Goosenecks Overlook

Goosenecks is a short rim walk to a viewpoint above Sulphur Creek, where the creek winds through a narrow canyon in Capitol Reef. Keep it on your list if you want a memorable view without giving up much of your day: the park lists the walk at 0.1 mile each way with less than 50 feet of elevation change. The creek is roughly 800 feet below the overlook.

From the lower end of the Panorama Point parking area, follow the graded dirt spur for less than a mile to the small shared parking area for Goosenecks and Sunset Point. The road is rough in spots but suitable for cars. Goosenecks and Sunset Point are separate short walks from here, so you can add the other overlook without moving the car.

The route is classed as easy, though the approach has a brief uphill, rocky stretch and a narrow passage before the railing. Once you reach the rim, the view opens over the creek's tight bends and the layered canyon walls. It's a quick stop; the payoff is seeing the creek's shape from high above, not a long walk through the canyon.

Sulphur Creek cuts through the oldest rocks exposed in Capitol Reef. It's a perennial stream, but its flow changes with upstream water use, snowmelt and heavy rain. The 5.8-mile one-way Sulphur Creek canyon route is a separate, unmaintained hike with water crossings and a shuttle between trail ends; this overlook walk stays on the rim.

For a photo, keep the looping creek and some of the canyon wall in the frame. The bends show why the overlook is called Goosenecks, and the wall helps show how far below the rim the creek runs.