Capitol Reef National Park
Located in south-central Utah in the heart of red rock country, Capitol Reef National Park is a hidden treasure filled with cliffs, canyons, domes, and bridges in the Waterpocket Fold, a geologic monocline (a wrinkle on the earth) extending almost 100 miles.
Alerts
- CautionElevated E. Coli levels - Fremont River and Sulphur Creek
Recent water quality testing shows elevated E. coli levels in the Fremont River and Sulphur Creek. A warning advisory has been issued by the Utah DEQ. Use caution if entering the water. Do not get water in your mouth, do not swim. Wash hands with soap and water.
- CautionNPS ↗Monsoon Season & Flash Floods
Heavy rains can cause sudden flooding, especially in canyons and washes. Do not drive or hike through flood waters. Get to high ground and wait for floods to subside. Some roads may close temporarily; closures are posted at the visitor center.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedFremont River Rd Piles Rx
32 mi from the park's reference point
- PrescribedSalina Canyon East Rx
37 mi from the park's reference point · 17,375 acres
Within 50 miles, as of 2026-10-14. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Check the park's alerts and the managing office before you drive.
Fees & passes
| Type | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Private VehicleAn entrance fee is charged per vehicle. | $20 | |
| MotorcycleValid for 7 days. Admits up to 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers. | $15 | |
| Per PersonAdmits one individual with no car. Typically used for bicyclists and pedestrians. | $10 | |
| Commercial tours · by vehicle capacity | ||
| Per PersonCommercial Road-Based Tours are required to obtain a Commercial Use Authorization before visiting Capitol Reef. When visiting the park, the tour must then pay the separate entrance fee at the visitor center (or through pay.gov). Tours with vehicle capacity of 15 or less should apply for a CUA in the "Guided Interpretive Tours" category. | $10 | |
| Mini-busCommercial Road-Based Tours are required to obtain a Commercial Use Authorization before visiting Capitol Reef National Park. When visiting the park, the tour must then pay the separate entrance fee at the visitor center (or through pay.gov). Vehicle capacity of 16 seats or greater: $100.00 entrance fee | $100 | |
| Motor CoachCommercial Road-Based Tours are required to obtain a Commercial Use Authorization before visiting Capitol Reef National Park. When visiting the park, the tour must then pay the separate entrance fee at the visitor center (or through pay.gov). Vehicle capacity of 16 seats or greater: $100.00 entrance fee | $100 | |
| Per PersonGuided Activities include all types of guided services, such as bike and motorcycle tours, hiking guides, photography classes, hiking shuttles, and road-based commercial tours with vehicles <16 capacity. Guided activity groups are charged the per person fee of $10.00 per client, excluding the trip leader or guide. | $10 | |
| Passes | ||
| Annual Entrance - ParkAdmits one private, non-commercial vehicle or motorcycle and all its occupants or riders. | $35 | |
An entrance fee is charged for Capitol Reef National Park. The fee depends on how a visitor arrives at the park, and whether they are part of a commercial or guided tour.
Hours
| Capitol Reef National Park | Daily · All Day |
When to go
May draws the most visits here and January the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Campgrounds
| Primitive campsites at Cathedral Campground | 6 sites | |
| 6 first-come | ||
| Primitive campsites at Cedar Mesa Campground | 5 sites | |
| 5 first-come | ||
| Group Campsite | 1 site | |
| $125 a night · 1 reservable | ||
| Fruita Campground | 72 sites | |
| $25 a night · The campground is open year round. Campsites are reservable year-round; visit www.recreation.gov to make a reservation. | ||
| Backcountry Camping | · | |
Every campground here has its own page on Campsite Atlas, with site counts, hookups, rig limits and booking windows. All of them on one page → How park camping works
Visitor centers
- Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
Capitol Reef National Park visitor center sits at the intersection of UT-24 and the Scenic Drive.
Explore
Things to do
- Stargaze
Capitol Reef protects extremely dark night skies, and is a wonderful place to stargaze.
Opens on the Park Service site - 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.
Opens on the Park Service site - 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.
Opens on the Park Service site - Visit the Petroglyph Panel5-30 Minutes
From 600 to 1300 C.E., native people of the Fremont Culture made their home at Capitol Reef. Petroglyphs carved into the Wingate sandstone remind us of their time.
