Capitol Reef National Park
Capitol Reef National Park is a national park of the United States in south-central Utah. Find it 9 mi east of Torrey. This is a site of the National Park Service. In 2025 it counted 1.4M visits.
A national park, 9 mi east of Torrey
May is the busiest month
May averages about 211,431 visitors, 12.3 times January. When to go ↓
You can sleep inside the park
4 places to stay are inside the park: Cathedral Valley Inn and Broken Spur Inn & Steakhouse. The nearest town with more is Torrey. Where to stay ↓
Winters are cold
January nights drop to 16°. When to go ↓
Best months: Jun, Aug and Sep
June, August and September are the mild months, with highs of 74–82°. When to go ↓
Established in 1937
Capitol Reef National Park dates from 1937 and is run by National Park Service. About ↓
Written from National Park Service visitor counts, NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia. Updated when the Park Service posts a new month.
Visits and weather by month
Below are monthly visits and typical highs at Capitol Reef.
Capitol Reef National Park
Capitol Reef National Park is a national park of the United States in south-central Utah. The park is approximately 60 miles (100 km) long on its north–south axis and just 6 miles (10 km) wide on its east-west axis, on average. The park was established in 1971 to preserve 241,904 acres (377.98 sq mi; 97,895.08 ha; 978.95 km2) of desert landscape and is open all year, with May through September receiving the most visitors.
- Type
- National Park
- Established
- 1937
- Area
- 378 square miles
- Run by
- National Park Service
- Listed
- International Dark Sky Park (2015)
- Wikipedia readers
- 57K a year
- Official site
- nps.gov/care
Address and hours
- Private Vehicle$20
- Motorcycle$15
- Per Person$10
- Commercial Entrance - Per Person$10
Where to base yourself for Capitol Reef National Park
You can sleep inside the park (4 places). The closest towns with hotels, motels or campgrounds are Torrey (15) and Teasdale (7).
Stay in the park
- Cathedral Valley Inn lodge or cabins
- Broken Spur Inn & Steakhouse hotel
- Fruita Campground campground
- Cedar Mesa Campground campground
Torrey
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
257 people · 43% vacation homes
9 mi west of Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Center · 4 mi to the park
Teasdale
308 people · 31% vacation homes
11 mi west of Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Center · 6 mi to the park
Loa
504 people
22 mi west of Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Center · 12 mi to the park
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From the visitor center | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Torrey 43% vacation homes | 9 mi west | 15 min | 15 6 hotels · 2 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 2 lodges & cabins · 1 campground · 3 RV parks | 257 | $408K | — |
| Teasdale 31% vacation homes | 11 mi west | 15 min | 7 1 hotel · 1 motel · 3 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds | 308 | $614K | — |
| Loa | 22 mi west | 35 min | 5 2 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 RV park | 504 | $436K | — |
| Bicknell | 16 mi west | 25 min | 2 2 motels | 322 | $371K | — |
| Escalante | 41 mi southwest | 1 hr | 16 5 hotels · 2 motels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 3 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 817 | $352K | — |
| Hanksville | 30 mi east | 45 min | 4 1 hotel · 1 motel · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 RV park | 169 | $95K | — |
| Boulder 30% vacation homes | 27 mi south | 40 min | 2 1 inn or B&B · 1 lodge or cabins | 248 | — | — |
| Richfield | 55 mi northwest | 1.5 hr | 18 13 hotels · 3 motels · 1 campground · 1 RV park | 8,478 | $333K | C |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service, from the visitor center
While you are near Capitol Reef
Also within 67 miles are these.
Big draw67 mi National ParkBryce Canyon National Park2.0M visitors a year
121 mi MountainFactory Butte
235 mi State parkGoblin Valley State Park
62 mi Park & preserveGrand Staircase–Escalante National Monument
350 mi Canyon & gorgeBluejohn Canyon435 mi Canyon & gorgeRobbers Roost
66 mi Canyon & gorgeHorseshoe Canyon
528 mi National forestDixie National ForestPhoto credits
Bryce Canyon National Park: Luca Galuzzi (Lucag), CC BY-SA 2.5 · Factory Butte: Ken Karagozian, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Goblin Valley State Park: Donar Reiskoffer, CC BY 3.0 · Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument: John Fowler from Placitas, NM, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Bluejohn Canyon: Michael Grindstaff, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Horseshoe Canyon: Surfsupusa at en.wikipedia, CC0 · Dixie National Forest: Joseph Cesare, CC BY 3.0
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1,388,476 people came in 2025
Yearly visitors, 2016 through 2025, are below.
Capitol Reef: common questions
What town is Capitol Reef National Park near?
Torrey, UT, about 9 miles west.
When is the best time to visit Capitol Reef National Park?
June, August and September, with highs of 74–82°. May is the busiest month (about 211,431 visitors).
How many people visit Capitol Reef National Park each year?
1,388,476 in 2025, according to the National Park Service. The record is 1,422,490, set in 2024.
What is the closest airport to Capitol Reef National Park?
Canyonlands Regional (CNY), about 88 miles away. The nearest big hub is Salt Lake City (SLC), about 177 miles.
Where should I stay near Capitol Reef National Park?
Inside the park: Cathedral Valley Inn, Broken Spur Inn & Steakhouse and Fruita Campground. Nearby: Torrey (9 mi, 15 places to stay), Teasdale (11 mi, 7 places to stay) and Loa (22 mi, 5 places to stay).
Notes from people in Torrey
Questions and tips go in Torrey’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · National Park Service visitor use statistics · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.