You are here

Home » Capitol Reef National Park Announces Initial Reopening Schedule

Capitol Reef National Park Announces Initial Reopening Schedule

Share
By NPT Staff - May 4th, 2020

Some remote areas of Capitol Reef National Park will reopen to the public on Tuesday/NPS file

Some remote areas of Capitol Reef National Park will reopen to the public on Tuesday/NPS file

Capitol Reef National Park in Utah will slowly allow visitors back into the park beginning Tuesday, though some of the most popular areas will remain closed for the time being.

On Tuesday, the park will reopen access to:

  • Day use in the South District (Waterpocket Fold), and overnight stays in Cedar Mesa campground.
  • Day use in the North District (Cathedral Valley) and overnight stays in Cathedral Valley campground.
  • Non-trailhead Pullouts along Highway 24 for scenic viewing.

With public health in mind, the following facilities and areas remain closed:

  • Scenic Drive, and all trailheads, trails, and canyoneering routes accessed from Highway 24 and Scenic Drive.
  • Overnight use other than at Cedar Mesa and Cathedral Valley campgrounds.
  • The visitor center, Gifford House, and Fruita campground.

“We are pleased to begin reopening the park to our communities and visitors, and hope this helps our local businesses re-open their operations with assurance that the park is moving towards phased re-opening access. We appreciate the coordination with county representatives, the Central Utah Public Health Department, and the state of Utah in developing our resumption of operations steps. We look forward to seeing you in the broad expanses of the northern and southern portions of this spectacular park” said Superintendent Sue Fritzke.

Comments

Submitted by Danielle on May 4, 2020 - 10:08am.

Arches and Canyonlands still haven't cancelled campground reservations on Recreation.gov from May 9 onward  Does this point to potential plans to reopen them?


Submitted by abuura on May 4, 2020 - 4:57pm.

One can only hope, but I fear the best time of the year to be in the backcountry is going to be closed :-(


Submitted by Marie on May 5, 2020 - 6:39pm.

Arches cancelled my reservation for May 27


Add comment

CAPTCHA

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.