Opens on the Park Service site - Scenic Drive Tour90 Minutes
Take Capitol Reef's Scenic Drive, and experience colorful cliffs and deep narrow canyons from the comfort of your vehicle.
Opens on the Park Service site - 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.
Opens on the Park Service site
Show all 11Hide
- 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.
Opens on the Park Service site - 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.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike an Easy or Moderate Trail
Hike an easy or moderate trail to see panoramic views or to experience a deep sandstone canyon.
Opens on the Park Service site - Driving the Burr Trail1-14 Days
Drive the scenic Burr Trail from Glen Canyon's Bullfrog district, along the bottom of Capitol Reef, through Grand Staircase, to Boulder, UT.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike a Strenuous Trail
Hike a strenuous trail to view dramatic geologic formations and spectacular vistas.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- Archeology Talk10/1410:00 AM · runs through Oct 31 · freeMeet at the Petroglyph Panel boardwalk, located about one mile (1.6 km) east of the Capitol Reef visitor center along Utah Route…
- Ranger's Choice Talk10/1403:00 PM · runs through Oct 31 · free
- Star Talk10/1408:30 PM · runs through Oct 15 · freeThe astronomy demonstration site is next to the amphitheater parking lot and just off the Fremont River Trail.
- Guided Walk10/1504:00 PM · runs through Oct 16 · freeMeet in front of the Gifford House. Parking available across the street in the dirt lot or at the picnic area.
- Telescope Viewing10/1608:30 PM · freeMeet at the Gifford House, approximately one-mile down the Scenic Drive
- · freeBike ride is along the Capitol Reef Scenic Drive, starting just past the Fruita Campground.
Show all 7Hide
- 02:00 PM · free
News
- Reef Ride Bike Days ↗2026-09-08
Capitol Reef National Park will host the return of its popular Reef Ride cycling event on Sept. 19 and 26, offering visitors a rare chance to experience the Scenic Drive free of vehicle traffic.
- Capitol Reef National Park seeks public assistance in locating missing hiker ↗2026-06-10
Capitol Reef National Park is asking for the public’s help locating Richard Discipio, a 77-year-old male who was last seen at the Days Inn in Torrey, Utah, on June 6.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
On the National Register nearby
- Fruita SchoolhouseBuilding · Fruita · 0.4 mi
- Civilian Conservation Corps Powder MagazineStructure · Torrey · 0.5 mi
- Oyler MineSite · Torrey · 1.8 mi
- Elijah Cutler Behunin CabinBuilding · Torrey · 4.1 mi
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Forest Service trails nearby
These trails are outside the park on National Forest land, within 15 miles of Capitol Reef. Each one opens on Trailhead Atlas.
Distance is measured from the park's reference point to the nearer end of the trail.
Guidebooks for Capitol Reef National Park
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthBighorn Sheep 2×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 242 birds, 62 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · Bald Eagle · Barn Owl · Burrowing Owl · California Condor · Cooper's Hawk · Ferruginous Hawk · Flammulated Owl · Golden Eagle · Great Horned Owl · Long-eared Owl · Merlin · Mexican Spotted Owl · Northern Harrier · Northern Pygmy-Owl · Northern Saw-whet Owl · Osprey · Peregrine Falcon · Prairie Falcon · Red-tailed Hawk · Rough-legged Hawk · Sharp-shinned Hawk · Short-eared Owl · Swainson's Hawk · Turkey Vulture · Western Screech-Owl · Zone-tailed Hawk
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican Coot · American White Pelican · American Wigeon · Black-crowned Night Heron · Blue-winged Teal · Bufflehead · Canada Goose · Cattle Egret · Cinnamon Teal · Common Goldeneye · Common Loon · Common Merganser · Eared Grebe · Great Blue Heron · Green Heron · Green-winged Teal · Lesser Scaup · Northern Pintail · Pied-billed Grebe · Ring-necked Duck · Ruddy Duck · Sandhill Crane · Snow Goose · Snowy Egret · Virginia Rail · White-faced Ibis · Wood Duck
