Hiking Alone in Capitol Reef National Park Utah
Kraig AdamsMar 2022 · Solo
- Days
- 2 days
- Direction
- Four day hikes: Capitol Reef on day 1, then about 3 hours' drive on…
- Cost
- about $420
- Lodging
- Hotels and guesthouses
North America · United States
Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon
Utah
- Distance
- 26.7 mi42.9 km
- Days
- 2 days
- Elevation gain
- 4,633 ft1,412 m
- High point
- 8,156 ft2,486 m
- Season
- Late March, when I went
- Lodging
- Hotels and guesthouses
Hikes / North America / Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon
In late March 2022 I flew from New York to Las Vegas, rented a car and drove to southern Utah for three national parks in a row: Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, then Zion. This guide is the first two. On a Monday in Capitol Reef I hiked the Chimney Rock Loop in the morning, then Cohab Canyon, the Frying Pan Trail, Cassidy Arch and Grand Wash in the afternoon, one way to Utah 24. The next day in Bryce Canyon I walked the Rim Trail and the whole Fairyland Loop, then went down Queen's Garden and up the Navajo Loop in the afternoon. Four day hikes, about 26.7 miles (42.9 km) and 4,630 ft of climbing in two days by my GPS. It's the trip from my films Hiking Alone in Capitol Reef National Park Utah and Hiking the Fairyland Loop in Bryce Canyon National Park.
Kraig Adams
Effort at this pace: Hard · about 13 mi (21 km) and 2,316 ft (706 m) of climbing a day over 2 days, up to 8,156 ft (2,486 m). Our grade for the days given, worked out from distance, climbing and altitude a day; it isn't the trail's usual difficulty rating (under Basics) and doesn't rate exposure, terrain or weather.
Where these numbers come from
From Kraig Adams's GPS recording and guide.
From Kraig Adams's GPS
The route, day by day
Elevation5,230–8,156 ft26.7 mi
From Kraig Adams's GPS. Terrain: Mapzen Terrain Tiles (USGS 3DEP, SRTM) on AWS · Rivers & lakes © OpenStreetMap contributors
Kraig Adams's days
The film
Watch it first
Hiking Alone in Capitol Reef National Park Utah
Before you go
The basics
- Start
- Chimney Rock trailhead on Utah 24, Capitol Reef
- Finish
- The parking by Sunrise Point, Bryce Canyon
- Direction
- Four day hikes: Capitol Reef on day 1, then about 3 hours' drive on Scenic Byway 12 to Bryce Canyon on day 2
- Usual difficulty
- Day hikes on good trails. The NPS rates Chimney Rock, Frying Pan, Cassidy Arch and the Fairyland Loop strenuous: steep climbs, slickrock and drop-offs
- Best time
- Late March, when I went. Cold nights and quiet trails. In Capitol Reef it was about 20 F at night, the fruit trees in Fruita had no leaves yet, and Torrey was half closed: "half of the things were open, half were not." At Bryce there were "little tiny pockets of snow, but I didn't need microspikes at all," and the streams weren't flowing.
- Permits
- No permit for these day hikes on the park pages. Entrance fee at Bryce; at Capitol Reef only on the Scenic Drive. No drones in either park. No dogs on these trails
- Getting there
- Flying in. The nearest big airports are Las Vegas (LAS) and Salt Lake City (SLC), each about 270 miles from Bryce Canyon (NPS). Cedar City (about 80 miles from Bryce) and St. George (about 125) are smaller. I flew from New York to Las Vegas and rented a car at the airport. I found no public transport to either park on the park pages: plan on a car.
- Lodging
- Hotels and guesthouses
From Kraig Adams's guide
Costs and gear
From Kraig Adams's guide
Safety
Rescue numbers
- Emergency: 911. Bryce Canyon 435-834-5322. Capitol Reef 435-425-3791. Little or no signal on the trails.
Phone signal
- The park pages warn of limited or no phone signal, and that a rescue or a tow truck can take hours.
Insurance
- Medical treatment in the US is expensive, and some hospitals ask non-residents for a deposit.
- Make sure your travel health insurance covers medical treatment and repatriation.
Bail-out points
- Day 1, Chimney Rock Loop. The overlook, a mile in, is the best view of the hike. If it's hot, windy or you're short on time, enjoy it and go back the way you came.
- Day 2, Rim Trail and Fairyland Loop. Fairyland Point, at mile 3.6, is the place to decide. If the trail below is icy, or storms are coming, walk back along the rim or take the Rim Trail the rest of the way. Once you're down in the canyon, the way out is the climb back to the rim. In winter and spring, carry traction devices if there's ice; I didn't need them on March 22.
From Kraig Adams's guide. For planning, not navigation: check before you go.
Their films and versions
Creators who've done it
1 creator so far: Kraig, 2 days, about $420, hotels.
Hiking Alone in Capitol Reef National Park Utah
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Typical: 2 days (the hike's facts).
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Planning questions about Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon, answered only from this page's facts, the creators' versions and hikers' public tracks, with where each answer comes from. When the data doesn't say, the answer says "not given".
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Answered from the data
Questions people ask
How many days do you need for Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon?
Kraig Adams hiked it in 2 days.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How much does Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon cost?
For your budget (October 2026), four days from Las Vegas for two people, camping: about $420 each.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
When is the best time to hike Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon?
Late March, when I went. Cold nights and quiet trails. In Capitol Reef it was about 20 F at night, the fruit trees in Fruita had no leaves yet, and Torrey was half closed: "half of the things were open, half were not." At Bryce there were "little tiny pockets of snow, but I didn't need microspikes at all," and the streams weren't flowing.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Do you need a permit for Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon?
Not for day hikes like these: the park pages list no permit. You pay the entrance fee at each park: in 2026, $20 a car at Capitol Reef and $35 at Bryce Canyon, or an $80 America the Beautiful pass for US residents.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Is there a fee for non-US visitors at Bryce Canyon?
Yes. From 2026, visitors who aren't US residents, aged 16 and over, pay a $100 nonresident fee on top of the entrance fee at Bryce Canyon and ten other parks. Capitol Reef isn't on the list.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How far is the Fairyland Loop?
8.0 miles and 1,900 ft of elevation change from Fairyland Point, by the Park Service. I started from Sunrise Point and walked the Rim Trail to Fairyland Point first: 9.5 miles by my GPS, in about 3.5 hours in late March.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How do you hike the Frying Pan Trail to Cassidy Arch and Grand Wash?
From the Hickman Bridge trailhead on Utah 24, up Cohab Canyon, along the Frying Pan Trail to Cassidy Arch, down into Grand Wash and out to Utah 24: 8.4 miles one way by my GPS. It ends about 2 miles by road from where you start, so bring two cars or arrange a ride.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Can you hike Bryce Canyon in March?
Yes. In late March 2022 I had pockets of snow but didn't need microspikes. The Park Service warns that March and April storms can bring heavy snow, recommends traction devices on icy trails, and the Navajo Loop's Wall Street side is closed in winter.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How far is it from Capitol Reef to Bryce Canyon?
Scenic Byway 12 runs 123 miles from Torrey toward Bryce Canyon, about three hours of driving according to the Park Service.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.