Capital Reef National Park was the last stop on my tour of National Parks in Utah and Arizona. We hit this park up on our way back to Buffalo, NY so we only spent about 3 hours there. That is unusual for me because usually I spend 3-7 days in each national park so I am able to fully appreciate them. Unfortunately time did not allow for us to spend that long in this national park but our short visit was a nice one.

All we really did in this park was drive all the roads of the park. My favorite road was the one that cuts into the park and starts at the visitor’s center. This road is about 20 miles round trip and is of great beauty. It is one of the cheaper national parks with a $5 entrance fee collected at the start of this road. The fee is collected on the honor system. I have a national park pass so I already paid for it. But if I had paid for the park I would have not paid at the $5 entrance fee station because entrance fees for all national parks do not go directly to the national park. Instead they go to the federal government and they budget the money. If I would pay the $5 I would instead place it in the collection jar at the visitors center because then you know it is directly going to the national park, which you are visiting. This was told to me by a park ranger at Bryce Canyon because the issue really upsets him. And in this park since you have the choice that is what I would have done.

Anyway back to CRNP. The scenic road was amazing starting at the visitors center and then working its way to the famous old Mormon town of Fruita. Fruita has many orchards, which include: cherries, apricot, pears, and peaches. These orchards are beautiful even when not in bloom. There are also a few old structures that are remaining from when the Mormon settlers settled the town in the late 1800’s. The narrow road continues for an additional 9 miles. It was very narrow and had many flood drainages located on it. The colors of the road and park were just amazing.

The crowds of this park were virtually non-existent. There were not to many visitors on the road while we drove it. On the way up we only passed one car and at the end of the road there were like 3 cars parked. So if you visit this park you will have some solitude.

In conclusion I really enjoyed my visit to this park even though it was a short one. There are great colors and structures such as Chimney Rock and the castle. Couple this with the nice fruit orchards and you will see why it is a national park. My biggest mistake was that I only had a few hours there. If I would have had more time I would have loved to hike one of the many trails or slot canyons that the park has to offer. If you are seeking great beauty and solitude in a national park this park should definitely be on your list of places to visit.

Also in another conclusion I wanted to say that I did not feel my 3 hours was long enough if you want to get out of your car and hike a trail so I would recommend at least a full day in the park and maybe a day and a half to fully appreciate this great place.


Recommended: Yes

Best time to go: June-August
Recommended for: Anybody
Review Topic: Overview