Backcountry Camping

Fruita Campground

• The 71 site Fruita campground is the only developed campground in the park, offering picnic tables, fire rings, restrooms, water and a dump station. A $25 nightly fee is charged. It is open year-round. Campsites are reservable year-round; visit www.recreation.gov to make a reservation. Reservations are accepted 6 months ahead of time. The busy season is mid March through October when the campground is typically fully booked. In the winter, there is less demand and it is easy to secure a campsite.
• The campground is nestled in a valley surrounded by red sandstone cliffs on one side and a mesa on the other. The boundary of the campground is defined by the Fremont River, a pasture, the Scenic Drive, and apricot and apple orchards. There are three loops. Each is paved and provides access to campsites. The campground is shaded by plentiful trees and a bathroom building is in the center of the A loop and B loop. The C loop bathroom is on the outside of the loop and a path next to this bathroom leads to the campground amphitheater.

Group Campsite

• The Group Campsite is a secluded site located near the Fruita Campground. It may be reserved through www.recreation.gov. The Group Campsite is reservable on a 12-month rolling basis starting the day of arrival. For example, on April 20, 2021 campsite availability will be released through April 20, 2022. This change is designed to allow the users greater flexibility with their bookings needs.

Primitive campsites at Cathedral Campground

• About 36 miles (57.9 km) from the visitor center, this primitive, no-fee campground has six (6) sites, each with a picnic table and fire grate. There is a pit toilet, but no water available. The campground is open year-round, but could be inaccessible due to weather. Visitors should check road conditions with the Capitol Reef Visitor Center (or call the information line) prior to planning an overnight stay. The campground is at approximately 7,000 feet (2,133 m) in elevation, in the Pinyon/Juniper-clad foothills of Thousand Lake Mountain. No reservations; first-come, first-served.

Primitive campsites at Cedar Mesa Campground

• This primitive, no-fee campground has five (5) sites, each with a picnic table and fire grate. There is also a pit toilet, but no water is available. The campground is open year-round, but visitors should check with the Capitol Reef Visitor Center for road conditions prior to planning an overnight stay. No reservations; first-come, first-served.

Behunin Cabin

Imagine homesteading this area with your family. Would more children make it easier? Elijah Cutler Behunin, his wife Tabitha Jane, and their 13 children lived in this cabin and the alcove above for just one year.

• The Behunin Cabin is a small one-room cabin made of square sandstone blocks. It has a dirt roof, with uneven wooden beams sticking out from the side of the house. There's a wooden door and a small square window. The cabin is located below tan sandstone cliffs, with trees and shrubs on it. The Behunin Cabin can be seen from an unpaved, dirt parking lot off State Route 24, which is suitable for 2WD vehicles and RVs. There is limited parking for large vehicles.

Bentonite Hills

The Bentonite Hills are softly rounded, large hills of various shades of gray, red, maroon, brown, and green. High clearance 4-wheel drive is usually necessary to access them, and sometimes the road is impassable.

• Softly rounded, large hills of various shades of gray, red, maroon, brown, and green. A dirt road of dark gray winds through and over the hills.

Capitol Dome

Capitol Dome is part of why Capitol Reef has its name. The rounded dome resembled various capitol buildings, including the one in Washington D.C. It is easy to view from the Hickman Bridge Trailhead.

• Rounded white sandstone dome with a river running in front of it, and tall red cliffs framing the dome. The river valley is fairly narrow here, and the trailhead parking lot is below red cliffs.

Capitol Reef East Entrance Wayside

Capitol Reef National Park's Scenic Drive

The nearly 8 mile winding Scenic Drive is a great way to see and experience Capitol Reef National Park.

• A narrow paved road travels through a red dirt area, parallel to tall sandstone cliffs, gray and red striped slopes, and white sandstone domes on top. Pinyon pines and Utah Juniper plus numerous shrubs dot the landscape. Two large canyons intersect with the road and are accessible via dirt roads.

