Capitol Reef National Park has been growing in popularity for years now. In fact, we get about 1.2 million visitors every year! So, as you can imagine, some of the infrastructure that was created decades ago to service the park isn’t quite up to the job anymore. And if you’ve driven on the Capitol Reef Scenic Drive recently, then you’ll know that this small, two-lane road can become a bit hectic during peak hours. It just wasn’t built to handle this kind of traffic. Luckily however, a fix is happening soon!

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Time for a Little T.L.C.

Starting in just a couple of days, on April 29, 2024, the National Park Service will begin a rehabilitation project for the Scenic Drive. This renovation is expected to last throughout the summer, concluding sometime this fall. There are four stated goals for the project:

1. Expand parking capacity and delineation of parking spots. This aims to improve safety and access while reducing the number of vehicles parked along the highway and Scenic Drive.

2. Improve drainage due to the area’s flood-prone landscape.

3. Slightly widen the road especially in tight curve areas; allowing larger vehicles to pass each other without leaving the road surface.

4. Make accessibility improvements including additional accessible parking spaces, sidewalks, and low-slope grading.

Hopefully this project will make the Scenic Drive a much easier way to access that part of Capitol Reef – without all the current drawbacks.

Photo by Camille Couvez via unsplash.com

Ok, But Can I Still Access The Trails on the Scenic Drive?

Well… no, not for long. We know that some of the coolest hikes have their trailheads on the Scenic Drive. (Shoutout to Cassidy Arch, still one of our favorites after all this time.) If you are heading to Capitol Reef in the next couple of weeks, you can still access the parking area for Cassidy Arch and Grand Wash through May 12th. On the 13th, however, the road will be closed entirely for the duration of the project.

Keep in mind, you can still access the Grand Wash from the trailhead on Highway 24 (updated map here), but you will have to backtrack to your car. You can’t have a vehicle parked on both sides like we usually recommend.

And you CAN still make it to Cassidy Arch after May 13th, if you hike from Cohab Canyon, across the Frying Pan trail, and connect to the Cassidy Arch trail. But again, you will have to backtrack the way you came. We don’t recommend this for a couple of reasons – it’s very hot, and very long. Most hikers are not up for it. Instead, we’ve got a couple of alternate ideas for what to do while the Scenic Drive is closed.

Photo by Intricate Explorer via unsplash.com

What You Should See Instead

If you are visiting the park after May 13th, we have a couple of other suggestions for you. These areas of the park will be good substitutes for anything that you will miss on the Scenic Drive.

For a great scenic road tour, drive the Burr Trail –
Burr Trail
(Road Trip | 62 mile loop | 4 – 6 hours)

We’ve written a pretty descent guide to the Burr Trail already. So we’ll link to it here. For now, we’ll just say that it’s one of our all-time favorite things to do in Capitol Reef. You will get to see so much more of the park, including the Waterpocket Fold, the southern section that is much less visited. We highly recommend that you check this out. When you’re done, you won’t even care that you couldn’t see the Scenic Drive!

For a canyon hike like the Grand Wash, try Cohab Canyon –
Cohab Canyon
(Moderate | 1.7 – 2.9 miles one-way | 1 – 2.5 hours)

This is a great canyon hike! It’s more narrow than the Grand Wash, with lots of little side canyons that you can explore. It also has the advantage of an open road on either side of the trail, so you can arrange for a shuttle to take you back to your vehicle. Park one car at the Gifford House or Picnic Area, and one car at the Hickman bridge trailhead.

Check out this guide for more details.

For an arch/overlook experience, try Hickman Bridge and the Rim Overlook –
Hickman Bridge and the Rim Overlook
(Strenuous | 4.6 – 6.1 miles out-and-back | 4 – 5 hours)

Hickman Bridge is a short detour from the main hike to the Rim Overlook, so check that out first. The Hickman Bridge trail is probably the most popular hike in park, so expect some crowds – especially since Cassidy Arch is closed. After you wander around and under the bridge, head back and continue toward the overlook. We promise it’s the one of the best views in the entire park, and will more than make up for what you’ll miss from the top of Cassidy Arch!

You can get more info from this guide on Hickman Bridge and the Rim Overlook.

Photo by Lisha Riabinina via unsplash.com

We’ll Keep You Updated

The Lodge at Red River Ranch will keep an eye on any developments throughout the Scenic Drive Rehabilitation Project. We’ll let you know if anything noteworthy happens. And, of course, we’ll tell you the moment the Scenic Drive is fully open again! You can also get updates directly from the park’s website here. In the meantime, we hope you can still have a great trip to Capitol Reef this summer!

