The mostly level and shady Capitol Gorge Trail continues up the narrow canyon where the scenic Capitol Gorge Road ends. A geological cousin of nearby Grand Wash, Capitol Gorge also played a central role in the area’s human history. For nearly 80 years, despite its extreme narrows, the canyon was the only reliable transit point …
Continue reading Capitol Gorge Trail, including the Tanks (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)
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 …
Continue reading Pleasant Creek slot canyon (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)
The Frying Pan Trail in Capitol Reef National Park is to many a connector route—a 3-mile route across high ridgetops linking Cohab Canyon with the Cassidy Arch Trail. It is often completed as part of a shuttle hike between historic Fruita—the park’s lush epicenter—and Grand Wash, or as part of a 10.5-mile loop that adds …
Continue reading Frying Pan Trail and Frying Pan Canyon (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)
The purpose of the Golden Throne Trail is to provide fine views of the trail’s namesake, a 7,042-foot sandstone dome that shines a deep yellow in the sun. However, visitors hoping to summit Golden Throne—or even to touch it—are likely to be disappointed: the 2-mile trek ends abruptly at a rock outcropping a good distance …
Continue reading Golden Throne Trail and Golden Throne Canyon (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)
Live and Let Hike 