Best Things To Do In Capitol Reef National Park
1. Highway 24
Highway 24 is the main road that runs through the park. This road runs east west for 16 miles inside the park boundaries, following alongside the Fremont River.
Highway 24 is a very scenic stretch of road. In the east, the road twists and turns along the Fremont River, past massive domes and cliffs of white Navajo sandstone. As you approach Fruita, the views open up, as you drive through a valley filled with orchards and historic buildings along the Fremont River. As you continue to head west towards Torrey, you will drive past immense red sandstone mountains, cliffs and rock formations.
Overlooking Highway 24 and Fruita from the Cohab Canyon Trail
There is no fee to drive on Highway 24,so you can tour this part of Capitol Reef without paying a park entrance fee. This no fee zone includes several of the other best things to do in Capitol Reef, including Sunset and Panorama points, the petroglyphs, and a few hiking trails.
2. Panorama Point
Panorama Point offers beautiful views over Highway 24 as it winds its way through the park. This viewpoint is located just off Highway 24 and it is a quick and easy way to get a spectacular view of Capitol Reef Park.
Getting Here: On Highway 24, there will be a sign marking Panorama Point and Sunset Point. Turn here and its a very short drive on a gravel road to the parking lot for Panorama Point. If you continue down this road, you will get to Sunset Point and the Goosenecks Overlook.
3. Sunset Point
8. Go Hiking
Welcome To Torrey Utah
The gateway to Capitol Reef National Park, the pretty little tree-filled town of Torrey is one of Southern Utah’s jewels. No doubt the charm of Torrey is one reason the premier bicycle race, The Tour of Utah has chosen Torrey for its second stage of the race.
The town was settled in the 1880’s by Mormon pioneers. Sand Creek, flowing from Thousand Lake Mountain attracted the settlers as a good source of water for their families and crops.
No doubt they appreciated the magnificence of Thousand Lake Mountain, as a beautiful edifice as well as a grass-filled home for their livestock. Legend has it that Torrey was named after one of Theodore Roosevelt’s Rough Riders, Colonel Torrey.
Torrey has had many famous visitors, among them John Wesley Powell, Butch Cassidy, Zane Grey, Maynard Dixon and Wallace Stegner. Torrey is currently home for an eclectic group of people. There is a mixture of the descendants of the pioneers and a variety of newcomers, many of whom like to hike and explore the vast surroundings of mountains & canyons & deserts & rivers.
Located In South Central Utah And Named For One Of President Theodore Roosevelt’s Rough Riders The Town Of Torrey Is The Gateway To Capitol Reef National Park
- Torrey is the gateway to Capitol Reef, just 8 miles form the park entrance.
- Visit Torrey’s cafes, gift shops, bookstores, and galleries.
- Take a hike on nearby Boulder Mountain.
- The Torrey Historic Schoolhouse was built in 1898.
- Capitol Reef National Park is open year round and has no entrance fee.
Overview
Torrey Utah is in Wayne County and has a population of 171 people and an elevation of 6830 feet, and the clocks are set to Mountain Standard Time.
Location
Torrey is located on Utah Highway 24 in Wayne County, in South Central Utah, just eight miles from the entrance to Capitol Reef.
Services
Torrey has a handful of small hotels, bed and breakfasts, restaurants, and an RV Park.
Activities
Stroll through town and visit a handful of fly shops, bookstores, art galleries, and restaurants. Explore some of the local landscape, take a hike on nearby Boulder Mountain or Thousand Lake Mountain, or drive 8 miles to Capitol Reef National Park and explore the Waterpocket Fold and the Fruita Historical District. Torrey also has rental companies that specialize in bikes, jeeps, and horseback riding.
Attractions
Getting Here
Torrey is known as the Gateway to Capitol Reef National Park because of its close proximity to the park entrance. Follow Utah Highway 24 East from Torrey eight miles to the Capitol Reef entrance
Fun Facts
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Hang Out In The Lobby At Red Sands Hotel
“We stayed here when visiting Capitol Reef national park. Overall, it was a pretty nice hotel. I felt like the bathrooms could have been a little nicer. The bathtub creaked and made me feel like I was going to break it while I was standing in it. They didn’t serve breakfast when we were there , if that’s something you care about. We don’t eat breakfast so we didn’t mind. The WiFi was good when our devices were connected, but it kept dropping and our devices would disconnect and reconnect. The location is great. It’s about 10 minutes from Capitol Reef and right by restaurants in Torrey. I’d stay here again.”
