Information, Capitol Reef National Park

Activities

Capitol Reef National Park, only a few miles wide but 100 miles long, showcases not only the beauty of the Waterpocket Fold, but also the area's human history.

Basic Information

Capitol Reef National Park and its campgrounds are open year-round.

Basic Information

Traveling the park's Scenic Drive beyond the Fruita Campground require a fee.

Learn About the Park

Answers to some questions commonly asked of Capitol Reef park rangers.

Basic Information

Capitol Reef is open year-round, so you can visit anytime.

Basic Information

The I-15 or I-70 highways will get you relatively close to Capitol Reef, but the fun really starts when you get close to the park.

Activities

The annual fruit-harvesting season is by far the biggest event on the Capitol Reef calendar.

Basic Information

In south-central Utah, Capitol Reef National Park is 100 miles long but quite narrow, offering access via both Interstate 70 and Interstate 15.

Basic Information

There is no gas available in Capitol Reef National Park.

Basic Information

There are no restaurants in Capitol Reef National Park.

Basic Information

There are a few places within the park to pick up souvenirs and snacks.

Basic Information

There are restrooms throughout Capitol Reef National Park -- some modern and accessible, some primitive.

Basic Information

There's plenty of parking available at the different attractions within Capitol Reef National Park.

Basic Information

Cell phone and Wi-Fi service are available in Torrey, just west of the park's entrance.

Activities

There are plentiful options for day hikes in the Fruita area of Capitol Reef, as well as numerous backcountry routes for more serious hikers.

Basic Information

Capitol Reef National Park is arid, with precipitation averaging only around 8 inches per year at the park visitor center weather station.

Activities

Bicycles are allowed in certain areas of Capitol Reef National Park.

Basic Information

There are a number of factors to take into consideration when managing your safety in Capitol Reef National Park.

Activities

There are both developed and primitive camping options inside Capitol Reef National Park.

Basic Information

Leashed, well-behaved pets are welcome in the developed areas of Capitol Reef National Park.

Activities

There are scenic views to be had all over Capitol Reef National Park.

Basic Information

Much of Capitol Reef National Park can be enjoyed via scenic drives, and there are accessible facilities as well when it's time to stop.

Activities

There's a picnic area one mile south of the visitor center on the Scenic Drive.

Activities

There are more than 230 known bird species in Capitol Reef National Park.

Activities

The Gifford House Museum and Store, the Ripple Rock Nature Center, and the Visitor Center all feature exhibits for park guests to check out.

Activities

In 2015, Capitol Reef National Park became an International Dark Sky Park, with some of the best night sky viewing opportunities in the western national parks.

Activities

There are lots of activities, both indoor and outdoor, to keep kids busy at Capitol Reef National Park.

Activities

Horses and and pack animals, including burros and mules, are allowed in Capitol Reef National Park backcountry.

Activities

Capitol Reef has not always been popular among technical rock climbers, but recent years have seen an increasing interest in the sport within the park.

Basic Information

Key telephone numbers and websites for the park.

Activities

Looking to catch the sunrise or sunset in Capitol Reef National Park? Sunset Point is the obvious go-to for the latter.

Activities

There are a number of ranger-led programs in Capitol Reef.

Learn About the Park

Native Americans have lived in the Capitol Reef area since around 7,000 BCE, using the area for hunting and gathering.

Learn About the Park

A variety of topography, geology, elevations, and precipitation along Capitol Reef's Waterpocket Fold has created a diversity of microhabitats and niches for plant species.

Learn About the Park

A variety of habitats in Capitol Reef National Park support a variety of wildlife species.

Learn About the Park

The Capitol Reef Natural History Association is the park's main partner organization.

Learn About the Park

Other than the park's developed area around Fruita, most of Capitol Reef's 378 square miles could be considered backcountry.

Outside the Park

Small Torrey, with a population of only 179, is the closest town to Capitol Reef National Park's western entrance.

Outside the Park

Remote Hanksville sits at the junction of Hwys. 24 and 95, about 38 miles east of Fruita.

Outside the Park

Tiny, unincorporated Teasdale is 16 miles west of Fruita in Capitol Reef National Park between the Dixie and Fish Lake National Forests and is home to 191 people.

Outside the Park

Bicknell is about 25 miles west of Fruita on Hwy. 24, and has a population of about 322.

Outside the Park

With a population just shy of 600, the small town of Loa sits about 28 miles west of Fruita along Hwy. 24.

Outside the Park

The Old West town of Boulder, Utah has location, location, location, set within easy driving distance of both Capitol Reef National Park and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

Learn About the Park

Orchards have bloomed in Fruita practically since the town was founded, starting in the 1880s.