Alerts & Conditions

Alerts

Capitol Reef National Park Operations

Capitol Reef National Park is fully open.

• The park is open 24 hours a day.
• Visitor Center Hours
  • Spring through fall hours (began March 8): 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, daily.
  • Winter hours (begin end of November): 9:00 am to 4:30 pm, daily.
• The Gifford House is open for the season.
  • Operating hours are 9:00 am to 4:30 pm, daily.
• 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 year-round. Reservations for the Fruita Campground, including the Group Site, are available through recreation.gov. Dates are available up to six months in advance (one year in advance for the group site). Generators are only permitted in the C loop except during the winter closure of the C loop, then they are permitted in A and B loops.

 

Orchard Updates

September 20, 2026 Update:

• The Mott orchard is open for harvest of Yellow Delicious, Red Delicious, and Rhode Island Greening apples. The orchard is open dawn to dusk, and apples are $2.00 per pound.
• The Jackson orchard is open for harvest of Red Delicious, Yellow Delicious, Capitol Reef Red, Oregon Spur, Gibson Golden, Prime Gold, Red Fuji, Braeburn, and Empire apples. The orchard is open 9am to 5pm, and apples are $2.00 per pound or $30 per 50-pound bushel.
• The Merin Smith orchard is open for Red Delicious apples and Bartlett Pears. The orchard is open dawn to dusk, and fruit is $2.00 per pound.
• The Holt orchard is open for Red Delicious apples and Bartlett Pears. The orchard is open dawn to dusk, and fruit is $2.00 per pound.
• The Chesnut orchard is open for Red Delicious and Yellow Delicious apples and Bartlett Pears. The orchard is open dawn to dusk, and fruit is $2.00 per pound.

• Fruit consumed in the orchards is free.
• Harvest timing and fruit availability may change based on weather and growing conditions.
• You may see markers or materials in the orchards related to ongoing research, please leave them undisturbed.

 

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 9/20/2026.
 

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

Waterpocket District

Cathedral Valley District

 

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

 

National Parks in Southern Utah

Are you visiting other national parks in southern Utah? Learn more about permits, shuttles, and reservations.