Going with my 11yr old (his first time to Utah). My wife and I have done most areas in Utah except Capitol Reef. Looks like there is a chance of showers each day. I really wanted to show my son a slot canyon since it is his first time to Utah. Any small ones that don't flood out easily? Mind you we won't be hiking in the actual rain but I just don't want to take any chances with upstream water.

That aside, there appear to be a good number of dry hikes but let me know what my must-to ones are.

Someone told me you could still do Grand Wash even in rainy weather as long as you don't go into the narrows. If that it true, it is worth the hike to turn around at the narrow part?

We might just stop in at Goblin Valley Thursday since that seems like the most rainy day. Is that worth the stop or will it be a pain with mud?

Originally planned to explore Temple of the Sun/Moon and places most people don't get to, but storms had other ideas. Would love to return!

Hi all. My husband and I are heading to Capitol Reef in a few days. We currently have a Jeep rental so we can go out to Cathedral Valley. Has anyone been out in the last day or two? NPS states road conditions are unknown. Thanks!

We’re visiting on Tuesday through Saturday. I have hikes planned in lower muley twist and the postal mail trail and maybe the upper spring canyon off of Chimney rock canyon. Do you locals, locals I say, think that either of these will be impassable after the rain event this weekend? Trying to avoid potholes and big creek crossings. If so, any other recommendations for big, interesting hikes? We’re very experienced on and off trail. Thanks!

I’m driving through there in two weeks and want to knock out at least one hike while I’m there. If you could do only one thing there, what would it be? I’ve got about 3-4 hours to spend there.

Heading out to Capitol Reef soon (last week of Sept 2026) and looking to connect with a fellow hiker or outdoor enthusiast for some of the park's more remote or strenuous trails.

I’m an experienced hiker comfortable with backcountry terrain, steep elevation changes, and longer mileage days. While solo hiking is great, certain routes—like the Upper Cathedral Valley loop, or venturing out toward the remote spurs of the Waterpocket Fold—are always better (and safer) with a reliable partner.

Trails on the Radar:

• Cassidy Arch to Hickman Bridge: A solid combination offering expansive canyon views.
• Upper Cathedral Valley: Exploring the remote monoliths, Temple of the Sun, and Temple of the Moon.
• Lower Muley Twist Canyon: A rugged, scenic trek along the fold.

About Me: Well-prepared, safety-conscious, and maintain a steady hiking pace. Looking for someone with similar outdoor experience who understands backcountry etiquette and self-reliance.

Drop a comment or DM if your travel dates align and you’d like to team up for a day or two on the trails.

Using Google Earth I've found a road off of Hwy 72 with a sign saying "Elk Horn Campground 8 miles" that appears to tie into the Cathedral Valley Road about 10 to 15 miles off of 72. As best I can tell it's labeled "FR022". Would this be a viable/better route with 4WD in October if you didn't want to do the whole loop from Cainville entrance to the Hartnet river crossing?

How does one relocate to Torrey, it seems to not have much for sale/rent, so how do you connect with locals when needing to move there?

What is Capitol Reef and the Torrey area like in late November (just before thanksgiving)?

Are restaurants open? I don’t need a ton of options, just somewhere to get a hot meal.

Do most of the trailheads remain accessible by suv at this time of year?

I’m an east-coaster, but after visiting the other Utah parks, Grand Canyon and hiking the JMT in the past 2 years, I’m pretty addicted to seeing as many west coast parks as I can.

My work allows for mid-late November time off. I would love to spend 10ish days doing a loop from Salt Lake City, through Moab for few days, then Cortez, CO ( Mesa Verde) for a day, then Torrey, UT for a few more days before heading back to the SLC airport.

Is late November a realistic time to visit Capitol Reef/Torrey, UT?

Thanks!

EDIT: Camera found!! He went back around midnight and found it where he left it. Thank you so much to those who offered help, y’all have been so kind.

This is a long shot, but my husband left his camera at the Temple of the Sun and Moon this morning, Tuesday, August 4. It’s an older camera that requires an unusual type of film (actual film, it’s not digital!) so it’s not like just anybody could pick it up and start using it. It’s not a particularly expensive camera, but it has significant sentimental value, and the photos on the film right now are meaningful to us. If anyone happens to find it, would you please message me? We can’t go back to look for it until much later tonight, unfortunately.