Southern Utah has become a pretty popular place. Over the last four decades, we at the Lodge at Red River Ranch have seen this part of the world go from relatively unknown to a world-famous travel destination. Part of that is due to the rise of social media and the prevalence of geotagging locations, and part of that is just because Southern Utah is so awesome. But the result is that you now have to plan ahead and make reservations in advance for your entire travel itinerary. So let’s talk about what you can do you to book your Southern Utah vacation!

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Booking the Parks and Campsites

Many of the most popular parts of the national parks – think Angels Landing trail in Zion – now require online reservations. (And in some cases, like in Arches National Park, you need a reservation to enter the park at all.) Recreation.gov is the official government website that handles all the bookings for the National Park Service. So this is where you need to go to get your tickets. The site also handles all the lottery entries for places like The Wave and Vermillion Cliffs.

It is also the place you need to go to get your campsite reservations. It is next to impossible to find a spot at any of the national park campsites just by showing up and looking around. (There is one exception, which we’ll cover in a minute.) Even if you see empty spots, they are already held for people who have used recreation.gov to secure their place. All of which is to say: if you’re planning a vacation this year, head over to the site, and start making your bookings. Check on the national parks to see if you need timed entry tickets, enter the lotteries for any of the popular parts of the parks you hope to visit, and be sure to reserve any campsites you are hoping to stay at.

Photo by Katie Musial via unsplash.com

The Only Exceptions

Some of the primitive campsite in the national parks purposefully do not allow online reservations. As an example, the Cathedral Valley Campsite in the northern section of Capitol Reef National Park is still first-come-first-served. If you messed up and didn’t book in advance (presumably because you didn’t see this blog post in time) you can try heading to one of these primitive campsites.

Photo by Red River Ranch

It’s Good Advice for Hotels Too

As we might have mentioned, Southern Utah is a popular place. The national parks get booked out, but so too do the hotels that service the area. If you’re not much into camping, and you want to have a more comfortable and luxurious vacation, then you gotta get your Southern Utah hotels booked as early as possible too. Book as many months in advance as you can to avoid places being sold out. If you are interested in staying with us, you can make reservations for the Lodge at Red River Ranch here. But wherever you go, just be sure to finalize your plans, and make your reservations as soon as possible in order to have the best, and most stress-free Southern Utah trip!

It’s March again! And you know what that means? It’s Spring Break, baby! In a couple of weeks, kids from every grade level from elementary school to college will have a week off to celebrate the coming spring. And that means vacations! Vacations with your friends, vacations with your children, vacations to every sunny spot in the country. So, as you can imagine, Southern Utah becomes a hotspot for people trying to savor their week of fun. Now you just have make an itinerary for your trip…

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Our Top Picks: National Parks and More

There is a ton to see in Utah. But lucky for you, we at the Lodge at Red River Ranch are experts at helping plan vacations in Southern Utah and the national parks. We’ve compiled our best suggestions from the past five years of Spring Break blog posts to present to you our Ultimate 2024 Guide to Spring Break in Southern Utah. Let’s get to it!

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Arches and Canyonlands

Let’s start by looking at the twin parks of Arches and Canyonlands National Parks! The town of Moab, is the gateway to both Canyonlands and Arches. So you’ll likely spend a lot of time there. And you’ll definitely want to explore both parks, since each is uniquely awesome. We suggest that you spend a least two days in Arches and one full day in Canyonlands. This should should be doable, since you will have a week of Spring Break – even allowing for travel time to get to Moab and back to your home. Check out some of these awesome hikes while you’re there:

Canyonlands National Park

• Grand View Point – This is probably the best overlook in the park. You’ll get to see an expansive mesa, with the Green River below you, cutting canyons in the stone. It’s pretty great.
• Mesa Arch – A very short hike will take you to the most famous location in Canyonlands. It’s one heck of an arch, with an equally impressive backdrop.

Arches National Park

• Delicate Arch – You gotta hike to Delicate Arch. It’s just something you do when you visit Utah. It’s a little strenuous when you reach the uphill, slickrock section, but we think it’s worth the climb.
• Double Arch – This is a trail is easy (easy enough for kids) and leads to a great, and also very famous arch. We’re pretty sure you’ve seen it a few times before in film and television.

Photo by Robson Hatsukami Morgan via unsplash.com

Road Trip Through the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

Maybe you’re looking for a little more time on the open road, and a little less time hiking? Then road trips are the way to go! Here are a couple in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument that we think make for excellent Spring Break drives.

• Hell’s Backbone Trail – This is a great backcountry roadtrip that covers areas of the national monument that don’t get seen as often. It also has a fantastic bridge over a 1,000-foot drop off, which is pretty impressive. Get more details about Hell’s Backbone Trail here.
• The Burr Trail – We never pass up an opportunity to recommend the the Burr Trail. It connects Capitol Reef National Park with the Grand Staircase. It’s got great views, fantastic canyons, and some pretty intense switchbacks. Read our in-depth guide to the Burr Trail here.

