Parking
From Scenic Drive, take the unpaved Capitol Gorge Road about two miles to its end and park at the Capitol Gorge Trailhead.
Overview
About Capitol Gorge Trail
Why go
- A narrow sandstone gorge and the historic Pioneer Register on a short hike.
- The Tanks spur adds a memorable climb and natural pothole basins.
Heads up
- Loose sand slows the otherwise easy canyon walk.
- The Tanks spur is rougher, and the trailhead has no potable water.
This is a roughly 2-mile out-and-back through a sandy sandstone gorge to a group of natural waterpockets called the Tanks. Allow about 1 to 1½ hours with time to look around. The long canyon walk is mostly easy, but sand slows your pace and the final spur climbs over uneven rock. It is a good short hike if you want close canyon walls and a bit of local history without taking on a long backcountry route.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Capitol Reef map
Full mapElevation5,357–5,438 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Capitol Reef alerts
- CautionFlash-flood hazard in canyons and washesHeavy rains can cause sudden flooding in Capitol Reef’s canyons and washes; do not hike or drive through floodwater.Official details
- CautionE. coli advisory for Fremont River and Sulphur CreekDo not swim in the Fremont River or Sulphur Creek or get water in your mouth: NPS reports elevated E. coli in both waterways, and Utah DEQ has issued a warning advisory. - DEQ reports Sulphur Creek E.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Capitol Reef Tour Guide
Your drive to Capitol Gorge Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Capitol Reef National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Capitol Reef audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Capitol Gorge and Pioneer Register0:00 / 0:27
“Capitol Gorge's trailhead is coming up, with a short walk into the canyon's travel history. I'd start with the Pioneer Register, about half a mile in, then return the same way for an easier outing.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Capitol Reef Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Surveyors’ Erosion Prank
- The Oriole’s Hanging Nest
- The Coyote’s Contact Calls
- The Fish That Scrape the Rocks
- 116 audio storiesacross Capitol Reef’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Bighorn Sheep, Mule Deer, Marmot, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 48 trails, 52 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Capitol Gorge Trail
Walking the gorgeFrom the road-end trailhead, follow the worn path along the canyon floor.
From the road-end trailhead, follow the worn path along the canyon floor. It can run beside the broad wash, where loose sand makes the walk feel longer than the grade suggests. The gorge narrows between high walls, then opens around bends; keep an eye on the north, or left, wall as you walk east. The historic inscriptions sit high above the wash, so they are easy to pass if you only watch your feet.
The Pioneer RegisterAbout half a mile in, look up for the Pioneer Register on the north wall.
About half a mile in, look up for the Pioneer Register on the north wall. Names and dates left by travelers span 1871 to 1946; the earliest known entries are dated September 20, 1871. Some marks are faint, but the panel is a rare record of people who crossed this canyon long before it became a national park. It is protected history: look without touching the rock or adding a name.
Climb to the TanksThe Tanks spur leaves the main gorge path and climbs into a side canyon.
The Tanks spur leaves the main gorge path and climbs into a side canyon. It is short but noticeably steeper and rougher than the sandy walk below, with cairns that can be easy to miss. The reward is a group of pothole basins and a small natural bridge near the side-canyon entrance. Treat the basins as rock formations, not a reliable water source; they are often dry. From the spur, turn back for a broad view down the gorge.
A shorter or longer versionFor an easier outing, turn around at the Pioneer Register for about 1 mile round trip.
For an easier outing, turn around at the Pioneer Register for about 1 mile round trip. Capitol Reef lists a 1-mile Capitol Gorge walk, but its endpoint is not clear; this route’s mapped Tanks spur makes the full outing about 2 miles. Continuing beyond the Tanks toward the eastern park boundary creates a separate, roughly 4.6-mile round trip and is not included in this route or distance.
Heat, water and accessThere is no potable water at the trailhead and little shade in the gorge.
There is no potable water at the trailhead and little shade in the gorge. Spring and fall are the more comfortable seasons; summer heat can make this exposed wash a tough place to linger. Because the trail follows a canyon wash, flash floods are a serious hazard—stay out when storms threaten and move to high ground if water starts flowing. Pets are not allowed on park trails.
The parking area is at the end of the unpaved Capitol Gorge Road, reached from Scenic Drive. The view from the Tanks spur is worth a pause: frame the sandy wash below the pale cliffs to show how the narrow gorge opens into the larger landscape.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Capitol Reef
50 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
322 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
70 sightingsMarmotMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
13 sightingsCottontail RabbitMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
33 sightingsTurkeyMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
14 sightingsRavenMost seen around 9 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Capitol Reef. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