Capitol Reef Orchards

The orchards that lie within a mile or two of the visitor center are evident remains of the pioneer community of Fruita, settled in 1880. Many varieties of heirloom fruit are available for harvest by visitors in season.

• The Fruita Orchards are located throughout the Fruita Rural Historic District. These small orchards are often made up of a variety of fruit trees. Furrows in the ground allow for flood irrigation. In the spring, the blossoms add pleasing scents and splashes of color to the landscape while inviting buzzing bees and other pollinators to the trees. Through the summer, fruit ripens in turn, from the bright red cherries, to the pale orange apricots, and finally the numerous varieties of apples.

Capitol Reef West Entrance Pulloff

Cathedral Valley

The Cathedral District of Capitol Reef is remote and rugged. A high clearance vehicle is required and occasionally 4 wheel drive as well. Check at the visitor center, or call 435-425-3791 for road conditions.

• A rough dirt road travels 57.6 miles (92.7km) through the remote and rugged northern district of Capitol Reef. Large monoliths of soft sandstone, volcanic dikes and sills, and large areas with no other humans around are just a few of the things to be experienced.

Fluted Wall Viewpoint

Fruita Schoolhouse

Visit the Fruita Schoolhouse, and imagine what life was like for a pioneer child in this rural corner of Utah.

• A small, one-room log cabin structure sits below red cliffs. There are two windows on the east and west sides of the building, and one door on the south side. A chimney juts above the peaked roof.

Gifford House

The Gifford House lies in the heart of the Fruita valley and depicts the typical spartan nature of rural Utah farm homes of the early 1900s. Today, the home is open seasonally, as a small sales outlet.

• A small farmhouse with a peaked roof, several windows, and two doors. There are steps leading up to the doors. Inside are 4 rooms, one room has items from past residents of the house and Fruita including a rocking chair and butter churn. Jams, salsas, baking goods, and other items are for sale. The main draw of the house is the fresh baked pies, cinnamon rolls, and sourdough.

Gypsum Sinkhole

The Gypsum Sinkhole is about 200 feet deep and was formed by water dissolving the gypsum, leaving a large cavity. The rock is very soft, stay back from the edge.

• Large round hole in the ground, at the base of a large red cliff.

Jackson Orchard

Lesley Morrell Line Cabin

The Lesley Morrell Line Cabin provides a glimpse into the ranching past of Capitol Reef National Park. Access requires a high clearance vehicle. Check road conditions and weather before attempting.

• A small log cabin sits in mix of sagebrush and juniper, with large red, orange, and white stone monoliths in the background. The cabin has a peaked roof, and two steps leading to its only door. A wooden hitching post made of local wood is nearby.

Lower Spring Canyon Trailhead

Max Krueger Orchard

Merin Smith Implement Shed

Fruita resident Merin Smith built this shed in 1925 as a workshop, blacksmith shop, and garage. The objects in the shed illustrate what life would have been like in Fruita during that time period.

• Rectangular building built into hillside, made of sandstone blocks. Building is filled with old tools, signs, and an old Eimco Corp. transitional tractor. The entrance to the building is gated off, but the doors are open to look inside. Outside, old machinery is scattered near the building.

Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area

The Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area preserves the natural, historical, and cultural heritage legacies and contributions of Mormon settlement in the West. The heritage area accomplishes this through community-led efforts to connect with the past by telling the Mormon pioneer story.

• This heritage area landscape is distinguished by its rugged terrain, diverse rock features and geology, and unique small communities connected along Highway 89. There is a variety of geological and geographical features, such as rocky terrain, red cliffs, forests, and rivers.The Colorado River (including its tributaries), wind, and rain have physically shaped this region, which helped to create its canyons, arches, and gullies. Also of interest are Native American sites and cliff drawings, highlighting the years before settlement of Mormon Pioneers.

Navajo Dome Viewpoint

Oxbow Waterfall

Panorama Point

Visit Panorama Point to see sweeping vistas of red rock cliffs.

