Capitol Reef National Park Fall Hikes

Hiking is a terrific way to explore the stunning beauty of Capitol Reef, located in southcentral Utah. You’ll see amazing views and diverse landscape as you explore various Capitol Reef National Park fall hikes!

This Capitol Reef National Park guide will detail the best fall hiking trails, tips for fall hiking, what to pack, where to stay, and more!

This list of Capitol Reef fall hikes details the distance, time, elevation gain, and important information about what it’s like to hike each trail.

fall hikes at Capitol Reef National Park

Hiking in the fall at Capitol Reef is a terrific time of year for exploring the trails. It’s considered the busy season so be prepared for crowds.

It’s important to stay hydrated, use sun protection, and get the latest weather information before hitting the trails at Capitol Reef in the fall!

We’ve made it easy for you to plan your Capitol Reef National Park fall activities and fall hikes with these done-for-you itineraries:

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A Photo Tour of Capitol Reef National Park

Take a visual tour through Capitol Reef National Park to see the stunning landscape and wildlife you’ll find in the park!

Visiting Capitol Reef National Park in the Fall

When planning a fall trip, you’ll enjoy the moderate Capitol Reef National Park weather that is just right for outdoor activities like hiking.

Fall is a great time to explore the park because it will be cool in the mornings and evenings, and the daytime temperatures aren’t too hot compared to the summer.

Capitol Reef National Park Fall Hiking Tips

One of the best Capitol Reef National Park activities is hiking. It’s important to be prepared with the right clothing and gear for fall hikes.

Fall Clothing for Hiking at Capitol Reef

Early fall will still be hot and dry. Late fall you’ll enjoy moderate temperatures. The mornings and evenings will be cold!

Fall Hiking Gear for Capitol Reef

Here’s the fall hiking gear we recommend:

fall hiking gear

Capitol Reef National Park Fall Hikes

Here’s a list of the best day hikes in Capitol Reef National Park. Note the trail difficulty ratings:

  • Easy: uneven ground, but fairly level.
  • Moderate: a mix of steep grades and level sections.
  • Strenuous: steep grades, uneven terrain and long, steady climbs

Remember that many trailheads start at an elevation around 5,000 feet. This can make “easy” trails challenging if you’re not used to the higher elevation.

Easy Capitol Reef Fall Hikes

This list of trails rated as Easy may have uneven ground in places, but are fairly level for most of the hike.

Capitol Gorge Trail at Capitol Reef
Capitol Gorge Trail at Capitol Reef

Capitol Gorge, Pioneer Register and The Tanks Fall Hike

  • Distance: 2 miles roundtrip
  • Time: 1 hour
  • Elevation Change: 80 ft 
  • Trailhead Location: small parking lot at the end of the Capitol Gorge spur trail at the end of the Scenic Drive

Capitol Gorge is a spur dirt road that leads into a narrow, steep-walled canyon that is extremely vulnerable to bad weather conditions. Be aware of dangerous flash floods at Capitol Reef when it rains!

Walking along the Capitol Gorge trail is one of the best easy hikes in the park! As you hike, watch for The Pioneer register on the right high up on the wall. On the left look for the sign pointing out some petroglyphs.

Further down on the left there will be more names from the pioneers that first went through the area. You can also see evidence of old phone lines going through the gorge as well.

Tanks Trail at Capitol Reef
The Tanks filled with water at Capitol Reef

Toward the end of the walled canyon there will be a sign and cairns on the left leading to the Tank Trail. This hike requires a short section of scrambling over rocks as the trails heads up to the top.

The tanks are cool to see, especially when they are filled with water. From the top you’ll enjoy views of the canyon. Look big horned sheep on the rocks in this area.

Goosenecks Overlook at Capitol Reef
Goosenecks Overlook at Capitol Reef

Goosenecks Overlook Fall Hike

  • Distance: 0.2 miles roundtrip
  • Time: 10 minutes
  • Elevation Change: less than 50 ft
  • Trailhead Location: from Highway 24, turn onto the gravel road for Panorama Point and Sunset Point. Continue down the gravel road to the end and park in the parking lot. This road is suitable for standard cars.

