Hiking

Trails through the national park offer sweeping panoramas of colorful cliffs and soaring spires, eerie journeys through desolate steep-walled canyons, and cool oases along the tree-shaded Fremont River. Watch carefully for petroglyphs and other reminders of this area's first inhabitants. This is the real Wild West; little has changed from the way cowboys, bank robbers, settlers, and gold miners found it in the late 1800s. In fact, one of the best things about hiking here is experiencing the unique combination of scenic beauty, American Indian art, and Western history.

Park rangers can help you choose trails best suited to the time of year, weather conditions, and your personal physical condition; those planning serious backpacking treks will want to buy topographic maps, available at the visitor center. The summer sun is wicked, so hats and sunscreen are mandatory, and a gallon of water per person is recommended.

Among the favorite short hikes at Capitol Reef is the 2.5-mile round-trip Capitol Gorge Trail. It's easy, mostly level walking along the bottom of a narrow canyon, but looking up at the tall, smooth walls of rock conveys a strong sense of what the pioneers must have seen and felt 100 years ago, when they moved rocks and debris to haul their wagons up this canyon. Starting at the end of the dirt Capitol Gorge Road, the hiking trail leads past the Pioneer Register, where prospectors and other early travelers carved their names. The earliest legible signatures were made in 1871 by J. A. Call and "Wal" Bateman.

An easy hike that's best at sunset is the aptly named Sunset Point Trail. The hike is less than a half-mile but affords panoramic views of cliffs and domes, at their most dramatic at sunset. The trail head is at Panorama Point turnoff, on Utah 24, 3 miles west of the visitor center, then 1 mile on a gravel access road.

Another short hike, but quite a bit more strenuous, is the 3.5-mile round-trip Cassidy Arch Trail. This route offers spectacular views as it climbs steeply from the floor of Grand Wash to high cliffs overlooking the park. The trail provides several perspectives of Cassidy Arch, a natural stone arch named for outlaw Butch Cassidy, who is believed to have occasionally used the Grand Wash as a hide-out. The trail, which has an elevation change of 1,150 feet, is off the Grand Wash dirt road, which branches off the east side of the highway about halfway down the park's Scenic Drive.

Capitol Reef offers a variety of backpacking opportunities, including the 15-mile round-trip Upper Muley Twist Canyon route, which follows a canyon through the Waterpocket Fold and offers views of arches and narrows, and panoramic vistas from the top of the fold; and the 22-mile round-trip Halls Creek Narrows, which follows Halls Creek through a beautiful slot canyon (where you may have to wade or swim). Free backcountry permits (available at the visitor center) are required for all overnight hikes. Discuss any plans with park rangers first, as these routes are prone to flash floods.

Guided hikes in the park and in other nearby locations are available from Backcountry Outfitters and Hondoo Rivers and Trails. Prices vary, but as an example, half-day guided hiking trips cost about $90 per person and full-day guided hikes, including lunch, cost about $125.