Cathedral Valley Scenic Drive Capitol Reef National Park

Drive the dusty backcountry cathedral valley loop through capitol reef national park for the most impressive views in the park.

Cathedral valley scenic drive capitol reef national park.

One of utah s great scenic vistas can be seen here in capitol reef country. Guide to the scenic drive. Around 95 percent of visitors flock to the central fremont river district which includes the highway 24 corridor and the scenic drive. Cathedral valley in the northern area of capitol reef national park has some of the most stunning views around.

However road conditions can vary greatly depending on recent weather conditions. The cathedral valley district of capitol reef national park is a remote rugged region. We chose to use a guide as we did not want to take our rental car out in this remote area which was all dirt roads. From hogan pass you can literally see for hundreds of miles.

For travelers with a sense of adventure and a high clearance vehicle you may find yourself. Although this tour is free there is a 5 entrance fee when you come to the park to drive the scenic drive. Cathedral valley is a scenic backcountry area in capitol reef national park. Geologists have classified the rock layers into various formations.

Take the scenic route. It is a remote stark desert characterized by amazingly beautiful sandstone monoliths that some say resemble cathedrals. Cathedral valley loop capitol reef national park. Kevin was our guide for the day and was helpful knowledgeable and easy going.

On our recent visit to capitol reef we did an all day tour of cathedral valley with freemont river guides. Capitol reef national park a long skinny unit comprising 378 square miles in the heart of utah s canyon country can be divided conceptually into three separate districts each with a unique flavor. Most rock at capitol reef is sedimentary meaning it was formed in layers from loose materials sediments like mud and sand. It is a bit difficult to get to which makes it one of the lesser visited areas of the park.

The hogan pass overlook sits at 9 200 feet above sea level and looks out over capitol reef national park s cathedral valley towards the henry mountains which are over 40 miles away. Many of the valleys structures have interesting highly descriptive names. Capitol reef national park is the least visited of these five. Temple of the sun temple of the moon the walls of jericho among others.