Photo by Brady Stoeltzing via unsplash.com

Capitol Reef

Speaking of Capitol Reef – come to Capitol Reef! This is our favorite national park in Utah, and not just because we live next door to it. (Hey, you can stay with us)!) If you’re looking to avoid the crowded and rushed feeling of Arches and Zion (we’ll get to Zion next!) you’ll love the laid-back atmosphere of Capitol Reef. Wander through the orchards, stop by the Gifford House to buy goodies, and get hiking on some of these great trails! Plan on about three days in the park – two to explore Fruita, and one to wander into Cathedral Valley or down into the Waterpocket Fold.

• 
  
  
  Cassidy Arch – This is a fantastic trail with a fantastic view of Capitol Reef and the Waterpocket Fold. The trail is a bit steep at first, but it levels out to a flat slickrock mesa, and leads you to the natural arch. And yes, you can totally walk across it. (Just be careful.)
• Hickman Bridge – This is the most popular hike in Capitol Reef. It’s fun, it’s short, and it’s got a cool bridge at the end. What’s not to love?
• Cohab Canyon – This is great canyon hike that connects the two main roads in the Fruita section of the park. It’s pretty easy, leads to great views of the Waterpocket Fold, and has several short, slot canyon spurs that you can explore.

Photo by Kristina Wagner via unsplash.com

Zion

Thinking about visiting Utah’s most famous park, Zion? You’ll probably be staying in Saint George , the main population center near the park. Zion, like most of the parks, has a lot to see. So be sure to plan on spending three or four solid days there. Stop by the visitor center, take the tour bus up Zion Canyon, and absolutely hike one of these trails:

• Upper Emerald Pools – A great, easy hike with big payoff. It will take you up into the cliffs of Zion Canyon to a remarkable set of still pools. Don’t stop just at the lower or middle pools, the top one, Upper Emerald Pool is our favorite.
• Angel’s Landing – If you’re up for a challenge, Angel’s Landing is the quintessential hike in Zion. It’s a pretty tough climb, but the view from the top is something you’ll never forget. Also, you just might see a California Condor up there with you. Check out this link to start the process to reserve a hiking ticket.

Honestly, You Can’t Go Wrong!

Wondering which of these awesome parks or road trips to do on your Spring Break? Never fear! You literally can’t make a wrong choice. You’ll love everything in Southern Utah! And, don’t worry you can always come back and visit the other locations next Spring Break. Have a great time, and enjoy you’re vacation!

Many of the travelers who come to Southern Utah can only visit one national park. And that can make it tough, since it’s hard to choose between all five of the major parks. We at the Lodge understand this, and we want to try to help you out a little bit, so we’ve decided to write a couple comparison posts. This time around we’re comparing Capitol Reef and Zion National Parks.

So let’s get to it. If you can only visit one of these fantastic national parks, which do you choose? Both parks have amazing geology and unbelievable scenery. But for us at the Lodge, it really comes down to the kind of experiences that you can have in each place.

Photos by Stin Niels Musche and Evan Sanchez via unsplash.com

Quick Disclaimer

Don’t get us wrong; if you have time to explore both national parks, you really should. Visiting both is highly recommended. This is just to help you get a better idea of which park offers what.

Photo by Tracy Zhang via unsplash.com

Capitol Reef National Park

Scenery Description – Many of Capitol Reef’s sandstone formations are quite a bit older than those found in Zion (or at least Zion Canyon) so they are more eroded. This has created monoliths like the Temple of Sun in Cathedral Valley. So expect more crumbled sandstone cliffs and wider canyons in general. (This is, of course, not true for every part of the park. The sharp, sheer cliffs in Fruita, and the slot canyons in the Waterpocket Fold are the outliers, however.) The added erosion time has also lead to more arches compared to Zion.

The Good Stuff – Obviously the scenery is very good. That’s why it’s a national park. But if you read our blog, then you probably know what we consider to be the biggest bonus to Capitol Reef already. It is significantly less crowded, as it only draws in about a quarter of the annual visitors of Zion. This means that once you get outside the main section of the park – the Fruita section – you’re basically on your own. So you can often hike a trail and never meet another person. We really like this about Capitol Reef.

Also as an added perk, unlike Zion National Park, there is no entry fee required to get into the park. (But there is a fee station to enter the Capitol Reef Scenic Route toll road.) And while the park entrance fee probably shouldn’t be a factor in your vacation plans, it’s nice to save a couple of bucks.

The Not-So-Good Stuff – Since there are fewer tourist’s who visit Capitol Reef, there is also less government funding allocated to the park. This translates into fewer roads and less accessibility. Zion has two bus lines that service a large section of the park, but in Capitol Reef many of the roads are not even paved. This can limit the amount of the park that the average visitor is likely to see.

