Capitol Gorge Trail
Photo: Shaan Hurley — CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 2.4 mi
- round trip
- 186 ft
- climb
- 5,425 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Mar–May, Sep–Oct
- best months
Is Capitol Gorge Trail open right now?
Alert in the area
The National Park Service lists 2 alerts for Capitol Reef National Park.
Elevated E. Coli levels - Fremont River and Sulphur Creek
Park alert covering Capitol Reef National Park · NPS · Capitol Reef National Park
Monsoon Season & Flash Floods
Park alert covering Capitol Reef National Park · NPS · Capitol Reef National Park
As of · Source: NPS · Capitol Reef National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Capitol Gorge Trail is an easy out-and-back hike in Capitol Reef National Park in Utah, managed by the National Park Service. The trail is about 4.7 miles long, with a low point of 5,237 feet and a high of 5,425 feet, and it gains about 186 feet in elevation. The route is short and gentle, making it a straightforward outing for a day in the park. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 74°F and October highs around 66°F, while July averages about 91°F and winter brings highs near 40°F with a few snowy days. A fee is charged for the hike. The trail sits within Capitol Reef National Park, and the park's own Capitol Gorge climbing area lies about 0.9 miles away. Golden Throne is a hike about 0.6 miles off, and Pleasant Creek is about 2.5 miles away. For an overnight stay, Capitol Reef Group Campground is about 6.6 miles from the trail.
Local outfitters
- Sand Creek RV Park & Campground16 mi away
- Muddy Creek Mining Co.27 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · Mar–May, Sep–Oct
Best time to visit Capitol Gorge Trail
Best months: March–May and September–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
41° / 21°
3 wet · 2 snow
Feb
47° / 26°
4 wet · 1 snow
Mar
57° / 34°
4 wet · 1 snow
Apr
65° / 39°
4 wet
May
74° / 48°
5 wet
Jun
86° / 58°
4 wet
Jul
91° / 65°
7 wet
Aug
88° / 63°
8 wet
Sep
80° / 55°
6 wet
Oct
66° / 43°
4 wet
Nov
51° / 30°
3 wet · 1 snow
Dec
40° / 21°
3 wet · 2 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Capitol Reef Np, UT, 7.6 mi away at 5,500 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Golden Throne
~1 min drive
1.84-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 1,189 ft elevation gain.
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Lower Spring Canyon Trailhead
~9 min drive
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Photo: mtnscll — CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Sunset Point
~16 min drive
0.39-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 271 ft elevation gain.
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Pleasant Creek
~4 min drive
6.79-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 1,412 ft elevation gain.
Photo: Frans-Banja Mulder, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Chimney Rock Canyon
~17 min drive
1.46-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 488 ft elevation gain.
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Sulphur Creek Trail
~13 min drive
5.89-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 2,286 ft elevation gain.
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Hickman Bridge
~11 min drive
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Photo: Ken Lund — CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Chimney Rock Loop
~17 min drive
3.09-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 1,104 ft elevation gain.
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Sheets Gulch
~14 min drive
10.03-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 2,211 ft elevation gain.
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Visitor Center to Campground
~13 min drive
1.23-mile out-and-back trail from Visitor Center to Campground in Utah.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