• Pinyon pines and juniper trees dot the foreground, growing out of the dark reddish brown mudstone underfoot. Reddish brown cliffs, over 1,000 feet high, rise up in the distance, accented by layer of gray-green rock part-way up the cliffs.

Petroglyph Panel

View ancient rock markings carved by the Fremont Culture people who inhabited this area from 300-1300 Common Era (CE).

• A wooden boardwalk parallels sheer red cliffs about 1,000 feet high. Faint images are carved near the bottom of the cliffs, including human-like figures with trapezoidal bodies and geometric bighorn sheep.

Pioneer Register

Take a short hike in Capitol Gorge to see the historic Pioneer Register where early explorers and pioneers carved their names into the cliff wall. It is illegal to deface, vandalize, or add your own name to the Register.

• Names, dates, and places carved into rock wall. This canyon was the original road through the Waterpocket Fold, and was used for hundreds of years, as evidenced by Fremont Culture Petroglyphs and the many names and dates from 1871 to 1946.

Scenic Drive Stop 1

Capitol Reef’s sedimentary rock layers tell us stories from Earth’s ancient past.

• Banded cliffs line one side of a paved road. At the base is a sloped red-brown mudstone that transitions to a greenish-gray layer littered with chunks of rock. The top layer begins halfway up and forms a red-brown sheer cliff face.

Scenic Drive Stop 10

Why is it called “Capitol Reef?”

• The wide gorge is surrounded by 500-foot sandstone cliffs. Further up the dirt road, the base of the cliffs form a red-brown sheer wall. Over halfway up, the cliff forms ledges dotted with green shrubs and trees. At the top of the cliffs, a cream colored band of rock forms a rounded cap.

Scenic Drive Stop 11

The Capitol Gorge trail features natural pools of water and markings from early pioneers and travelers.

• The dirt road ends and a hiking trail continues through the bottom of the deep gorge. In between the sheer cliff walls, the canyon floor is covered in sand, rocks, and boulders. Vegetation is sparse.

Scenic Drive Stop 2

What is the Waterpocket Fold? The tilted cliffs along the Scenic Drive are part of this massive wrinkle in the Earth’s crust.

• Banded cliffs about 1,000 feet high along one side of a paved road. From bottom to top, there is a red-brown sloping layer transitioning to a greenish-gray layer littered with chunks of rock, to a sheer cliff face red-brown in color. The layers tilt down toward the east at an angle of about 15 degrees.

Scenic Drive Stop 3

Ancient environments determine today’s rock types and colors.

• Mostly red-brown cliffs about 1,000 feet high with a thin band of white rock near the base and a greenish-gray layer above the white, about halfway up the cliff. The white band of rock has two holes, side-by-side and several feet wide. The entrances to these holes are blocked with metal bars.

Scenic Drive Stop 4

Erosion changes the landscape, from small holes in the cliff, to huge natural arches.

• Sheer red-brown cliffs stand about 500 feet high on either side of a dirt road. The cliff faces are patterned with shallow holes of irregular shapes. Holes vary in size from a few inches wide to a few feet wide. Looking back toward the Scenic Drive, in the distance, is a natural arch of rock near the top of the cliffs.

Scenic Drive Stop 5

What are those long black streaks striping the cliff walls?

• Sheer, red-brown cliffs stand about 500 feet high on either side of the dirt parking lot. One wall has several long black streaks that are thicker near the top of the cliffs and taper off as they extend downward.

Scenic Drive Stop 6

Juniper trees showcase dark, twisting bark and light blue berries.

• The 500-foot sandstone cliffs rise up on the east side of the Scenic Drive. To the west, the landscape is dotted with small trees growing out of the red, rocky ground.

Scenic Drive Stop 7

Summer monsoon season brings heavy rain and flash flooding to Capitol Reef. The torrents of water can be spectacularly beautiful, but also deadly.

• At the crest of a gentle hill, the landscape slopes down to the north and south and the 500-foot cliffs stretch out for miles in either direction. On the ground, next to the pullout, are slabs of red-brown rock with a raised, rippled pattern.

