Hiking in Capitol Reef

Posted bycinnicrewPosted inUtah

DAY 11

3/29/26. Sunday

Jim is 70 today! Happy Birthday Jimmy. We started his birthday with a delicious scrambled egg, veggies, bacon and toast breakfast at the Wild Rabbit Cafe in Torrey. I might mention we also had a delicious latte as well!

For such a small town Torrey has some good eateries. Last night we went out for Mexican food. Then this great breakfast. Right next door is a coffee shop that roasts its own coffee called Shooke Coffee Roasters. I guess it’s because it’s at the entrance to Capitol Reef.

Capitol Reef National Park was our next stop. We started with a pretty easy 5 mile hike up the Grand Wash. Along the way the Wash got tighter. They call this area The Narrows. It got much narrower but not “slot canyon” narrow. The canyon was beautiful and sometimes busy but sometimes not. Most people won’t walk more than a mile one way… so the middle section was almost just us.

The temps today were in the 70’s and windy out in the open but just comfortable breeze in the canyon.

The start of the trail. It was slightly steady uphill “flat” on the way up. It ended at another parking lot that came down from the Scenic Drive road.
One of the little caves
Slick rock
I like all the pock marks the water has carved in the stone
It’s getting much narrower
Narrow here as well
I also love the stained walls
A little shade for the birthday boy!
He makes 70 look easy!
The flowery Fremont barberry bush.
Holly like sharp leaves
Going into the narrows again coming back.
The trail goes under the ledge. Nice and cool under there.

Then we got in the van to take the scenic drive out and back to the end of the non 4×4 drivable park. At the end of the pavement was a gravel road called the Capitol Gorge road. It was just a few more miles but tricky when you met a car going the other way… which was fairly often! That was narrow and exciting. I will post videos of that road too!

Looking up a little canyon
Stunning rock walls
Panorama point looking toward Capitol Reef
This is my favorite view
Video of tight gravel road along a wash
I posted this for posterity in case the Trump administration makes the park personnel remove it.
Another Gooseneck overlook

Since it was birthday we grabbed a delicious burger and fries from a food truck in Torrey. Once again… really tasty!

Birthday tarts from a little deli in town… fruit tart and key lime tart.
Along the Main Street was the cutest rope swing and there were two boys having a blast for quite awhile.

Back to camp at the RV Park to eat our to-go dinner and relax. Tomorrow we move on toward the Grand Staircase Escalante Monument area and camping in the Dixie National Forest.

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