Capitol Gorge Trail

Capitol Gorge was part of The Blue Dugway, a wagon road, cleared in 1883 by early residents. It was the main passage, although frequently washed out, through Capitol Reef until 1964 when Utah Hwy 24 was built through the Fremont River canyon near Fruita. The old road has since only been open to foot traffic.

The hike begins at the trailhead and continues to The Tanks, returning the same way. The walking is easy in the cobble-strewn, usually dry, streambed. You will find yourself in a Navajo Sandstone walled canyon with soaring domes piercing the cobalt blue sky overhead. After a half-hour hike, the canyon floor narrows to fifteen feet, while the walls loom hundreds of feet overhead.

If you are hiking in the summer, take water with you and wear a hat. And, never enter Capitol Gorge if the weather is threatening. Flash floods can, and do, occur and can leave you stranded in the canyon.

Sources : GORP, Wikipedia, Capitol Reef Cultural Landscape Report