Last updated: April 4, 2024

In my efforts to see all of America’s national parks, I jumped at the chance to take a nine day group travel adventure with GAdventures to hike the five national parks in Utah. These parks are affectionately referred to as The Mighty Five by national park nerds like myself and include: Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion.

What I didn’t realize at the time of booking was what a beautiful journey I’d experience and the amazing people that would accompany me. Utah is already beautiful with all it’s rock formations, but the five national parks it holds are truly spectacular.

Accommodations

We arrived at Thousand Lakes RV Park and Campground mid-afternoon to settle in before heading into the park bright and early the next day. It’s about 11 miles west of the Capitol Reef visitor center. Rather than sleeping in a tent, I split the cost and rented a cabin with a fellow traveler. Call me spoiled all you want, but I slept in a cozy bed for $20 and didn’t freeze. Shout out to Virginia who came up with this and split cabins with me the reminder of the trip! We slowly shared our secret with others and by the end we had a strong cabin group!

Views from the campground were nothing to scoff at and the sunset didn’t disappoint.

Stargazing in a Dark Sky Park

Did you know there are places specifically recognized as “Dark Sky Parks”? There are only 90 in the world and Utah has 21 of them! A Dark Sky Park is a place that has to possess an exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and a nocturnal environment that is specifically protected for its scientific, natural, educational, cultural heritage, and/or public enjoyment. These parks take measures to reduce light pollution to enhance the star gazing experience. In 2015, Capitol Reef was officially registered as a Dark Sky Park.

Before going to bed for the night, we headed to Panorama Point at twilight and settled in to watch the stars arrive (when I say settle in, I mean I laid on my back, on the ground).

I had no idea about Dark Sky Parks prior to going, but after spending the night stargazing in a legitimate Dark Sky Park, I can tell you that they are impressive! I saw the Milky Way for the first time and shot the below photo with my handy dandy Canon. The photo is taken by a total amateur and does not do what I saw justice. Not that a photo can ever truly capture the beauty of a starry sky, but there are very specific ways a starry sky should be photographed and I would now like to take a class specific to shooting the night sky and visit more Dark Sky Parks to work on getting better.

Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Center

After packing up the next morning, we left the campground to go on our first Utah hiking adventure and stopped at the visitor center before hitting the trail. Of course, I snagged the ever important park cancellation stamp.

Capital Reef National Park

Capitol Reef National Park was designated a national monument on August 2, 1937, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to protect the area’s colorful canyons, ridges, buttes, and monoliths; however, it was not until 1950 that the area officially opened to the public. The park was established in 1971 to preserve its 241,904 acres and allows more than one million people each year to visit and enjoy what the park has to offer.

So what is so special about Capitol Reef National Park? The Waterpocket Fold is the defining geologic feature of this majestic national park. This geologic monocline, which is basically a wrinkle in the earth’s surface, extends for nearly 100 miles, creating a dramatic landscape of rugged cliffs and canyons, striking natural bridges and arches, and distinct formations. I got to experience this up close and personal as I hiked Cassidy Arch. There are also petroglyphs that can be seen clearly from Capitol Reef Petroglyphs Trailhead. I explored both of these and am happy to tell you all about it below.

Capitol Reef Petroglyphs Trailhead

Check out the below petroglyphs (images carved into stone) by the Fremont Culture who lived there before it was known as Utah for about one thousand years, (300-1300 Common Era (CE)). Petroglyphs are one of the most visible aspects of their culture that remains. Archeologists named these people the Fremont Culture, for the Fremont River canyon where they were first defined as a distinct culture.

The Fremont Culture petroglyphs along Utah State Route 24 are accessible by two wooden boardwalks. Depending on the time of day and which panel you view, some of the petroglyphs might be harder to see. Bring a pair of binoculars to get a closer view, and usually the longer you spend looking, the more petroglyphs you will notice. The shorter boardwalk provides views of large, anthropomorphic (human-like) petroglyphs, as well as bighorn sheep petroglyphs, and other animals and geometric designs. The longer boardwalk parallels the cliffs, and the petroglyphs along it are closer to the viewer, but harder to see because of a patina that has developed over them.

Cassidy Arch Trail

Before we go any further, I have to stop and tell you that Cassidy Arch Trail is named after Butch Cassidy, an American train and bank robber and the leader of a gang of criminal outlaws known as the “Wild Bunch” in the Old West. They used to hide from the law on this very trail! Now that you know that very important information, onward with the experience!

I really loved this 3.5 out and back trail. As my first introduction to hiking in Utah, it set me up to be excited about the other hikes I would experience the rest of the trip. This was not an easy hike by any means and is considered moderate. The highlight is Cassidy Arch, a beautiful rock formation that allows for pretty cool photo ops. We stopped and had lunch before heading back out and I enjoyed every step of the way.

My first Utah hike really set the stage for the rest of the trip, and it only got better from here. Have you been to Capitol Reef National Park? If so, what were your favorite sites? I only had a few hours so I would love to go back and see more! What do you recommend? I’d love to know in the comments!