Photo by Trac Vu via unsplash.com

Zion National Park

Scenery Description – Zion has an lot of amazing – and diverse – geology. All within an easy distance of each other. There are sections of the park covered in Checkerboard Mesa, parts of the park where huge sandstone cliffs loom overhead, and parts where you can hike in clear water through immense, narrow canyons. It’s a big place. And there is a lot that you can see.

The Good Stuff – Zion National Park is easier to get to, as it has a large city center nearby – Saint George, Utah, and the surrounding towns. And it’s a fairly short drive to Saint George from the international airport in Las Vegas. These population bases also give the tourists more amenities. (For example, there are no fast-food chain restaurants near Capitol Reef.) This translates to more support for your trip.

Zion also has the advantage of having it’s main attractions located relatively close together. You can see more of the distinct kinds of desert scenery that make Southern Utah famous. That’s not to say that Capitol Reef offers less, but the different geologies of the park are harder to reach. In Zion, you can go from the hot, dry mesa plains to quiet, lush green pools in a few minutes. In Capitol Reef you’ll need a couple hours and a high-clearance, all-wheel-drive vehicle.

The Not-So-Good Stuff – You already know what we’re going to say. For us the biggest downside to Zion is the crowds. Every year 3.5 million visitors come to the park. And especially in the summer months, the throng of people can make it hard to enjoy the natural beauty that surrounds you. (When you’ve visited you can understand why the park now requires ticketed entry to Angels Landing.) This can be somewhat mitigated by going during early spring and late autumn, but there isn’t really any way to completely avoid people.

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What To Do In Each Park

Maybe this has helped you make a decision as to which park best fits into your idea of a Southern Utah vacation. If you’re wondering what you should do in the national park of your choice, then we’ve can help with that too. Check out this guide for Capitol Reef National Park, and this one for Zion National Park. And don’t worry, whichever park you decide to visit, you’ll be blown away by the beauty of Southern Utah!

It’s January! And as we’ve mentioned before, Southern Utah, despite being a desert does have a winter season. Complete with occasional snow and ice. But it also has more sunny days than most parts of the United States during this season, which means it’s a pretty great place to visit in winter. So let’s talk about what you can do in Capitol Reef this January.

Sometimes it snows in Capitol Reef. Photo by Lisha Riabinina via unsplash.com

What’s Open in Capitol Reef During Winter?

The Visitor Center is open year round, and we always recommend that it be your first stop on any trip to Capitol Reef, any time of the year. It does have reduced hours. Currently it is open from 9am to 4:30pm every day.

All trails and areas of the park are open all year round, unless snowfall closes the roads to a particular area. The roads that are most often affected are the Scenic Route and the Cathedral Valley Loop. The main highway through the park is paved and is first to be plowed when there is snow.

The only things that you might miss by visiting on a sunny day in January or February are the Gifford House and some of the ranger-lead education programs.

And sometimes it doesn’t. Photo by Karthik Sreenivas via unsplash.com

So What Do We Recommend?

Here’s what we at the Lodge at Red River Ranch suggest you try when stopping by Capitol Reef in Winter.

Stay in the main section of the park – in Fruita, near all the orchards – and don’t go into Cathedral Valley or the Waterpocket Fold. The roads are probably fine, but you don’t want to get stuck out there. If the Scenic Route is clear and passable, then you can venture down that road.

Hike on the trails that get lots of sun and are warm and pleasant. Canyon hikes are going to be colder, and there may be ice in sections that makes it a little trickier to navigate. Some of our top recommendations are: the Chimney Rock Loop, the Rim Overlook (or keep going to make it to Navajo Knobs), the Fremont Gorge Overlook Trail, and Cassidy Arch. Link here to a description and map of these trails.

See For Yourself

Come check out Capitol Reef National Park during the colder months, and you’ll see why it’s still a fantastic place to hang out. Winter really is better here.

A little while ago, we wrote a blog post about how to choose between Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, if you could only see one. And since we got a lot of positive feedback from readers on that one, we thought we’d do the same for Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks.

These parks are the big boys, drawing in a combined total of 7.5 million visitors each year. Many of the travelers who visit Southern Utah can only visit one national park, due to all sorts of time constraints, which means they are most likely to end up in Bryce or Zion. So let’s look at Southern Utah’s two most popular parks, and give them the ol’ comparison treatment. Hopefully this will make it a little easier to plan your vacation.

Photos by Varun Yadav and Luca Bravo via unsplash.com

Quick disclaimer

Don’t get us wrong; if you have time to explore both parks, you really should. Each are fantastic. This is just to help you get a better idea of which park offers what.