Shorebirds & seabirdsAmerican Avocet · Franklin's Gull · Greater Yellowlegs · Killdeer · Lesser Yellowlegs · Long-billed Curlew · Marbled Godwit · Solitary Sandpiper · Spotted Sandpiper · Western Sandpiper · Willet · Wilson's Phalarope · Wilson's Snipe
Gamebirds & dovesBand-tailed Pigeon · Blue Grouse · Eurasian Collared-Dove · Mourning Dove · Ring-necked Pheasant · Rock Pigeon · White-winged Dove · Wild Turkey
WoodpeckersAmerican Three-toed Woodpecker · Downy Woodpecker · Hairy Woodpecker · Ladder-backed Woodpecker · Lewis' Woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Red-naped Sapsucker · Williamson's Sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftsBlack-chinned Hummingbird · Broad-tailed Hummingbird · Calliope Hummingbird · Rufous Hummingbird · Vaux's Swift · White-throated Swift
Also on the checklistAmerican Dipper · American Goldfinch · American Pipit · American Redstart · American Robin · American Tree Sparrow · Ash-throated Flycatcher · Bank Swallow · Barn Swallow · Belted Kingfisher · Bewick's Wren · Black Phoebe · Black Rosy-Finch · Black-and-white Warbler · Black-billed Magpie · Black-capped Chickadee · Black-headed Grosbeak · Black-necked Stilt · Black-throated Blue Warbler · Black-throated Gray Warbler · Black-throated Sparrow · Blue Grosbeak · Blue-gray Gnatcatcher · Bobolink · Bohemian Waxwing · Brewer's Blackbird · Brewer's Sparrow · Brown Creeper · Brown Thrasher · Brown-headed Cowbird · Bullock's Oriole · Bushtit · Canyon Wren · Cassin's Finch · Cassin's Kingbird · Cedar Waxwing · Chestnut-sided Warbler · Chipping Sparrow · Chukar · Clark's Nutcracker · Cliff Swallow · Common Grackle · Common Nighthawk · Common Poorwill · Common Raven · Common Yellowthroat · Cordilleran Flycatcher · Dark-eyed Junco (Gray-headed) · Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) · Dark-eyed Junco (Pink-sided) · Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) · Dusky Flycatcher · Eastern Kingbird · European Starling · Evening Grosbeak · Gadwall · Golden-crowned Kinglet · Grace's Warbler · Gray Catbird · Gray Flycatcher · Gray Vireo · Gray-crowned Rosy Finch · Great-tailed Grackle · Green-tailed Towhee · Hammond's Flycatcher · Harris' Sparrow · Hermit Thrush · Hooded Oriole · Hooded Warbler · Horned Lark · House Finch · House Sparrow · House Wren · Indigo Bunting · Juniper Titmouse · Lapland Longspur · Lark Sparrow · Lazuli Bunting · Lesser Goldfinch · Lincoln's Sparrow · Loggerhead Shrike · Lucy's Warbler · MacGillivray's Warbler · Mallard · Marsh Wren · Mountain Bluebird · Mountain Chickadee · Nashville Warbler · Northern Goshawk · Northern Mockingbird · Northern Parula · Northern Rough-winged Swallow · Northern Shoveler · Northern Shrike · Northern Waterthrush · Olive-sided Flycatcher · Orange-crowned Warbler · Orchard Oriole · Ovenbird · Palm Warbler · Pine Grosbeak · Pine Siskin · Pinyon Jay · Plumbeous Vireo · Purple Martin · Red Crossbill · Red-breasted Nuthatch · Red-eyed Vireo · Red-winged Blackbird · Redhead · Rock Wren · Rose-breasted Grosbeak · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · Sage Thrasher · Sagebrush Sparrow · Savannah Sparrow · Say's Phoebe · Scissor-tailed Flycatcher · Scott's Oriole · Song Sparrow · Sora · Spotted Towhee · Steller's Jay · Summer Tanager · Swainson's Thrush · Tennessee Warbler · Townsend's Solitaire · Townsend's Warbler · Tree Swallow · Varied Thrush · Veery · Vermilion Flycatcher · Vesper Sparrow · Violet-green Swallow · Virginia's Warbler · Warbling Vireo · Western Bluebird · Western Kingbird · Western Meadowlark · Western Tanager · Western Wood-Pewee · White-breasted Nuthatch · White-crowned Sparrow · White-throated Sparrow · Willow Flycatcher · Wilson's Warbler · Winter Wren · Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay · Yellow Warbler · Yellow-billed Cuckoo · Yellow-breasted Chat · Yellow-headed Blackbird · Yellow-rumped Warbler
