Capitol Reef National Park
Capitol Reef was the last park on our road trip, a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Bryce Canyon through Grand Staircase-Escalante. We took the scenic drive to the Capitol Gorge trailhead, with detours to Grand Wash and Cassidy Arch. This is our planning hub for the park: the drive, the hikes and where to stay.
Top sights
The Scenic Drive
7.9 paved miles south from Fruita along the Waterpocket Fold, ending at the Capitol Gorge spur road.
Hickman Bridge
A short climb from Highway 24 to a huge natural sandstone bridge.
Cassidy Arch
A steep climb out of Grand Wash to an arch named after Butch Cassidy.
Grand Wash
An easy, flat walk through a canyon that narrows to sheer walls.
Fruita and its orchards
Pioneer orchards, the Gifford House and petroglyphs along Highway 24.
Capitol Gorge and the Tanks
Pioneer inscriptions on the canyon walls, then a short scramble to natural water pockets.
Round-trip distance, elevation gain and difficulty from the National Park Service trail guide, which doesn’t give times.
Where to stay
Full guide to staying near Capitol ReefTorrey
The closest town with a good spread of hotels and restaurants, about 11 miles west of the visitor centre on Highway 24.
Hotels and campsites
Itineraries
Map
Before you go
- Entrance fees: $20 per private vehicle, $15 per motorcycle or $10 per person on foot or by bike. The $100 non-resident fee charged at Zion and Bryce Canyon doesn’t apply here.
- Visitor centre: open 8am to 4:30pm, changing to 9am to 4:30pm from 29 November.
- Gifford House: the homestead store, known for its pies, opens daily from 14 March to late November, 9am to 4:30pm. It closes for the season on 22 November 2026.
- Spur roads: the dirt roads into Grand Wash and Capitol Gorge are usually fine for cars, but close after flash floods, snow or mud.
- Weather: July averages 91°F, and monsoon storms from July to September bring a flash flood risk in the canyons.
- Roadworks: Highway 24 is being widened east of the park towards Hanksville. Allow for pilot-car delays of up to 15 minutes.
- Check the latest alerts before you go.
We check these details against the National Park Service whenever we update this page.