Photo by Pedro Lastra via unsplash.com

Bryce Canyon National Park

Scenery Description – Bryce Canyon is most famous for it’s hoodoos. In case you didn’t know, hoodoos are tall sandstone spires that have been shaped by erosion into otherworldly, weird, and wild shapes. And Bryce Canyon has a whole amphitheater full of hoodoos – known, appropriately enough, as the Amphitheater. There are some other amazing geological features in the park, but they’re not quite as famous, or as accessible as the Amphitheater.

The Pros – Bryce Canyon is a park for all seasons. It’s truly beautiful during the warmth of summer, or covered in the fresh snow of winter. The park actually actively encourages winter activities, and will even rent some basic equipment to you. (Handy for the winter season that we are currently heading into.)

Bryce Canyon has some of the best ranger programs of any national park in the state. Their Full Moon Hikes, for example, allow visitors to explore the Amphitheater under the light of the moon – something that you won’t find elsewhere. Maybe it’s just because it’s a smaller park, but we find that Bryce Canyon has more of a personal touch.

The Cons – Bryce Canyon is amazing. The hoodoos are lots of fun. We must acknowledge, however, that the Amphitheater is the main attraction, to the exclusion of the other scenery that the park does offer. The infrastructure is primarily built around the hoodoos, which means that if you wanted to see an arch or two, you’ll have to trek aways to see it. Which can be hard for people with disabilities. Basically, think of Bryce Canyon as a one-trick-pony – granted, it’s a very, very cool trick – but besides the hoodoos, there isn’t too much to see in the park that’s easy to get to.

Bryce Canyon is also a little bit isolated. It’s got a small town – Tropic, UT – that services most of the tourists. But it doesn’t have lots of services and support nearby.

Photo by Courtney Kenady via unsplash.com

Zion National Park

Scenery Description – Zion is a park of towering cliff walls, and immense stone canyons. It’s got sweeping vistas, and clear waterfalls, and arches and bridges, and broad sandstone mesas. Honestly, it’s hard to encapsulate all that this national park contains in just a few sentences. It’s a big place, and it’s got a lot of geological diversity.

The Pros – Zion is substantially bigger than Bryce Canyon. And as mentioned above, it has a lot more variety, so there is a lot to see in the park. There are also more trails. This is especially important if you are planning a multi-day vacation. You’ll get to experience plenty of different things in Zion National Park. We wouldn’t really recommend spending more than two days in Bryce Canyon, but you could easily be in Zion for a week.

Zion is also more developed than any of the other parks in Utah. It gets the most funding, and has the most infrastructure, and is the most accessible. Plus there are lots and lots of nearby services and amenities. The entire city of Saint George is only a half-hour away. So you will be able to find anything that you’re looking for.

The Cons – With all that scenery and adventure comes lots of crowds. It can turn into a real zoo in the summer months. The lion’s share of tourists in Southern Utah are heading to Zion National Park after all. Also during the summer it gets hot, much hotter than Bryce Canyon. Zion is further south and at a lower elevation, so it gets pretty toasty. If you’re visiting in the summer, you will be limited to hikes that are shaded or in a river system during the heat of the day.

Photo by Kristina Wagner via unsplash.com

What to Do in Each Park

We hope these couple of points help put these parks in perspective. If you want some suggestions on what you can (and should) do in each of these great national parks, then check out our in-depth guides to Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park.

And trust us, you’ll have a great time, no matter which park you visit. You honestly can’t go wrong in Southern Utah!

There is a good case to be made that fall is the best time of year to visit Southern Utah and Capitol Reef. The weather is cooler, the crowds have thinned at the national parks, and the summer monsoons have passed. These conditions open up a lot of trails that might have been a bit too inconvenient during the summer. So let’s look at some of these trail, and why hiking is fall is so great!

Photo by Steve & Barb Sande via unsplash.com

Narrow Canyon Trails

During the summer monsoon season, it rains almost every day in Southern Utah. This can lead to flooding in certain areas, and flash flooding at unexpected times. So typically during the summer, we advise against doing any hiking in the narrows of Capitol Reef, especially in the afternoons. It’s just a little too risky. But the seasonal rains stop in September, and the chances of flash floods diminish. So now is the best time to go scrambling in the slot canyons of Capitol Reef! Here’s a few that we love:

Brimhall Bridges –
Brimhall Bridges is located in the Waterpocket Fold section of Capitol Reef (we’ve marked the trailhead here on Google Maps.) It’s a great combination hike of open terrain, steep descents and climbs, a narrow canyon section and a fantastic double bridge of sandstone at the end. If you don’t mind traveling a little off-the-beaten path, then we highly recommend this one.

