For the previous post in our “Utah in a Week” series, check out Day 3: Mesa Verde National Park (our detour day to Colorado). Read on to learn how to visit Capitol Reef National Park in one day (plus Natural Bridges National Monument) as part of a Utah road trip!
DAY 4: CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL PARK
On the fourth day of our week-long Utah Mighty Five road trip, we visited the least popular National Park of the state. We’ll be honest. Neither of us had heard of Capitol Reef before we began planning this trip. Everyone knows the big ones like Arches, Bryce Canyon or Zion. But little did we know we were in for one incredibly scenic day (as we should have expected in Utah).
We began the day with a typical free hotel breakfast at the Rodeway Inn in Blanding, Utah. We didn’t have super high expectations for this stay but we had limited options in this small town. Overall, it was a decent guest experience with nice staff. We were sad to leave our large suite (our original room reeked of cigarette smoke so we got a free upgrade) but were excited to hit the road again.
NATURAL BRIDGES NATIONAL MONUMENT
However, we had one stop to make on the way to Capitol Reef, and that was Natural Bridges National Monument. Fun fact: this was the world’s first certified Dark Sky Park! It is about an hour drive away from Blanding. Also, because it’s a federal recreation site, you can use the same annual pass for the National Parks to get in. As we’ve said, it’s totally worth it to get an America the Beautiful pass for this trip! After stopping at the Visitor Center to grab a map, we began the one-way 9 mile driving loop.
There are 3 bridges that you can see here: Sipapu Bridge, Kachina Bridge and Owachomo Bridge. Along the road, there are overlook points where you can see each bridge. Depending on how much time you want to spend here, you can also hike to each bridge. Because we wanted to get to Capitol Reef by early afternoon, we began by just doing part of the Sipapu Bridge hike. This 1.5 mile round trip hike has some fun elements to it including a staircase and ladders, and has great views throughout. Next, we only saw the Kachina Bridge from the overlook. If you want to do the full hike, this is another 1.5 mile round trip with some switchbacks to navigate.
The last bridge on the loop is Owachomo Bridge. This is a great hike to do if you’re short on time since it is only 0.5 miles. It is a beautiful hike that will bring you up and close under the bridge. We particularly enjoyed hiking here due to the fewer crowds compared to the more popular national parks. There is also a short hike you can do to Horsecollar Ruin if you are interested in seeing ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings and granaries.
DRIVING DOWN UT-95
From Natural Bridges National Monument, we began the 3 hour scenic drive on UT-95. Be sure to plan some extra time for this portion. There definitely will be areas you’ll want to pull over to take in the sights and snap some pics. The Hite Overlook halfway through the drive is a good example. If you’re Disney World fans like us, be sure to blast the music from Epcot’s Soarin’ ride while going down this scenic road… it’s a perfect soundtrack!
PEACHES & ICE CREAM
Once we arrived at Capitol Reef National Park, our first stop was fruit orchard. We were lucky that we visited during the summer when peach picking was available. Handheld pickers are available to help you reach the higher fruit. Once you collect your fruit, there is a very reasonable suggested donation at the self-pay station. This was a great introduction to this aptly-named town of Fruita, where early settlers planted orchards both for subsistence and as a cash crop.
From there, we headed to Gifford House. Here, a variety of goods are available depending on the season, such as pies and ice cream. You can also learn more about the Mormon pioneers who used to live there, making it both a tasty and educational stop! We loved seeing baby deer wander right up to the picnic tables as we ate our ice cream outside the Gifford House. Oh, and did we mention we were surrounded by beautiful rock cliffs the whole time?
HICKMAN BRIDGE & OVERLOOKS
Capitol Reef, like many other Utah parks, have areas that are only accessible if you have a 4×4 vehicle. But if you’re only spending the afternoon like we did, we recommend doing the Hickman Bridge hike. This 1.8 mile round trip takes about an hour and a half and gets you right up close to the bridge. While somewhat similar to Natural Bridges National Monument, it is definitely worth the time. It has some moderately difficult areas, but most people should be able to complete this beautiful hike with little difficulty.
You also have the opportunity to see some ancient petroglyphs carved into the rock walls. If you are spending more time here, other trails include a 4.6 mile Rim Overlook hike (3-4 hours) and a 9.4 mile Navajo Knobs (6-8 hours). So even though this is the least crowded National Park in Utah, there is plenty to do!
As we headed towards our hotel in Torrey, Utah, the last place we stopped at in Capitol Reef were some beautiful overlooks on the west end of the park. Be warned that once you get off the main state route, the road is no longer paved. You’ll drive by Panorama Point on the way to the Goosenecks Overlook. Once you’re there, it’s a very short hike to Sunset Point. Here, as you may have guessed, is a beautiful spot to see the sunset over the beautiful rock formations of the Utah landscape.
DINNER & LODGING IN TORREY, UTAH
From there, it’s only about a 15 minute drive to the town of Torrey where we stayed at a Days Inn. Again, this is a small town so not a ton of choices. For dinner, we checked out Red Cliff Restaurant which was less than a mile away from the hotel. We enjoyed their specialties: a pizza and a burger. And fear not, there are gluten-free and vegetarian options as well if you have dietary restrictions.
And that was our day at two incredible but not as well-known sites. We enjoyed the day off from huge crowds. Have you been to Capitol Reef? What were some of your favorite parts? We’d love to hear in the comments below. Over the next 2 days, we head to the popular Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks. Be sure to check out how we finished the rest of our amazing road trip week in Utah!