Small mammalsAmerican Beaver · American Water Shrew · Black-tailed Jackrabbit · Botta's Pocket Gopher · Brush Mouse · Bushy-tailed Woodrat · Canyon Mouse · Cliff Chipmunk · Common Muskrat · Crawford's Desert Shrew · Deer Mouse · Desert Cottontail · Desert Woodrat · Great Basin Pocket Mouse · Hopi Chipmunk · Long-tailed Vole · Montane Vole · Mountain Cottontail · North American Porcupine · Northern Flying Squirrel · Northern Grasshopper Mouse · Ord's Kangaroo Rat · Pinon Mouse · Rock Squirrel · Western Harvest Mouse · White-tailed Antelope Squirrel · Yellow-bellied Marmot
PredatorsAmerican Badger · American Black Bear · Bobcat · Common Gray Fox · Coyote · Ermine · Long-tailed Weasel · Mountain Lion · Northern Raccoon · Red Fox · Ringtail · Striped Skunk · Western Spotted Skunk · lynx
Hoofed mammalsAmerican Bison · Bighorn Sheep · Elk · Mule Deer · Pronghorn
BatsAllen's Big-eared Bat · Big Brown Bat · Big Free-tailed Bat · Brazilian Free-tailed Bat · California Myotis · Fringed Myotis · Hoary Bat · Long-eared Myotis · Long-legged Myotis · Pallid Bat · Silver-haired Bat · Spotted Bat · Townsend's Big-eared Bat · Western Pipistrelle · Western Small-footed Myotis · Yuma Myotis
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Camping in the national parks · Fishing in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Horseback riding in the national parks · Rock climbing in the national parks · Stargazing in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
All 38 activitiesHide
Weather & climate
Weather is posted daily; check at the park visitor center for weather updates. Do not enter into narrow canyons if there is a threat of rain or if rain has been falling in the area. Rain and snow may also make dirt roads impassable to vehicles.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to enter Capitol Reef?
Entrance is $20 per private vehicle, $15 per motorcycle, and $10 per person on foot or bike. An entrance fee is charged per vehicle.
Source: National Park Service
Which passes work at Capitol Reef?
The $80 America the Beautiful pass covers the entrance fee here, and a Capitol Reef-only annual pass is $35.
Source: Is the pass worth it
Can I pay the entrance fee in cash?
No. Capitol Reef takes cards only at the entrance.
Source: National Park Service
When is entrance to Capitol Reef free?
Next on October 27, Theodore Roosevelt's birthday. 2 fee-free days are left this year, for US residents only.
Source: Free entrance days
Do I need a reservation to enter Capitol Reef?
No. There is no timed-entry or entrance reservation at Capitol Reef. Camping and some tours have their own reservations.
Source: National Park Service
Is Capitol Reef open year-round?
Yes. The grounds are open 24 hours a day, year-round.
Source: National Park Service
Can I camp in Capitol Reef?
Yes. The Park Service lists 5 campgrounds in Capitol Reef: Primitive campsites at Cathedral, Primitive campsites at Cedar Mesa, Group Campsite, Fruita, and Backcountry Camping. 2 take reservations through Recreation.gov; 2 are first-come, first-served.
Which Capitol Reef campgrounds have showers, hookups, or a dump station?
Dump station: Group Campsite and Fruita.
Source: Campgrounds
Do camping fees at Capitol Reef include the entrance fee?
No. Camping is charged per night on top of the entrance fee or a pass; Group Campsite is $125 a night.
Source: Campgrounds
Is anything closed at Capitol Reef right now?
2 active alerts as of October 14, 2026: Elevated E. Coli levels - Fremont River and Sulphur Creek; Monsoon Season & Flash Floods.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Capitol Reef?
1,388,476 recreation visits in 2025, number 61 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is Capitol Reef good for stargazing?
Yes. Capitol Reef is a certified International Dark Sky Park.
Source: Dark sky parks
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
