Outbound Collective logo

Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

Looking for the best hiking in Capitol Reef National Park? We've got you covered with the top trails, trips, hiking, backpacking, camping and more around Capitol Reef National Park. The detailed guides, photos, and reviews are all submitted by the Outbound community.

Top Hiking Spots in and near Capitol Reef National Park

  • Torrey, Utah

    Camp at McMillan Springs In The Henry Mountains

    McMillan Springs Campground is south of Hanksville, Utah and within the Henry Mountains, which run north and south between Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef National Parks.  Situated at 8,400 feet, McMillan Springs Campground has moderate temperatures and is managed by the BLM, so fees are donation b...
    Read more
  • Garfield County, Utah

    Hike Mount Ellen in Utah's Henry Mountains

    4.0
    4 mi / 1091 ft gain
    Mount Ellen is considered an Ultra Prominent Peak. What's that you may ask? Well, Ultra Prominent Peaks are determined by how high the summit rises above its surroundings. Rising 5,812 feet above the desert floor with a summit elevation of 11,527 feet, Mount Ellen is the third most prominent peak...
    Read more
  • Green River, Utah

    Exploring Goblin Valley

    4.5
    Goblin Valley Can entertain you for 1 hour or 10. There are no established trails, so you are free to wander around the entire park. There are cliffs to climb, slot canyons to explore and hoodoos to discover. From the parking area, you descend about 100 feet into the valley. Once you are down the...
    Read more
  • Green River, Utah

    Camp at Goblin Valley

    3.8
    Goblin Valley State Park is in a rural section of southern Utah, but if you type it into Google Maps you will go straight there. There are awesome campsites within the park but they require reservations. If you didn't take the time to reserve a campsite, don't worry, there is plenty of BLM land r...
    Read more
  • Green River, Utah

    Hike to Goblin's Lair and Carmel Canyon

    4.5
    3.18 mi / 433 ft gain
    This beautiful, isolated hike also makes for a flexible route – very few places in Goblin Valley are off limits, allowing you to customize the adventure as much as you please. The hike begins on a rapidly descending trail, heading into the heart of Goblin Valley State Park. After a quarter mile ...
    Read more
  • Boulder, Utah

    Drive the Burr Trail Scenic Backway

    5.0
    66.2 mi / 4124 ft gain
    The Burr Trail is a 66 miles mostly-paved road connecting Boulder, Utah / Highway 12 with the Notom-Bullfrog road that passes through some of the most scenic (and largely untouched) painted-rock backcountry in three of our national parks/monuments including Grand Staircase-Escalante, Capitol Reef...
    Read more
  • Boulder, Utah

    Backpack Death Hollow in Grand Staircase-Escalante

    22 mi / 1600 ft gain
    The most popular route into Death Hollow is from the Boulder airstrip near the town of Boulder, Utah.  The trailhead for the Boulder Mail Trail begins, or ends here depending on which way you are hiking.  Leave a car at the Highway 12 bridge over the Escalante River for the thru hike, or get luck...
    Read more
  • Boulder, Utah

    Camp at Deer Creek Campground

    5.0
    Deer Creek campground is off of the Burr Scenic drive and right outside of the lower part of Capitol Reef National Park. This campground is perfect if you are driving from Bryce Canyon to Capitol Reef. There are a total of 7 tent sites in the campground. There are no spots for RVs and no turn aro...
    Read more
  • Boulder, Utah

    Upper Calf Creek Falls

    5.0
    1.76 mi / 571 ft gain
    Finding the trailhead for the Upper Calf Creek Falls can be a little difficult. Head east out of Escalante and follow highway 12 for about 20.6 miles. There will be a dirt turnout on the left hand side that leads to a dirt parking lot and a trail sign with registration for the Upper Calf Creek Fa...
    Read more
  • Garfield County, Utah

    Hike in the Upper Muley Twist Canyon

    4.5
    10 mi / 750 ft gain
    This hike is by far my favorite trail I've been on. To begin, you access Upper Muley Twist Canyon Road from the top of the Burr Trail Road switchbacks. Regular vehicles can be driven a little less than half a mile to the trailhead (adding about 3 miles to get to the trailhead, about 6 miles round...
    Read more
  • Boulder, Utah

    Lower Calf Creek Falls

    4.6
    5.74 mi / 515 ft gain
    The trailhead for lower calf creek falls begins at the Calf Creek Campground. There is a small fee to park in the campground and a larger fee if you plan on camping in the campground. There is potable water and outhouses at the trailhead but parking can be difficult to find during the spring and ...
    Read more
  • Boulder, Utah

    Escalante Natural Bridge

    5.0
    3.25 mi / 266 ft gain
    This is a 3.2 mile hike in the Escalante River Canyon near Escalante, Utah. This hike features a number of brief river crossings, so be prepared to get wet! The hike traverses a number of small boulder fields and dense riverside vegetation before concluding at the Escalante Natural Bridge. This h...
    Read more
  • Escalante, Utah

    Backpack the Escalante River

    14 mi / 400 ft gain
    The Escalante River trail is an easily accessible, moderately strenuous hike within Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The national monument encompasses over 2 million acres of wilderness, choc-full of large canyons, narrow slot canyons, rivers, hoodoos, arches, natural bridges and more...
    Read more
  • Escalante, Utah

    Escalante River Trail: Escalante to UT-12

    12.97 mi / 3373 ft gain
    Escalante River Trail: Escalante to UT-12 is a point-to-point trail that takes you by a river located near Eggnog, Utah.
    Read more
  • Escalante, Utah

    Hike to the Cosmic Ashtray

    4.0
    8 mi / 800 ft gain
    ...As a frequent traveler, what's always motivated my travels were locations that have either been on my bucket list, or are places that are photogenic and a little off the beaten path. During my recent 3 week road trip through Northern Arizona and Southern Utah, I had the opportunity to visit a ...
    Read more
  • Lake Powell, Utah

    Blarney Slot Canyons

    Who doesn’t enjoy a little slot canyon fun?!…Not far from Hanksville, Utah is this 1-mile round trip hike to one of Utah’s less visited slot canyons. Although Blarney Canyon is generally known for its canyoneering route, you can follow either the West or East Fork wash to get to the slots. You’ll...
    Read more