Sheets Gulch –
Sheets Gulch is also located in the Waterpocket Fold (Google Maps here) it’s quite a long trail, but full of lots There is an initial rise that leads to a wash, the slot canyon starts after about a mile (pro tip: take the path to the right when you reach the split) and there are multiple narrow sections to squeeze through on the route. Toward the end, you will be rewarded with impressive views of Sheets Gulch Arch. See this excellent guide here for more details.

Grand Wash –
This one is located in the Scenic Road section of the park. You will need to pay the toll to access this trail. Of all the canyon hikes in Capitol Reef National Park, this one is probably the easiest. It’s flat, sandy, and level. The sandstone walls rise high above you, but not they are not tight, so the whole hike has a relaxed feel to it. Honestly, it’s perfect for families with seniors or kids! Plus if you park another vehicle at the other end, you only have to hike it one-way. Map locations marked here and here.

Photo by LJ Coates via unsplash.com

Formerly Hot Trails

Anyone who has been to Capitol Reef in the summer knows it can be hot. Very hot. There are ways to mitigate that, like hiking in the mornings and evening, etc. But what if you’re not an early riser? Then fall is your friend! The trails that baked you at noon during the summer are going to be a lot nicer in mid-October. And here are a couple that we recommend:

Cassidy Arch –
Also located on the Scenic Road (map here) this is a steep trail that climbs up to the top of the iconic cliffs. The trail then takes you across the flat mesa for a while until you reach the famous arch which gives this hike it’s name. (Named after outlaw Butch Cassidy, who use to hide out in this area.) Plus you can see all of Capitol Reef from the top of those cliffs you worked so hard to climb!

Frying Pan –
This trail actually connects Cassidy Arch with Cohab Canyon (a great little trail in it’s own rite, any time of year.) As you might have surmised from the name, this is a scorcher in the summer. Trust us, we’ve done it. Also trust us, October is a much smarter time to do this trail. It’s a high-altitude mesa hike across an open sandstone plateau. It will lead you through a section of Capitol Reef that makes you feel like you’re the only person in the world. Even though the highway is only a mile or so away, you’d never know it! We’ve marked it here on Google Maps.

Photo by Intricate Explorer via unsplash.com

Previously Popular Trails

The national parks are popular places. And they are most popular during the summer, when kids and college students are out of school and families are traveling. So it’s no surprise that the parks, even lesser-known parks like Capitol Reef, can become overcrowded with tourists. Thankfully, that drops off in October, as the traditional tourist season winds down. Which means that those popular trails aren’t going to be swarming with people. So here’s a couple of popular hikes that you can have (almost) all to yourself this time of year:

Hickman Bridge –
This is by far the most popular trail in the park. And we get it, it’s fun! It’s short and easy and mostly flat and leads right up to a natural bridge, which you can walk under and admire. But, oh boy! During the summer the trailhead (mapped here) is impossible to park at. So you’ve got to park somewhere else and hike to your hike. Luckily that’s not really a problem in mid-October!

Chimney Rock –
Chimney Rock is one of the first geological landmarks that people see as they enter Capitol Reef. And so a lot of people want to do the Chimney Rock trail. (Location here) It’s a loop that climbs up an eroded red hill to give you a really nice view of Chimney Rock and the Fremont Gorge. We love it. But it can be too much to deal with everybody else who wants to see those views in the summer. So do it now! And skip the crowds!

Photo by John Bewlay Ymse via unsplash.com

Grab a Guide

Hopefully we’ve got you excited about all the different trails that are just plain better in October! Obviously our brief descriptions are only to help point you in the right direction. When you do hike any of these, first check out the official hiking page on nps.gov and then stop by the Capitol Reef Visitor Center and grab one of their maps. And have a great time hiking in October!

It’s fall now, and as you can guess, that means the leaves are about to become the main attraction all over the country. The golden hues of autumn will soon be tinging Wayne County, where both we at the Lodge at Red River Ranch, and Capitol Reef National Park call home. So if you are coming to visit the park, or stay with us, we thought we’d mention some of the best locations nearby that you should check out for fall colors!

Photo by Strauss Western via unsplash.com

Where To See The Best Fall Colors Near Capitol Reef

Boulder Mountain – Just south of the park is Boulder Mountain. And it’s one of the best locations to visit during fall. You can drive the scenic Highway 12 up to the town of Boulder (and even do the Burr Trail while you’re there) or you can camp in one of the campgrounds – like Singletree – or you can take a little hike on one of the many trails – like at Upper Pleasant Creek. But even if you don’t do any of that, you can still see the colors as you head in and out of Capitol Reef, hang out in Torrey, or relax in your accommodations, because Boulder Mountain is the backdrop for much of Wayne County. You can’t not see it.