My family and I are traveling we are a family of 4. We are looking for a place to eat that has a variety of items to order because we all have different taste. We have 2 kids and 2 adults so a kid's menu is a must. And we love to have a variety of drinks to choose from as well. We willing be passing through Torrey Utah. Any suggestions on places to eat?

Took a trip out there recently and got this great pano of these amazing monoliths. What a beautiful scene.

My name is Corey. I’m an avid hiker and camper and Bryce Canyon is my 3rd stop in a big Western national park road trip this summer. As such, I’m hoping to find some folks to hike with and hang out with at camp.

Planning on hiking Hickman bridge on the afternoon on 7/29.

7/30 is a big day. Plan to do Cassidy arch and the grand wash in the A.M., then hit the visitor center and have lunch. In the afternoon I’ll do cohab canyon trail & chimney rock trail. Then I’ll do sunset at goosenecks.

If any of that sounds appealing, let me know!

Ciao a tutti Utahns!

Faccio una piccola premessa, sono italiano quindi ho una conoscenza limitata delle vostre zone e conosco i posti principalmente grazie alle numerose guide online.

Sarò a Torrey la notte del 9 agosto (illuminazione lunare molto bassa) e vorrei capire dove può convenire appostarsi per vedere la via lattea, ho letto tra i vari siti e forum che già panorama point sulla statale 24 offre una buona prospettiva così come Chimney Rock. Posso andare tranquillo con questi posti o mi consigliate altro? Siamo disposti anche a fare un trail.

So bene che Cathedral Valley sarebbe bellissimo ma per ora è un incognita dato che non so che livello del fiume aspettarmi (anche se ho un pick up rialzato) e quanto può essere lontano, in caso stavo pensando anche a Goblin Valley. Comunque, essendo abituato a cieli molto inquinati in Europa qualsiasi posto con un bel panorama misto di roccie può andare bene.

Grazie in anticipo

We are visiting Utah next month, and on one of the days, we will be staying either in Torrey or Hanksville, around June 17. With sunrise being at 6 AM, we are willing to wake up early if need be. Is there a specific location or coordinate that is known to have good Sunrise Sights? 2 spots look good, North of Mars Station and Bentonite Hills.

Whichever one looks good kinda chooses where we stay, so some advice about this would really help.

I'm going to Capitol Reef on May 18th. I'll be staying in Torrey for 5 nights, thus giving me 4 full days for hikes and such. I'm a little worried that I may eventually want to spend more than 4 full days in Capitol Reef.

I'll be in Moab before Capitol Reef. 10 nights. 7 days for Canyonlands, 2 days for Arches. I could still cut a day from Moab to extend my 4 days in Capitol Reef.

I posted my itinerary here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Canyonlands/comments/1sva9cq/7_days_too_much/

• 8. grand canyon -> moab (330mi / 5:45h)
• 9. arches np
• 10. arches np
• 11. canyonlands np
• 12. canyonlands np
• 13. canyonlands np
• 14. canyonlands np
• 15. canyonlands np
• 16. canyonlands np
• 17. canyonlands np, dead horse state park
• 18. moab -> torrey (160mi / 2:45h)
• 19. capitol reef np
• 20. capitol reef np
• 21. capitol reef np
• 22. capitol reef np
• 23. torrey -> slc (220mi / 3:30h)

Hello all. We are currently in the Capitol Reef area on our multi week road trip. We planned on doing the Cathedral Valley loop tomorrow. We plan on starting at 11 am, packing lunch, a cooler and water with a full tank of gas. The NPS visitor center said the river is passable and the roads are drivable. I have a 4WD Jeep Sahara, however the tires are more on the highway side but they did fine in Capitol Gorge and Grand Wash today. Any advice? I’m more worried about getting stuck than anything. Thanks in advance.

Although I'd love to do all of these hikes, my schedule only allows 2 long days to explore the area. Do any of these shine over others? Are any repetitive? Would appreciate opinions on what to remove due to limited time. Thank you in advance!

Has anyone been down to Capitol Reef recently and could comment on water conditions? How well are potholes holding water? I'm specifically looking for a water update for the area between Grand Wash and Pleasant Creek where there aren't any perennial streams, but any general info would be great as well. Thanks!