Experience The Flavors Of The Wild Rabbit Cafe
“So good that we had to come twice within our two days in Torrey. Cozy and warm, this place is a real gem in the neighborhood for breakfast and lunch. The staff is friendly and courteous, and the space is fairly large. There were never any issues finding seats. When Pigs Fly – Absolutely delicious. I love the crusted tomato slices. The feta and swiss cheese goes very well together and adds a lot of flavor to the sandwich. This is quite the interesting sandwich I’m glad I chose it. Egg Scramble – The next day, I chose the egg scramble with bacon, cheddar cheese, and a croissant. There were plenty of great veggies intertwined in scrambled eggs the tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, onions, and bell peppers made this scramble a complete package, and I walked away delighted. Price: 4/5Quality: 5/5Quantity: 5/5Service: 5/5Atmosphere: 5/5”
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Check In And Get Settled At Capitol Reef Resort
“Friendly and helpful service, beautiful view. Definitely worth the small price difference for an upgraded room with a patio and view of the rock formations, great sunrise and sunset views. The fully functioning hot tub is a godsend after a day of hiking. Pioneer Kitchen restaurant is good and reasonably priced for a “resort” . Only downside is that the rooms are kinda sad outdated, rips on chairs, furniture very scratched up, the door had to be pulled hard to actually latch. These things didn’t matter to me because the room was clean, but it matters to some people. Finally, housekeeping was incredible. In an age where hotels have drastically cut back on this service, we didn’t expect it for a two night stay. In the morning, before we left for our hikes, I had put all my clothes in neat piles on the bed . We returned in the evening to find the bed made up and every pile of clothing put back exactly as they were . Incredible!I would stay here again without a doubt. Next time in one of the cabins”
$$Moderate
Things To Do In Torrey That Arent National Parks
May 24, 2019 | Cougar Ridge Lodge, National Parks, Our Blog, Surrounding Area |
Most visitors to this region of the country come for a taste of Utahs Mighty 5 National Parks. But if you only plan to spend your days wandering the red rock cliffs of Capitol Reef National Park, youll miss out on the many other natural-and manmade-wonders that Torrey, Utah has to offer. From taking in the stars to a scenic road trip, keep reading to learn 4 things to do in Torrey that arent National Parks.
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Highway 12 Scenic Byway
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 744 reviews
This 122-mile route, located in the southwestern region of the state, passes Bryce Canyon and the Grand Staircase-Escalante Monument.
Reviewed By CarElzSEA
Get BBQ in Tropic. Hike to Calf Creek Falls. Eat at Hells Backbone grill. Visit the Anasazi Museum. Allow extra time. Stay at the Prospector Inn, Escalante. Slowly drive the Hogback . Here’s the list of highlights along the road: Capitol Reef National ParkBoulder MountainAnasazi State ParkBurr TrailHell’s Backbone BackwayHogbackCalf Creek FallsEscalante River TrailheadCanyons of the EscalanteUpper Valley GranariesEscalante Petrified Forest State ParkThe Blues OverlookGrand Staircase National MonumentKodachrome Basin State ParkBryce Canyon National ParkRed CanyonThe problem is having enough time!
Capitol Reef National Park
Torrey’s main claim to fame is that it is a gateway town to Capitol Reef National Park , the most central of Utah’s five national parks. Capitol Reef, located 8 miles from Torrey, is named after a 100-mile monocline called the Waterpocket Fold that resembles a reef. In addition to this interesting structure, visitors will find sandstone monoliths, otherworldly rock formations and sweeping views. Park activities include rock climbing, hiking, backpacking, camping and mountain biking.
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Planning Your Torrey Utah Adventure
While Capitol Reef National Park and nearby Zion and Bryce Canyon are certainly big draws for visitors, Torrey, Utah has plenty more to offer. In between horseback riding, grill outs, and spa treatments at Cougar Ridge, be sure to check out some of the other things that the area has to offer!
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Grand Staircaseescalante National Monument
Life feeling too tame? Head to where the West is still wild and become the feral backcountry animal you were always meant to be. The hearty and hale should hike into the Kaiparowits Plateau, a rugged highland where the water is scarce, the views are screaming and the canyons reward the persistent. The curious-but-slightly-more-cautious can drop into the canyons carved by the Escalante River, where plants spring out of natural seeps, wildlife lurks around every corner and the desert gets generous with secret swimming holes. The extra-curious can suck in their stomachs and try one of the areas many slot canyons, where the only thing narrower than the walls is your sideways body. But after dieting comes dessert, as the Vermillion Cliffs offer up a rocky layer cake of peaches, whites and greens. All said, its enough wildness to stave off a midlife crisis.
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Best Things To Do In Torrey Utah
Have you ever visited a new place and felt wow about it? For many visitors, it happens at Torrey.
Torrey may not be as popular as other cities in United States, but dont let that fool you. Torrey is a smaller but beautiful upcoming tourist destination that is worth a visit. You will be surprised by some of the unique things to do and places you can explore at this hidden destination.
You can definitely plan a few hours of a side trip here while traveling to Bryce Canyon National Park or Escalante. You might wish to revisit it someday again, to take a break and relax at Torrey.
If you have plans to visit United States and are not sure if Torrey should be included in your itinerary, keep reading. In this list, we have put together some of the things to do in Torrey and around. We have a hunch that if you include this city in your travel plans, you will be thrilled you did so.
International Dark Sky Community
Throughout the year, Torrey can now officially celebrate its pristine dark skies and stargazing opportunities thanks to its 2018 accreditation by the International Dark-Sky Association as an International Dark Sky Community. What this means is that the town came together to protect its night skies by improving outdoor lighting ordinances and retrofitting dark-sky compliant outdoor lighting to minimize light pollution and strengthen the town’s already close relationship with nature, place and the universe.
Temple of the Moon
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Things To Do In Torrey Utah
Things to Do in Torrey, Utah
Torrey is a tiny town in south-central Utah that is a gateway to some of the state’s most robust outdoor adventures. What the town lacks in population 171 was the official count as of 2011 it makes up for in scenic vistas, pristine wilderness and backcountry adventures. In fact, most of the town’s activities take place outside its borders.
