Wingate Sandstone cliffs behind historic barn and farmhouse

Capitol Reef National Park

National Park ยท Utah

NPS Photo

๐Ÿ“ StateUtah
๐Ÿ›๏ธ TypeNational Park
๐ŸŽŸ๏ธ Entry$20
๐Ÿƒ Activities42
Official NPS Website โ†’
Capitol Reef National Park

National park in Utah, United States

Capitol Reef National Park is a national park of the United States in south-central Utah. The park is approximately 60 miles (100ย km) long on its northโ€“south axis and just 6 miles (10ย km) wide on its east-west axis, on average. The park was established in 1971 to preserve 241,904 acres of desert landscape and is open all year, with May through September receiving the most visitors.

WikipediaWikidataSource: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)

About Capitol Reef National Park

Located in south-central Utah in the heart of red rock country, Capitol Reef National Park is a hidden treasure filled with cliffs, canyons, domes, and bridges in the Waterpocket Fold, a geologic monocline (a wrinkle on the earth) extending almost 100 miles.

Park Photos

Wingate Sandstone cliffs behind historic barn and farmhouse
A hiker stands beside Hickman Bridge, a natural sandstone bridge
Exposed layers of rock in the Waterpocket fold
Cliffs known as "The Castle" tower above the Capitol Reef Visitor Center
Fruit tree with peaches in front of red sandstone cliffs

Activities

Operating Hours

Capitol Reef National Park

Capitol Reef is a 24 hour park, open all day, every day. The visitor center is open daily, except for some major holidays. Visitor center hours vary, call 435-425-3791 and follow the prompts for current visitor center information.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to enter Capitol Reef National Park?

Entrance - Private Vehicle: $20.00. An entrance fee is charged per vehicle. Entrance - Motorcycle: $15.00. Valid for 7 days. Admits up to 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers. Entrance - Per Person: $10.00. Admits one individual with no car. Typically used for bicyclists and pedestrians. Commercial Entrance - Per Person: $10.00. Commercial Road-Based Tours are required to obtain a Commercial Use Authorization before visiting Capitol Reef. When visiting the park, the tour must then pay the separate entrance fee at the visitor center (or through pay.gov). Tours with vehicle capacity of 15 or less should apply for a CUA in the "Guided Interpretive Tours" category. Tours of this size fall under the Guided Activities entry fee structure. Commercial Entrance - Mini-bus: $100.00. Commercial Road-Based Tours are required to obtain a Commercial Use Authorization before visiting Capitol Reef National Park. When visiting the park, the tour must then pay the separate entrance fee at the visitor center (or through pay.gov). Vehicle capacity of 16 seats or greater: $100.00 entrance fee Commercial Entrance - Motor Coach: $100.00. Commercial Road-Based Tours are required to obtain a Commercial Use Authorization before visiting Capitol Reef National Park. When visiting the park, the tour must then pay the separate entrance fee at the visitor center (or through pay.gov). Vehicle capacity of 16 seats or greater: $100.00 entrance fee Commercial Entrance - Per Person: $10.00. Guided Activities include all types of guided services, such as bike and motorcycle tours, hiking guides, photography classes, hiking shuttles, and road-based commercial tours with vehicles <16 capacity. Guided activity groups are charged the per person fee of $10.00 per client, excluding the trip leader or guide. If a client has an America the Beautiful Resident pass (annual, senior, access, etc.) it covers 4 people in the group. (Non-resident annual passes cover only the pass owner.)

What are the best activities at Capitol Reef National Park?

Popular activities at Capitol Reef National Park include: Arts and Culture, Cultural Demonstrations, Astronomy, Stargazing, Biking, Road Biking, Camping, Backcountry Camping.

What is the weather like at Capitol Reef National Park?

Weather is posted daily; check at the park visitor center for weather updates. Do not enter into narrow canyons if there is a threat of rain or if rain has been falling in the area. Rain and snow may also make dirt roads impassable to vehicles.

How do I get to Capitol Reef National Park?

From I-70: Take exit 149, then take UT-24 west toward Hanksville; continue for 43.8 miles (70.5 km). Turn right to continue on UT-24 west and continue for 37.3 miles (60 km). From I-15: take exit 188 then US-50 east toward Scipio. Left on UT-50; continuing 0.7 miles (1.1 km). Turn right onto US-50 east; continue for 24.4 miles (39.3 km). Turn right onto UT-260 south and continue 4.2 miles (6.8 km), then right on UT-24 for 71.3 miles. UT-12: North on highway 12 to Torrey, UT. Right onto UT-24.

Entrance Fees

Entrance - Private Vehicle$20

An entrance fee is charged per vehicle.

Entrance - Motorcycle$15

Valid for 7 days. Admits up to 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers.

Entrance - Per Person$10

Admits one individual with no car. Typically used for bicyclists and pedestrians.

Commercial Entrance - Per Person$10

Commercial Road-Based Tours are required to obtain a Commercial Use Authorization before visiting Capitol Reef. When visiting the park, the tour must then pay the separate entrance fee at the visitor center (or through pay.gov). Tours with vehicle capacity of 15 or less should apply for a CUA in the "Guided Interpretive Tours" category. Tours of this size fall under the Guided Activities entry fee structure.

Commercial Entrance - Mini-bus$100

Commercial Road-Based Tours are required to obtain a Commercial Use Authorization before visiting Capitol Reef National Park. When visiting the park, the tour must then pay the separate entrance fee at the visitor center (or through pay.gov). Vehicle capacity of 16 seats or greater: $100.00 entrance fee

Commercial Entrance - Motor Coach$100

Commercial Road-Based Tours are required to obtain a Commercial Use Authorization before visiting Capitol Reef National Park. When visiting the park, the tour must then pay the separate entrance fee at the visitor center (or through pay.gov). Vehicle capacity of 16 seats or greater: $100.00 entrance fee

Commercial Entrance - Per Person$10

Guided Activities include all types of guided services, such as bike and motorcycle tours, hiking guides, photography classes, hiking shuttles, and road-based commercial tours with vehicles <16 capacity. Guided activity groups are charged the per person fee of $10.00 per client, excluding the trip leader or guide. If a client has an America the Beautiful Resident pass (annual, senior, access, etc.) it covers 4 people in the group. (Non-resident annual passes cover only the pass owner.)

Weather

Weather is posted daily; check at the park visitor center for weather updates. Do not enter into narrow canyons if there is a threat of rain or if rain has been falling in the area. Rain and snow may also make dirt roads impassable to vehicles.

Directions

From I-70: Take exit 149, then take UT-24 west toward Hanksville; continue for 43.8 miles (70.5 km). Turn right to continue on UT-24 west and continue for 37.3 miles (60 km). From I-15: take exit 188 then US-50 east toward Scipio. Left on UT-50; continuing 0.7 miles (1.1 km). Turn right onto US-50 east; continue for 24.4 miles (39.3 km). Turn right onto UT-260 south and continue 4.2 miles (6.8 km), then right on UT-24 for 71.3 miles. UT-12: North on highway 12 to Torrey, UT. Right onto UT-24.

๐Ÿ“ View on Google Maps โ†’

Location

State(s)
Coordinates38.2822, -111.2470

Official Resources

NPS Official Website