My family visited Capitol Reef as part of our Utah Big 5 trip.We spent some time in the visitors center, watching the short film about the park and visiting the small museum exhibit. We then took a short drive to the Hickman Bridge Trail. We were a little worried about parking difficulties due to the closure of the Scenic Drive this summer, but we were able to easily find a parking space at the trailhead around noon. The start of the trail had an overhang that my oldest hit her head on, so be careful of that. The trail had an elevation change that made it somewhat challenging. We hiked in the early afternoon so it was hot and there was little shade, but we took advantage of it when we found it. There were a few cool cave-like structures as well which we enjoyed sitting in. My husband made it through the arch but the younger members of our party declared mutiny (after several days of hiking in the heat) and went only to where the trail forked. After returning to the car, we stopped at the Fruita Schoolhouse and Fremont Petroglyphs. This was my husband's favorite park out of the Utah Big 5.

Amazingly beautiful place, loved this National Park! We especially loved the yellow Cottonwoods against the red rock and quiet empty roads, very much less crowded in November! Don't miss the 55 mile back country Cathedral Valley road (through the river, only 10" deep, I walked it to be sure...and you can call ahead to check that, listen to the recording.... if you choose to do the whole drive!) Follow around through amazing Bentonite hills, Cathedral Valley and the Temples of the Sun and Moon. Best 4.5 hours ever! But with spring and summer storms it said sometimes it's impassible, so check first! We had 4WD but only used it in the river crossing. There's sand in the road, but wasn't bad when we were there, (our daughter had gotten stuck with 2WD truck and needed $$$ towing a few years ago, so check first!) You can always go from the east entrance to avoid the river, but definitely get all the way past the temples to Cathedral Valley, (we loved Bentonite hills, which is even further towards the river end). In the main park area, Scenic drive was closed for construction, sure that would have been beautiful too, a great 2 days!

One of the least known national parks, Capitol Reef is a gem with many beautiful hikes and stunning scenery. Pleasant to drive through but much more enjoyable to get out and hike. It's much easier to access and enjoy than Zion's National Park or Yellowstone, where long lines and long waits are common. At Capitol Reef, you can quickly go to a beautiful hiking spot like the Cassidy's Arch hike and be out exploring right away. We highly recommend Cassidy's Arch, but does involve some challenges navigating the stone markings to reach your destination. We had to ask people which way to go a time or two once we got to the top of the area near the arch. A hiking app might have been helpful, in retrospect.

You are going to drive through Capitol Reef National Park seeing other parks and sights. We probably drove through it four or five times. Be sure to check out Fruita and buy a pie. We did the Petroglyph Pullout and Hickman Bridge and they right along the highway that runs through the park. There were plenty of trails but we did not go on them.

Despite the scenic drive being closed, there are a lot of other things available. We enjoyed the pies available at Gifford Homestead and the Visitor's Center. The Geology here is fascinating. It is possible to drive roads on either side of the narrow park and see quite a bit from the short road that traverses the park. Did some short hikes like Hickman Bridge and awesome scenery.

Such a magnificent and underrated park. We really enjoyed our visit to Capitol Reef even though we couldn’t take the complete road trip because of a wash out. The park was not overcrowded and people were having a great time on a mild day. It is difficult to take in all the beauty.

The scenic drive was closed and I read the NP website and knew this ahead of time. But the visitor center was open, the orchards are there, the yummy pie shop is open (we got peach and it was delicious), petroglyphs and hikes are open. I’ had never been to Capitol Reef before so I don’t know ow what I’m missing with the scenic drive. We stayed 2 days and had a great time. We had young kids with us who did the Junior Ranger program. We got pie, we saw the petroglyphs and looked at the orchards (nothing for picking this time of year). We hiked to Hickman Bridge. Follow the signs, sometimes the trail is hard to spot. One sign has little arrows on it of which city way to go for the loop. We almost missed that. We also did the sunset point/panorama little hike. Everything was beautiful. It’s not as crowded as the other Utah National Parks and there were times we were completely alone. Definitely worth a trip for a day or more to see if you have time!

Visited Capitol Reef National Park as part of a five-park tour across southern Utah. Due to its location, it is probably the least crowded of the five we visited, but I'm sure it can be a hot, crowded mess in the summer. There are numerous hiking options, something for everyone. We particularly enjoyed the Capitol Gorge Trail, at the end of a two mile (one lane at times) dirt road between high canyon walls amidst herds of bighorn sheep. Another great hike is the Hickman Bridge Trail which is on the main road into Torrey from Moab/Hanksville.

When in Southern Utah visiting national parks, don't miss the lesser known Capitol Reef National Park! Incredible landscapes, which includes ancient petroglyphs! Because it is not a Moab or a Zion, this means it is less crowded.

We found it far less crowded than other National Parks. There are lots of opportunities for great hiking (we did all the easy ones & couple of the moderate ones) & there is beautiful scenery in every direction. The scenic drive was closed, & we were late enough in the season that all the pears & apples had pretty much been picked. But the beauty of this amazing place & the availability of hiking for every skill level make this my go-to park, well above & beyond the others in Utah.