Fishlake National Forest – You very likely passed through Fishlake National Forest on your way into Wayne County. So you probably already saw how beautiful the aspens trees are when they change colors. Fish Lake (for which the national forest is named) is a great place to hang out in fall. There is plenty of fishing and lake-based activities, of course, but the leaves are the real draw this time of year. Take the scenic drive from Fish Lake to Johnson Reservoir. If you get there during the peak season, it’s breathtaking. And say “hi” to Pando for us!

Capitol Reef – This might seem obvious, but Capitol Reef is a good spot to see fall colors near Capitol Reef! Joking aside, the park does boast lots of beautiful orchards and stately cottonwood trees. And these put on a pretty great show this time of year. Since Capitol Reef is warmer, and at a lower-elevation then the rest of the county, it is usually the last spot in Wayne County to change colors. Usually sometime between mid-to-late October is prime time. But it can happen as late as November.

Photo by John Price via unsplash.com

Time It Right

The perfect time for peak fall foliage is tricky to estimate. There are so many factors that determine when the leaves will change. Luckily for us, there are peak foliage websites out there that make predictions based on all the data-points available to them. And they are usually pretty good. SmokyMountains.com and the Farmers’ Almanac are two that we consult. So check those out. And remember, even though it is Southern Utah, Wayne County is at a fairly high elevation overall, about 7,000 feet above sea-level. So the leaves tend to turn sooner here than in other counties in Southern Utah. (With the notable exception of Capitol Reef itself, as we mentioned above.)

So. Based on the online predictors, we think that this year – 2023 – that the peak time for fall foliage in Wayne county will be the first weekend in October in the mountains, and the last week of October for Capitol Reef proper. That’s our best guess. But even if you visit a little before, or a little after the peak, it’s still always gorgeous here this time of year!

So we recently wrote a post about Labor Day 2023, with some helpful tips on how to choose which national park you should visit for this upcoming Labor Day Weekend. Now we thought we’d give you a list of our number one, very best, top day-hikes for each of the parks – Labor Day-Hikes if you will.

Sand Dune Arch in Arches National Park. Photo by Sneha Chandrashekar via unsplash.com

Arches National Park

So you’re heading to Arches. Excellent choice. You might think we’d recommend Delicate Arch as our top day hike in the park. And while you should probably check it out (it’s very famous after all) but we actually like to suggest Sand Dune and Broken Arches.

Sand Dune and Broken Arch | Easy | 2-miles Roundtrip – Sand Dune Arch is hidden away in a little canyon. It’s a fun, easy hike which is perfect for families with children. It’s also small enough for kids (and adults) to walk underneath, reach up and touch the underside. (Please don’t climb onto the arch.) And it’s within walking distance to another cool arch: Broken Arch. Just walk across a beautiful, flat meadow, listening to the meadow larks, and you’ll find yourself at Broken Arch. This trail has the added benefit of not being super popular, so you can enjoy nature in relative solitude. Check out this official page on the NPS website for more details.

Peek-a-boo Loop. Photo by datingscout via unsplash.com

Bryce Canyon National Park

A whole park full of hoodoos, so there’s lots to explore here in Bryce Canyon! We think it’s worth hiking down into the amphitheater to see the hoodoos up close. So we like to recommend Peek-a-boo Loop.

Peek-a-boo Loop | Strenuous | 5-miles One Way – This trail loops right through the middle of the park. So you’ll get to see a bunch of the good stuff, like the famous Wall of Windows, and your fill of hoodoos. This is a very popular trail for horseback riding, so if you’re interested, you can book an excursion with a equestrian tour company and see Peek-a-boo on horseback. Either way, you’ll get a great taste of Bryce Canyon all in one trail. More info about the trail is available here.

The White Rim Overlook. Photo by Olsen Photo via unsplash.com

Canyonlands National Park

This is the most remote, the wildest, and the least trafficked national park in Utah. It’s also some of the most rugged land you will likely encounter. So get ready for a great weekend of exploring the great unknown! And start with the White Rim Overlook Trail!

White Rim Overlook Trail | Easy | 1.8-miles Roundtrip – This is one of the best reveals in Southern Utah. You walk through a flat mesa of scrub and pinyon pines, and then, suddenly, the world falls away at your feet and you can see into the expanse of canyons and monoliths far below you. There are 300-degree views of the best of Canyonlands from the White Rim Overlook. Honestly, it’s not to be missed. Here is a little more information from the park’s website.

The view from the top of Cohab Canyon. Photo by Red River Ranch.

Capitol Reef National Park

Hey! That’s our backyard! Maybe we’ll see you while you’re here! Ok we’ve written about almost every trail in the park, and there are so many great ones. But for our top day hike in Capitol Reef we have to go with Cohab Canyon.

