Cathedral Valley Day Trip

By Jacob

Cathedral Valley is the remote northern section of Capitol Reef National Park. The trip is worth it and can be done in 6-8 hours according to the National Parks Service. I would advise you to look up Cathedral Valley on google to see the Temple of the Sun, Temple of the Moon and the many overlooks along the road. For a unique Utah experience I would highly recommend taking this day trip. The total mileage for this trip is at least 58 miles in length. You have to follow rough roads so you will need four wheel drive and high clearance. The first part of this trip involved a quick drive through the Fremont River.

It is advised to take the trip clockwise so that is the order of sights that this article will go in. Your journey begins outside the park 3 miles east of the Orientation Pollout. Turn onto the Hartnet Road to begin your trip to Cathedral Valley. Capitol Reef does not allow parking or camping on this section of the road because it goes through private property. The road then goes down into the Fremont River, which is usually less than a foot deep, and checks conditions at the park visitor center. Head east on the river then exit to the left when you see the road continue.

For 14 miles from the start of the road to the next junction you are traveling outside the park on the North Blue Flats. The first overlook is at a junction this road will take you to the Lower South Desert Overlook. From here you can see some beautiful monoliths as well as mountains in the distance across the park. Past the overlook there is 14 miles to Hartnet Junction. Another overlook leads to the Upper South Desert. Just past the desert overlook is another, the Upper Cathedral Valley. This is the first look at the Cathedral Valley, massive layered monoliths creating a natural wall of gothic architecture. Take the next right into Cathedral Valley at the Hartnett Junction into the valley.

5 spectacular miles later you reach the road to the Gypsum Sinkhole. At the base of the wall of monoliths is this large circular sinkhole, it is 200ft deep 49ft in diameter. It is a bazare sight to see in the middle of an even more strange place. Take some time to explore the area. The monoliths of the valley are awe inspiring and look pretty good for your Instagram account. The area looks more like something NASA would find on Mars rather than here on Earth. 9 miles further down the road is the road to the most stunning monoliths in the park. The Temple of the Sun and Temple of the Moon are standing alone and towering over the landscape. You may want to spend a lot of time here. This is a great place to sit and take in the beauty of the area and the other amazing places in Utah. Be sure to take lots of pictures as the rock formations change color over the course of a day making them always look unique from one minute to the next.

The road continues for another 15 miles back to the town of Caineville, Utah. The road travels through the Caineville Wash and meets with Highway 24. Your journey to Cathedral Valley is over so go find another one somewhere. If you have time I would highly recommend this day trip to Cathedral Valley in Capitol Reef National Park.

Tags

Capitol Reef

Utah