Snapshot Planning Your VisitIf you have kids that likes the movie Cars, or grew up loving Lightning McQueen, you have to visit Capitol Reef. This park felt a little bit out of the way, but it is unlike any place I have ever been. If I were to do this park again, I would visit other places near Torrey; such as; Moonlook Overlook, Factory Butte, and Bentonite Hills. When we visited the park We visited the park at the beginning of March. There were not many people around, so we loved having space and time to explore the trails and scenic drives. It was cold in the morning, but as the sun came out, it warmed up and was perfect for hiking. This was the coldest of the Mighty 5 parks that we visited, but not uncomfortably cold. We just had to pack accordingly.  weather-us.com Things to Consider 1. The first thing to know is, watch the weather. This park has multiple areas that flood quickly, and there can be dangerous flash floods. Especially be careful in the spring with the added snowmelt. 2. It feels like you are in the middle of nowhere driving here, but it is worth it! 3. Consider having a 4-wheel vehicle or something you feel comfortable driving off road. There are some beautiful drives in the park, they just aren't paved. 4. The driving east of the park along Hwy 24 is it's own experience in itself. I wish we would have planned more time for this drive and getting out and hiking here. 5. There is a northern part of Capitol Reef, and checking that out would be worth your time. 6. If you plan to visit multiple parks in a year, consider buying the America the Beautiful National Parks Pass. It is $80 for this annual pass from the time you buy it. Usually, park admission is $30 a park, so this is worth the investment if you plan on going to more than 2 parks a year.  How to Get There Traveling westbound on Interstate 70 from Moab area, take the exit for Utah State Route 24 (SR-24) west towards Hanksville. Continue on SR-24 for about 80 miles. The Capitol Reef Visitor Center will be on the left. The drive is about 3 hours. Traveling eastbound on Interstate 70 from Richfield area, turn onto Utah State Route 120 south for about a mile. Turn left onto Utah State Route 118 north, then shortly after, make a slight right onto Utah State Route 119 east for about 9 miles. Turn right onto Utah State Route 24 (SR-24) east and drive for about 60 miles. The Capitol Reef Visitor Center will be on the right. Where to Stay Inside the Park Fruita Campground The only way to stay in the park is to camp at the Fruita Campground. There are 71 sites available from March -October. You can use a tent or an RV at these sites, and you must reserve a site through recreation.gov. You can search for either Capitol Reef or Fruita Campground to make reservations. Campsites fill quickly, and you can book up to six months prior to your arrival. It is $25 a night to reserve a campsite in the park. Primitive Campgrounds There are primitive campgrounds in the park or surrounding areas that are first-come, first-serve. I would check with park rangers about areas that camping is allowed. These areas do not require a fee besides park admission. Cedar Mesa Campground This is a 5 site, first-come, first serve primitive campground. It usually requires a 4-wheel, high profile vehicle to access it. There is no fee for this campground. Cathedral Valley Campground This is a 6 site, first-come, first serve primitive campground. It requires a 4-wheel, high profile vehicle to access it. There is no fee for this campground. Outside the Park Capitol Reef Resort The closest lodging to the park (about 2 miles to entrance) is Capitol Reef Resort in Torrey. There are other options for lodging in Torrey, but this one has the best views! We stayed in a cottage looking out at the red rock cliffs, and highly recommend it. There are also rooms available in the lodge, which has an attached restaurant. The prices range from $160-$430 a night based on the type of room you reserve. Side note: They offer llama adventures here, and that alone might be worth a return trip during peak season! Torrey Trading Post Here there are cabins available to rent in Torrey, UT. Depending on the type of cabin you rent, prices range from $65-$150 a night. Cowboy Homestead These cabins are just south of Torrey, UT on a family homestead. The cabins are available for rent from March 15-November 15, some days requiring a two-night stay. The rate for renting a cabin is $159 a night. There is horseback riding and fishing available through the property as well. Camping Pleasant Creek Campground This campground is located in Teasdale, UT about 18 miles from the park. There are 16 tent or RV sites (under 25ft) available on a first-come, first serve basis. It is $12 a night to reserve a campsite. Sunglow Campground This campground is located in Bicknell, UT about 13 miles from the park. There are 6 sites available here on a first-come, first serve basis. During peak season (May-Sep) select sites can be reserved ahead of time through recreation.gov. It is $16 a night to reserve a campsite. You can use a tent or RV at this location. You are able to reserve a site up to six months prior to your visit. Singletree Campground This campground is located near Boulder Mountain in Utah about 16 miles from the park. There are 33 sites available here on a first-come, first serve basis. During peak season (May-Sep) select sites can be reserved ahead of time through recreation.gov. It is $20 to reserve a campsite. You can use a tent or RV at this location. You are able to reserve a site up to six months prior to your visit.   Hwy 24 West Entrance What We Did One of the first things we did was drive down Hwy 24 to take in the red cliffs and different scenery along the highway. We stopped at the Visitor Center in the Fruita District then. We got a park map, and picked up the Junior Ranger books for the kids. We decided to drive the scenic drive after leaving the visitor center. This took us south through the park, weaving between different cliffs, hills, and rock structures. At the end of the scenic drive, the road does turn over to gravel, and a high-profile or 4-wheel vehicle is recommended. This is an out-and-back drive, that may be bumpy as you go. Eventually, we made our way to back to the Fruita District and hiked around that area. There were deer eating in the fruit tree area, we hiked along the river, and walked over to the petroglyph panel to see ancient markings. There were many more people taking advantage of the facilities and campground area while we visited. The views this park has to offer are like nothing we have seen before. You can learn more about the geology through the visitor center or by listening to a ranger program. I could have sat absorbing in the beauty longer if I wasn't with three little kids anxious to move and explore. They made the best of my slow-going by searching for fossils or bugs hiding under rocks. We ended the night back at Capitol Reef Resort, eating dinner at the restaurant there.
 Sunrise at Capitol Reef Resort Cabin The next day, I woke up early and got to enjoy the quiet and a cup of coffee bundled up on the front porch of the cabin we had rented. It was stunning watching the sun come up over the snow-dusted red cliffs. After everyone else got up, we headed for hiking at Goosenecks followed by Sunset Point. This is less than two miles of hiking, and worth the views you get at the lookout points. The final thing we did at Capitol Reef was driving down The Grand Wash canyon. This is something you have to do after checking the weather, because flash flooding is a big concern here. There are signs posted in several places warning of common flash floods happening there. This beautiful drive takes you down into the canyon, instead of being above it looking down. The drive is short, and ends at a parking lot where the trailhead for Grand Wash Trail is. There were two hikes that we didn't get a chance to complete. Part of the Hickman Bridge Trail was closed due to the conditions and we never made it to the Chimney Rock Loop. Although you could see chimney rock from the road, there is a hike that takes you up the butte and you can look out below. I would also like to hike through The Grand Wash if we returned. Where this fit in our Road Trip This was the first national park we stopped at in our Mighty 5 tour. We spend the morning hiking Snow Canyon State Park, then drove over to Capitol Reef. We spent the rest of the day exploring the park before resting at Capitol Reef Resort for the night. We spent the next day hiking different parts of the park before we headed to Moab, UT to see Arches and Canyonland. NPS App and All Trails Maps I highly recommend using the National Park Service (NPS) App, as well as the All Trails App for hiking. There is limited service in the park, so planning ahead is helpful. These two apps allow you to download sights, maps, and trails so that you can access information anywhere. The NPS app also links to the full National Parks Website, with a plethora of information.
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