Cohab Canyon | Moderately Easy | 1.75-miles One Way – This is a neat little canyon that connects the two main roads in the Fruita section of the park. There are a couple of mini slot canyons that offshoot from Cohab, which you can poke around in. The big payoff comes when you reach the end of the canyon and see the fantastic red rock cliffs that frame the orchards of Capitol Reef. Park a vehicle at both ends of the trail, if you want to skip the walk back the way you came. You can get more details on Cohab Canyon here.

Canyon Overlook Trail. Photo by Kal Visuals via unsplash.com

Zion National Park

The most popular park in Southern Utah, you’ll be in good company. There are some truly iconic trails in Zion (like the oft Instagrammed Angel’s Landing) but for us, the best day hike in Zion is the Canyon Overlook Trail.

Canyon Overlook Trail | Moderate | 1-mile Roundtrip – The hardest part about this hike is finding a spot in the very small parking lot at the trailhead. So you may have to try a couple of times. But once you do get on the trail, you’ll quickly realize why we love it! You’ll get fantastic views of Zion Canyon – views that rival Angel’s Landing – from a much shorter, easier, and less crowded trail. Here’s the link to the trail page on Zion’s website for more details.

Labor Day is fast approaching. The first Monday is September marks the end of the traditional summer tourist season in Southern Utah and other locations across the United States. So, as you probably already know, a lot of people try to make the most of the long weekend and end the summer on a high note. Here’s how you can do that in the national parks of Southern Utah!

Photo by Sheena Woodhead via unsplash.com.

Pick a Park. Any Park!

The first thing you’ve got to decide is where you are heading this Labor Day. This is probably the most difficult part of the whole process. There is so much to see in Southern Utah! Here’s how we help people decide where they should go. Just answer the questions below to narrow it down:

1. Have you every been to Southern Utah before? If no, go to Zion or Arches National Parks. If yes, head to Bryce or Capitol Reef. If you’ve been many times, try Canyonlands.
2. How much are you trying to avoid crowds and people? If it’s a lot, head to Capitol Reef or Canyonlands National Parks. If crowds don’t matter to you, Arches, Bryce, or Zion will be great.
3. Do you want your park to have a lot of one really cool thing, or a little bit of everything? Bryce, Arches, and Zion Canyon are mostly for hoodoos, natural arches, and canyon views respectively. Capitol Reef and Canyonlands have more variety of scenery.
4. Do you want paved roads or can you handle some dirt tracks? (To be clear all the parks have paved roads in the most popular sections, but some of the coolest spots might be on dirt roads.) Paved all the way? Head to Zion, Arches, or Bryce. Don’t mind the dirt? Capitol Reef or Canyonlands are for you.

Hopefully that helps give you a quick metric of what you can expect from each of the parks. And you can tailor your Labor Day vacation to your desires. We’ve written guides to each of the parks, so check those out. Here’s the one for Arches, for Bryce, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and for Zion.

In addition, we’ve got a couple of more detailed itineraries that you can check out here. Just in case you want to have everything pre-planned for you. And if you’re having trouble deciding which park to visit, don’t worry, you can’t really go wrong. All of the national parks are worth visiting. After all, that’s how they became national parks in the first place, right?

Photo by Stephen Wheeler via unsplash.com.

Important Things to Know. Bookings and Safety.

As we mentioned, there are a lot of people that come to Southern Utah over Labor Day. So it’s best to make your plans as early as possible, since things tend to get booked out pretty far in advance. Start with the national parks, since many of them require reservations for entry to certain trails, services, campgrounds, or even to get into the park in the first place. (We’re looking at you, Arches.) Head to recreation.gov grab those reservations ASAP!

Then nail down those accommodation reservations! Again, hotels, lodges, and campsites tend to fill up quickly. If you’re interested in staying with us, the Lodge at the Red River Ranch, you can check our availability here. And if you’ve left things a little too late, and everywhere seems to be booked, look around. They are often primitive campgrounds in the parks that can’t be reserved online. Or try the nearby national forests, they too have campgrounds, some of which you can grab on recreation.gov.

Also, safety in an important consideration when hiking in the summer in Southern Utah, even if it’s the end of summer. We’ve written a little bit about summer hiking safety here, but here are the headlines:

• Don’t hike during the middle of the day. It’s just too hot.
• Carry lots of water.
• Don’t attempt to do something you or members of your group don’t feel qualified to handle.
• Have the right gear. Have a map, the right footwear, a good first aid kit, plenty of food for the trail (snacks, light meals) and a strong flashlight (your phone’s flashlight doesn’t count) if you’re hiking in the evening.

Photo by David Banning via unsplash.com.

Adventure Time!

Ok, you’ve looked around, picked your park, reserved anything that needs reserving, and know how to have fun while being safe. Then you’re ready to have a great Labor Day Weekend adventure in Southern Utah! If you need additional resources for your trip, look around our blog, or check out the official Tourism Bureau website for Utah. They have lots of resources.