After we visited Grand Canyon, we had a pitstop to see Horseshoe Bend & Lower Antelope Canyon along the way to Capitol Reef, which is a 6 hour drive from Grand Canyon. We split up our drive to by staying in Page, Arizona for a night at Red Rock Motel. Both Horseshoe Bend & Lower Antelope Canyon were worth stopping at. Make reservations in advance with Ken’s Tours if visiting Lower Antelope Canyon as tours book up quickly.
Capitol Reef National Park is located in Utah’s south-central desert. It is a unique park to visit because of it’s diverse features and natural beauty. Capitol Reef is less crowded than other major parks in the area, but don’t let that deter you from visiting! The beautiful scenery is picturesque all throughout the park.
Where We Stayed:
We decided to camp for our one night stay. Our original plan was to camp at Fruita Campgrounds inside the park which only charged $10 for the night, but did not take reservations. Unfortunately, we got there just as they were full. If you want to get a spot in the established campgrounds be sure to arrive early in the day as the previous day’s campers are departing. We drove around looking for alternative campgrounds but there was nothing available. So, we ventured off the main road along a dirt road onto BLM public land (Bureau of Land Management) and found a nice little area to camp just outside of the park. We promise, our picture below is not an ad for the rental car! We parked our car and set up our tent right beside it.
Adventures:
We explored the cliffs, canyons, domes and bridges that Capitol Reef is most widely known for in the Waterpocket Fold.
Our hike was to see Cassidy Arch and was 3.5 miles round trip. Definitely start early in the morning to beat the heat and have shade for majority of the hike. It was a moderately challenging hike with a steep ascent on uneven stone steps consisting of several switchbacks. The views along the hike are fantastic and you will want to stop to take pictures along the way. Towards the end of the hike, it levels out and become less difficult as you traverse along the ridge line to reach Cassidy Arch. The views are indescribable!
Check out our new destination, Bryce Canyon!