,000 historic orchard trees. Trails lead to Hickman Bridge and Cassidy Arch.
- #national park
- #scenic drive
- #hiking
- #petroglyphs
- #historic orchards
Good to know
General sport & outdoor guidance
Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.
Weather calls the shots
Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.
Shoes, water, sun cover
The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.
Parking and launches fill early
On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.
Daylight shrinks in shoulder season
Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.
What's around here?
The closest stops to Capitol Reef National Park, ordered by straight-line distance.
41 mi awayMore like this