The Goosenecks Trail is a short switchback hike with a few rocky steps before hitting the top that overlooks Sulphur Creek Canyon.

Be sure to continue along where the trail dips and leads you to the edge of the canyon, where a metal fence marks the end of the trail.

Sunset Point after sunset at Capitol Reef
Sunset Point after sunset at Capitol Reef

Sunset Point Fall Hike

  • Distance: 0.8 miles roundtrip
  • Time: 30 minutes
  • Elevation Change: less than 50 ft
  • Trailhead Location: same parking lot as Goosenecks hike above

The Sunset Point Trail is the shortest day hike in Capitol Reef National Park. The trail leads to a stunning view of the landscape made up of colorful cliffs and domes.

As the name would suggest, it’s a great spot Capitol Reef National Park photography spot at sunset. It’s also one of our favorite sunrise photo spots!

Grand Wash Narrows
Grand Wash Narrows

Grand Wash Fall Hike to the Narrows

  • Distance: 2-ish miles roundtrip
  • Time: 1 hour
  • Elevation Change: 200 ft
  • Trailhead Location: there are two trailheads: one on Highway 24 and one at the end of Grand Wash Road along the Scenic Drive.

Grand Wash is a spur dirt road that leads into a narrow, steep-walled canyon that is extremely vulnerable to bad weather conditions. Be aware of dangerous flash floods when it’s raining!

The Grand Wash is a cool slot canyon that doesn’t require walking in water, unlike Sulphur Creek or the Narrows hike at Zion National Park.

We don’t recommend hiking the entire length of this trail. Instead, start the hike at either trailhead and walk until you reach the narrowest section, called The Narrows. This is about one mile in whether you start at the trailhead on Highway 24 or at Grand Wash.

The Narrows is the central section of the Grand Wash, and it is roughly 1 mile from both of these trailheads. So, you can hike to the Narrows from either starting point and it is the same distance. 

Moderate Fall Hikes at Capitol Reef

You’ll find a mix of steep grades and level sections along the trail for these hikes rated as Moderate at Capitol Reef.

Hickman Bridge at Capitol Reef
Hickman Bridge

Hickman Bridge Fall Hike

  • Distance: 1.8 miles roundtrip
  • Time: 2 to 3 hours
  • Elevation Change: 400 ft 
  • Trailhead Location: parking lot along Highway 24 marks the trailhead to the Hickman Bridge Trail

The Hickman Bridge trail is one of the more popular Capitol Reef Hikes. The hike begins with some smaller switchbacks before leveling out a bit – it’s this section that makes this a moderate hike.

The trail continues along a wash then climbs a little higher with walls starting to tower over you. At the fork in the trail both will take you to the bridge since it’s a loop, but we prefer taking the trail to the right. Soon you will see the view of the bridge that’s 133 feet tall!

Continue on under the bridge and you’ll be greeted with one of the best views in Capitol Reef that overlooks the canyon below.

Cohab Canyon hike
Cohab Canyon

Cohab Canyon Fall Hike

  • Distance: 3.4 miles roundtrip
  • Time: 2 to 3 hours
  • Elevation Change: 440 ft 
  • Trailhead Location: across from the Fruita Barn

If you want to see amazing views of the Fruita area, then the Cohab Canyon Trail is the one you want to do! Park in the small lot across from the Fruita Barn, then walk a short distance toward the campground to find the start of the trail.

This is a moderate hike because immediately the trail requires a steep climb UP! The trail leads through Cohab Canyon then has one final climb to the top of the mesa where you’ll find a north overlook and a south overlook.

