Let August Be August

So here is one honest thing about Capitol Reef in August: August is not the month to prove anything. The sun is already pretty good at that contest. And the park itself will still give you plenty, even if you keep the walks short and sensible.

But maybe you came all this way and feel like you have to make every Capitol Reef day into a big hike. You do not. Sometimes the best plan is a morning drive, a short trail, a cold drink, and the good sense to be done before the afternoon gets loud about it.

The National Park Service says summer temperatures can reach the high 90s and sometimes break 100 F, and that many trails have little or no shade. Water is not available at trailheads. That is useful information, because useful information keeps your vacation from turning into a cautionary tale.

August rewards the person who knows when to go short and when to go sit in the shade. Photo by Zoshua Colah via Unsplash.

The Small Ones Count Too

Start with the little overlooks. Goosenecks is only 0.1 mile one-way, with less than 50 feet of elevation change, and the park calls it an easy trail with dramatic canyon views. Sunset Point is 0.4 mile one-way, also easy, and the name gives away the basic idea. These are not all-day expeditions. Good.

If you want a little more canyon under your boots, Grand Wash is listed at 2.2 miles one-way, easy, with deep canyon and narrows. As of the park’s August 3 road update, Grand Wash Road is listed for standard two-wheel-drive vehicles. Capitol Gorge Road, on the other hand, is closed right now, so save that one for another week.

And if all you want is the Scenic Drive and a few stops where the cliffs are doing the work, that counts. As of the same update, the Scenic Drive is listed as 2WD. Check the current conditions page before you go, or call the park’s recorded line at 435-425-3791. Press 1, then 4 for road conditions. Weather changes fast around here (which is putting it mildly), and it does not always give notice.

Grand Wash is the kind of walk that can feel big without asking for your whole day. Photo by Kelly vanDellen via Shutterstock.

A Little Fruit Helps

There is also the Fruita part of the day, which is always worth a look. The Gifford House is open for the season from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily, and the Visitor Center is open 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily right now. As of the August 3 orchard update, the Jackson orchard and Mott orchard are both open for Ginger Gold apple harvest. The Jackson orchard is open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and the Mott orchard is open dawn to dusk. No other orchards are open at the moment.

Fruit timing changes with weather and growing conditions, so use the same park phone line and press 5 for orchard and fruit information before you plan the whole morning around apples. That is not fussy. That is just how fruit works.

Go Early, Quit Happy

So make August easy on yourself. Take the short walk. Drink more water than you think you need. Keep out of narrow canyons if storms are threatening. Let the afternoon belong to shade, pie, books, naps, or whatever respectable thing you can manage after a morning in red rock country.

Capitol Reef does not need you to overdo it.

And it will still be pretty cool if you leave with energy left in your legs.