Alerts & Conditions

Alerts

Capitol Reef National Park Operations

Capitol Reef National Park is fully open.

• The park is open 24 hours a day.
• The visitor center is open from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm daily.
• The Gifford House is open for the season.
  • Operating hours are 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and 12:45 pm to 4:30 pm.
• Operations are subject to change at any time.
• Ranger programs will be listed at the visitor center and on bulletin boards.
• Backcountry camping permits can be obtained at the visitor center, during open hours. Please arrive early enough to complete the permit process before closing.
• Most Canyoneering routes are open (with a permit). Check alerts above for seasonal closures.
• The Fruita Campground is reservable from March 1 through October 31. Reservations for the Fruita Campground, including the Group Site, are available through recreation.gov. Dates are available up to six months in advance. The campground is first-come, first-served from November 1 to February 28 and generators are only permitted in the C loop.

 

Current Road Conditions

Select from the three park districts below to see road conditions. Please be advised that road conditions on the website are updated weekly. The park road condition phone line has the most up to date information. Conditions may change due to weather at a moments notice. Road conditions update as of 5/14/2024.
 

Condition:	Definition:
2WD	Two Wheel Drive. Accessible to standard vehicles.
HC2WD	High Clearance Two Wheel Drive.
HC4WD	High Clearance Four Wheel Drive.
Closed	Road is closed for travel.
Impassable	Conditions are too dangerous for travel.
Unknown	Conditions are unknown at this time.
Likely Impassable	While unknown, the road may be impassable.
Not recommended	High danger of travel on road.

High Clearance: Capitol Reef National Park defines high clearance as 8 inch minimum. Many outside agencies define it as 9 inches or more. In some situations, car length can make a difference, since washouts can get long-wheelbase cars stuck.

Fruita Historic District

Road Name	Condition	Updated on
Scenic Drive	2WD, closed at jct. w/ Grand Wash Rd.	5/14/24
Grand Wash	2WD	5/14/24
Capitol Gorge	Closed through Fall 2024	5/14/24
South Draw	Not recommended, extremely rough & unmaintained	5/14/24
Pleasant Creek	2WD, only accessible from South Draw Rd.	5/14/24
Sulphur Creek Rd	2WD	5/14/24
Gooseneck Rd	2WD	5/14/24

Waterpocket District

Road Name	Condition	Updated on
Notom-Bullfrog Rd	2WD, washboarded	5/14/24
Burr Trail Rd	2WD, smooth	5/14/24
Strike Valley Overlook Rd	HC4WD	5/14/24
Halls Creek Overlook Rd	HC4WD	5/14/24
Bullfrog Creek Crossing	HC2WD	5/14/24

Cathedral Valley District

Road Name	Condition	Updated on
River Ford	9" deep, HC4WD	5/14/24
Hartnet Rd	HC2WD	5/14/24
Bentonite Hills Area	HC2WD	5/14/24
Cathedral Valley Rd	HC2WD	5/14/24
Baker Ranch Rd	Unknown	5/14/24
Polk Creek Rd	HC2WD within park boundaries	5/14/24
Oil Well Bench Rd	Unknown	5/14/24

 

Call 435-425-3791 to reach the automated phone tree, which has the weather forecast recorded daily; updates on road conditions as they change; and the fruit hotline for flowering and harvesting information.

Press #1 for information, then press:
#1 to have information mailed to you
#2 for campground information
#3 for the daily weather forecast
#4 for road conditions
#5 for orchard and fruit information
#6 for the visitor center bookstore
#7 for visitor center information
#8 to leave a message for visitor center staff