Cassidy Arch
Cassidy Arch

Cassidy Arch Fall Hike

  • Distance: 3.4 miles roundtrip
  • Time: 2 to 3 hours
  • Elevation Change: 845 ft 
  • Trailhead Location: end of the Grand Wash Road

As you drive down Grand Wash Road, at about 0.75 miles you’ll see the viewpoint for Cassidy Arch. This short hike features breathtaking views over the Grand Wash, but it’s a steep climb to the top!

But the most fun part is the chance to stand on Cassidy Arch and get your picture taken!

Chimney Rock
Chimney Rock

Chimney Rock Loop Fall Hike

  • Distance: 3.5 mile loop
  • Time: 2 to 4 hours
  • Elevation Change: 580 ft 
  • Trailhead Location: Chimney Rock parking lot along UT 24 near the west entrance to Capitol Reef

The start of the hike is pretty flat, but then transitions to a series of switchbacks until you reach the top of the mesa. This is a good spot to take a breather and enjoy the views!

There’s a second incline taking you to the top where you can view Chimney Rock. At this point, the trail is all downhill from here as you work your way down the opposite side of the mesa.

Strenuous Fall Hikes at Capitol Reef

The hikes rated as Strenuous at Capitol Reef include steep grades, uneven terrain with long, steady climbs.

Sulphur Creek Trail along the riverbed at Capitol Reef
Photo Credit: Red Around the World

Sulphur Creek Fall Hike

  • Distance: 5.8 miles one-way
  • Time: 3 to 5 hours
  • Elevation Change: 400 ft 
  • Trailhead Location: the upper end of the Sulphur Creek route can be accessed from the designated parking lot, 3.3 miles west of the visitor center, which is 0.3 miles west of the Chimney Rock trailhead, on Highway 24. The route ends (or begins) behind the visitor center.

Capitol Reef’s Sulphur Creek trail is similar to the Zion Narrows since you’re following a stream that cuts through a deep canyon. But it’s also very different.

Sulphur Creek is not an official, maintained trail by the National Park Service. Route conditions, including obstacles in canyons, change frequently due to weather, flash floods, rockfall, and other hazards.

Route-finding, navigation, and map-reading skills are critical. Do not rely solely on unofficial route markers (rock cairns, etc.); they are not maintained by the NPS.

The 5.8-mile one-way hike through Sulphur Creek Canyon involves leaving a shuttle vehicle at each end. If you don’t have two vehicles, a 3.3-mile hike along Highway 24 is required to return to your starting point. Vehicle shuttles are not provided or facilitated by the park. 

Fremont Gorge trail sign
Fremont Gorge trail sign

Fremont Gorge Overlook Fall Hike

  • Distance: 4.6 miles roundtrip
  • Time: 2 to 3 hours
  • Elevation Change: 1,090 ft 
  • Trailhead Location: Blacksmith Shop 0.8 miles from the Visitor Center driving toward the campground

The trail climbs 1,090 feet in 2.3 miles, broken up by a flat section across the length of Johnson Mesa. There’s a stunning view of the gorge and a terrific place to see Capitol Reef’s multicolor cliffs.

Here’s a great detailed article about hiking Fremont Gorge Overlook with photos of the trail as you hike!

Golden Throne
Golden Throne

Golden Throne Fall Hike

  • Distance: 4 miles roundtrip
  • Time: 2 to 3 hours
  • Elevation Change: 730 ft
  • Trailhead Location: parking lot at the end of the Capitol Gorge spur dirt road

The hike begins with a moderate-steep grade for about the first 10 to 15 minutes. The trail then levels a bit and travels in and out of side canyons, but always climbing.

At the end you’re rewarded with views of the Golden Throne, Boulder Mountain, and the Henry Mountains.

If you time it right, the late afternoon and early sunset light casts a golden glow on the Golden Throne and Capitol Gorge!

capitol reef guides and map

Fall Hiking Ideas

Places to Stay at Capitol Reef in the Fall

Capitol Reef Packing List

Use our Capitol Reef National Park packing list to make sure you have the right clothing and gear for visiting in the fall! Grab your free printable packing checklist by clicking the image below!

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