Capitol Reef National Park
A 160-kilometer wrinkle in the Earth, with pioneer orchards where you can pick fruit in season.
Photo: Wolfgang Staudt · CC BY 2.0
Capitol Reef guide: the Waterpocket Fold, the orchards and pies of Fruita, the Scenic Drive, Capitol Gorge, Hickman Bridge, Cathedral Valley and the entrance fee.
What to expect
Capitol Reef protects the Waterpocket Fold, a wrinkle in the Earth’s crust nearly 160 kilometers long where layers of colorful rock were bent upward 50 to 70 million years ago. Early travelers compared its white domes to the dome of the US Capitol and its cliffs to a reef blocking their way, which gave the park its name.
At its heart lies Fruita, a former pioneer settlement on the Fremont River, where the park still tends orchards of cherries, apricots, peaches, pears and apples. When the fruit is ripe, visitors can pick it, and the historic Gifford House sells small homemade pies.
The paved Scenic Drive heads south from the visitor center to Capitol Gorge, where a short walk passes the Pioneer Register, names that settlers carved into the rock. The trail to Hickman Bridge, a natural arch, is the most popular hike, and petroglyphs of the Fremont culture can be seen from a boardwalk on Highway 24.
Capitol Reef is far quieter than Utah’s other national parks. Its remote northern district, Cathedral Valley, is reached on dirt roads best driven with a high-clearance vehicle, and Torrey, just west of the park, has motels, restaurants and gas.
Capitol Reef: top things to do
- 1Fresh fruit and pie in Fruita
- 2The Scenic Drive and Capitol Gorge
- 3The trail to Hickman Bridge
- 4Fremont petroglyphs along Highway 24
Capitol Reef: best time to visit
April–June and September–October. Fruit season runs from cherries in June to apples in October.
Insider tips
- Highway 24 through the park is free; the entrance fee applies on the Scenic Drive beyond Fruita.
- Buy pies early in the day, because they often sell out by afternoon.
- Check the weather before driving dirt roads or entering slot canyons: flash floods can strike suddenly.
Fees, passes and parking
| What | Price |
|---|---|
| Private vehicle | $20 per vehicle, 7 days |
| Motorcycle | $15 per vehicle, 7 days |
| Per person (on foot or bike) | $10 per person, 7 days |
| Annual pass for this park | $35 per year |
- America the Beautiful pass accepted: $80 a year for US residents, $250 for others (also covers the $100 fee).
- Highway 24 through the park is free; the fee applies on the Scenic Drive beyond Fruita.
- US residents enter free on a few fee-free days.
Checked Oct 28, 2026. Official prices
Gas and fast charging nearby
2 gas stations within 20 km
- 11.2 km PetroUS diesel
- 12.3 km Phillips 66 diesel
No fast (DC) chargers within 20 km; plan to arrive with enough range.
OpenStreetMap data, Oct 28, 2026.
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