Three miles east of Capitol Reef National Park’s western boundary, the Chimney Rock Trail is the first of the park’s hikes reached by east-bound travelers on Utah’s Highway 24. While the highlight of the 3.6-mile stem-and-loop is the rock itself, a lengthy stretch atop 500-foot-high Mummy Cliff affords excellent views of much, much more. On …
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Capitol Reef National Park features 17 distinct layers of sedimentary rock, a total that greatly surpasses a majority of parks in the American southwest. To enjoy the splendor of more than half of them, consider the short but remote hike to Strike Valley Overlook in the park’s marvelous Waterpocket District. Here the eastern profile of …
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Not surprisingly, one of the most popular questions at the Visitor Center in Capitol Reef National Park is: “Where should I go for the sunset?” Well, we have a hike for that—aptly named the “Sunset Point Trail.” This short jaunt—2/3 mile round trip—features sweeping vistas of the Waterpocket Fold, Capitol Reef’s defining geological feature, as …
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Most desert rats in Utah’s canyon country will know of Capitol Reef National Park’s three most prominent slot canyons: Burro Wash, Cottonwood Wash, and Sheets Gulch. They will also be familiar with the short, family-friendly narrows in nearby Headquarters Canyon. Much less promoted is the unnamed slot just off Capitol Reef’s Pleasant Creek, which boasts …
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According to historical accounts, it was Almon Harris Thompson’s central Utah expedition in 1872 that gave the name to Pleasant Creek, a beautiful perennial stream now running through 242,000-acre Capitol Reef National Park. Upon discovering the rivulet on a trek to the yet-to-be-mapped Henry Mountains, Thompson’s photographer Jack Hillers wrote of a “beautiful creek flowing …
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Sheets Gulch constitutes one of Capitol Reef National Park’s three major slot canyon hikes on the east side of the Waterpocket Fold. Less strenuous and more diverse than its northern cousins up the road—Burro Wash and Cottonwood Wash—Sheets boasts three lengthy slot sections, an excellent stretch of deep narrows, an arch, and a wide variety …
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Surprise Canyon and Headquarters Canyon (see my previous post)—Surprise’s nearby, more-frequented cousin—share a number of common traits. For one, they both cut deeply through the Waterpocket Fold, the 100-mile uplift in the earth’s crust that is the signature feature of Utah’s Capitol Reef National Park. Both can be hiked in less than 1 ½-2 hours …
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If I were to guess, I’d say upwards of 90-95 percent of visitors at Utah’s Capitol Reef National Park spend their entire stay along the main arteries running through the central district—Highway 24 and the Scenic Drive. But the southern portion of the park—a long tongue known as the Waterpocket District—is equally, if not more, …
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After a failed attempt earlier this month when I unintentionally ended up at a higher, more distant point, I returned to the area two weeks later seeking out a rock feature known as “The Motorman” in western Capitol Reef National Park. Though sometimes hard to spot, the spire is visible—and best accessed—from a paved pull-out …
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Unlabeled on most maps, rarely-visited Shinob Canyon in Capitol Reef National Park features towering monuments, truck-sized boulders, and at least three natural arches. The few visitors the gorge does receive are often technical canyoneers (they usually tackle the gorge’s Na-Gah, Timpie, or Nighthawk forks), but Shinob is a worthy destination even without ropes. There is …
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Live and Let Hike 