To those who know Capitol Reef National Park well, the Old Wagon Trail is often considered the red-headed stepchild of the park’s front-country hikes. Though the 3.8-mile stem-and-loop—starting right off the Scenic Drive—features one excellent viewpoint, it comes at a price: a long and monotonous slog 1,080 feet up the dip slope of pinyon- and …
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One of a half-dozen hikes taking off from Capitol Reef National Park’s north-south Notom-Bullfrog Road, the Red Canyon Trail leads to an impressive amphitheater of scarlet-colored Wingate sandstone walls. Rocky promontories in the Wingate, similar in appearance to the celebrated “Needles” of Canyonlands National Park, conceal impressive secrets, including an impressive double arch requiring a …
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A long day hike or 2-day backpacking trip, the 9-mile lasso-loop at Upper Muley Twist Canyon in Capitol Reef National Park has it all: colorful, striated cliffs; sinuous slots; a half-dozen impressive arches; and spectacular views atop a beautiful section of the jagged Waterpocket Fold. Here the red-orange Wingate sandstone has eroded into a peculiar …
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The remote Trachyte Creek drainage system—just east of Utah’s Henry Mountains and north of Lake Powell—comprises a flurry of narrow canyons, many thin enough to form slender slots. One of the area’s best day hikes is Lower Maidenwater Canyon, easily accessible from Utah Highway 276 to Bullfrog Marina. The road roughly bisects the canyon into …
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Capitol Reef National Park’s Fremont River Trail, named for the perennial stream it follows, ends atop a windswept hill providing sweeping views of the Waterpocket Fold, a 100-mile long wrinkle in the Earth’s crust accented by a panoply of colors. The first third of the hike traverses a trail that is wide, flat, and accessible …
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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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This sinuous slot canyon may not be the deepest, the longest, or the prettiest in central Utah. Visible from Bullfrog Visitor Center near the shores of Lake Powell, however, it may be one of the most accessible—and, for the non-boating types, the highlight of a visit to Glen Canyon National Recreation Area’s Bullfrog district. Though …
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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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As far as non-technical slot canyons go, Little Wild Horse Canyon in Utah’s San Rafael Swell is among the best of the best. Tight, picturesque narrows, sweeping sandstone domes, and honeycombed walls make Little Wild Horse the most popular hike in the area. Visit in winter or early in the morning to avoid crowds, and …
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