Capitol Reef National Park—a long, skinny unit comprising 378 square miles in the heart of Utah’s canyon country—can be divided conceptually into three separate districts, each with a unique flavor. Around 95 percent of visitors flock to the central Fremont River District, which includes the Highway 24 corridor and the Scenic Drive. Ambitious day hikers, …
Continue reading Cathedral Valley Loop Drive (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)
The 60-mile Cathedral Valley loop drive serves as the departure point for six short hiking trails in Utah’s Capitol Reef National Park. When completed in a clockwise direction, the sixth and final hike reached along the way is the 1.1-mile Cathedrals Trail, a well-defined and scenic jaunt through some of the park’s (and country’s) most …
Continue reading Cathedrals Trail (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)
Throughout much of the 20th century, cattle rancher Lesley Morrell owned some of the finest real estate in the West. Though a modest and solitary—comprising just one small room—the cabin was nestled next to stream in the heart of Cathedral Valley, a delightfully remote nirvana of fluted cliffs and striking monoliths now protected as part …
Continue reading Morrell Cabin Trail (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)
Overlooking a spectacularly colorful basin in Capitol Reef National Park’s northwest corner, the Cathedral Valley Overlook Trail leads to one of the finest viewpoints in the park. From a vantage point 400 feet above the basin floor, this brief hike affords a bird’s eye look over Upper Cathedral Valley, fluted cliffs, and a line of …
Continue reading Cathedral Valley Overlook Trail (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)
Situated 27 miles up the unpaved Hartnet Road from Utah Highway 24, the Upper South Desert Overlook is a remote viewpoint in the northwest reaches of Capitol Reef National Park. For those completing the 60-mile Cathedral Valley loop drive, Upper South Desert is often the second or third stop (after quick jaunts to the Lower …
Continue reading Upper South Desert Overlook Trail (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)
Utah’s Capitol Reef National Park is usually divided into three districts: the Fremont River District, home to more than a dozen maintained trails and the bulk of visitor traffic; the wild, southern Waterpocket District, home to slot canyons and the park’s best overnight hikes; and the remote and pristine Cathedral Valley District. Less than 1% …
Continue reading Lower South Desert Overlook (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)
Live and Let Hike 