Scenic Drive Stop 8

The incredible, edible pinyon pine helps many species survive in a harsh desert environment.

• A wooden sign marks the "Old Wagon Trail Hikers Parking." The trail leads away from the 500-foot cliffs into an open red-brown sloping landscape dotted with small shrub-like trees.

Scenic Drive Stop 9

Desert bighorn sheep are often spotted in Capitol Gorge along narrow cliff ledges.

• A dirt road enters a wide gorge with towering canyon walls, about 500-feet tall.

Sulphur Creek Trailhead

Temple of the Sun and Temple of the Moon

The Temples of the Sun and Moon in Cathedral Valley are large monoliths of Entrada Sandstone. High clearance 4-wheel drive is usually necessary to access them, and sometimes the roads in Cathedral Valley are impassable.

• Two large reddish-orange monoliths rising out of the desert floor. One has more of a pointed top, and the other has a more level top.

The Castle Viewpoint

Twin Rocks Viewpoint

Waterpocket District

The Waterpocket District of Capitol Reef is rugged and remote. Road conditions vary, a high clearance vehicle is usually needed. Check at the visitor center, or call 435-425-3791 for road conditions.

• Paved and dirt roads access the spectacular southern section of the park where the uplift and dramatic incline of the Waterpocket Fold is best on display. Rock formations of reddish-orange, white, tan, and deep red jut up from the valley floor. Slot canyons and arches can be seen as well.

Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Center

• Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Center
• Capitol Reef National Park visitor center sits at the intersection of UT-24 and the Scenic Drive.

• Hike Cathedral Valley
• Explore Cathedral Valley by foot. These hikes are accessible only by rough unpaved roads. A high clearance vehicle is necessary and four-wheel drive is recommended at times.

• Stargaze
• Capitol Reef protects extremely dark night skies, and is a wonderful place to stargaze.

• Driving the Burr Trail
• Drive the scenic Burr Trail from Glen Canyon's Bullfrog district, along the bottom of Capitol Reef, through Grand Staircase, to Boulder, UT. Distance: 67 miles (108 km) one-way Mix of paved and dirt roads, impassable when wet Four-wheel drive sometimes required. No RVs.

• Bicycle Touring
• Bicycling touring in Capitol Reef offers opportunities to explore paved and unpaved roads throughout the park. Explore colorful canyons, beautiful vistas of red rock country, and the verdant Fruita Historic District by bicycle.

• Picnic
• Enjoy a picnic in Capitol Reef National Park! In the Fruita Historic District, look for the Doc Inglesby and Chesnut picnic areas, as well as tables and a water fountain near the Gifford House. At the end of Capitol Gorge Road, off the Scenic Drive, there are covered picnic tables as well as a pit toilet.

• Watch the Sunset
• Watch the sunset from various scenic points in Capitol Reef. Take an easy stroll or a strenuous hike as the sun goes down. Don't forget to bring a headlamp.

• Hike in the South (Waterpocket) District
• Get to know the South (Waterpocket) District on foot by hiking an easy trail or strenuous backcountry route. Many of these hikes are accessible only by unpaved roads.

• Scenic Drive Tour
• Take Capitol Reef's Scenic Drive, and experience colorful cliffs and deep narrow canyons from the comfort of your vehicle.

• Hike a Strenuous Trail
• Hike a strenuous trail to view dramatic geologic formations and spectacular vistas.

• Hike an Easy or Moderate Trail
• Hike an easy or moderate trail to see panoramic views or to experience a deep sandstone canyon.

Scenic Drive Tour

The Scenic Drive is an 8-mile (13 km) paved road. Allot 2 hours roundtrip to drive the Scenic Drive and the two dirt spur roads that lead into deep canyons, Grand Wash and Capitol Gorge. These dirt spur roads are usually suitable for passenger vehicles and small RVs up to 27 feet in length. Roads may close due to snow, ice, and flash flooding. An entrance fee is charged for the Scenic Drive. Pay at the self-pay station at Stop 1 or purchase a pass for all federal lands at the visitor center.