Things to do in Capitol Reef National Park in October

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Overview

October is a great time to visit Capitol Reef National Park. The weather is usually moderately chilly and breezy, with temperatures ranging from 39—66°F (4—19°C).

Capitol Reef National Park has plenty to offer for visitors of all ages and interests. In this article, we tell you the top things to see and do for your October trip to Capitol Reef National Park. Get inspired by the events, activities, attractions, and experiences unique to October. We’ll let you know where to explore events based on your interests, whether that’s food, culture, art, music, sport or others.

We’ll let you know everything you need to prepare for the weather in Capitol Reef National Park in October. Learn about what to wear and pack for your trip, the average temperatures throughout October, temperature changes from morning to evening and much more.

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Best events and things to do in Capitol Reef National Park in October

Top experiences in October
We couldn't find any experiences in October
Holidays in Capitol Reef National Park in October
October
  • Columbus Day (October 12)
Other notable holidays

Weather in Capitol Reef National Park in October

Temperatures on an average day in Capitol Reef National Park in October

The average temperature in Capitol Reef National Park in October for a typical day ranges from a high of 66°F (19°C) to a low of 39°F (4°C). Some would describe the temperature to be moderately chilly. The general area may also feel breezy.

For comparison, the hottest month in Capitol Reef National Park, July, has days with highs of 89°F (32°C) and lows of 62°F (16°C). The coldest month, January has days with highs of 41°F (5°C) and lows of 22°F (-6°C). This graph shows how an average day looks like in Capitol Reef National Park in October based on historical data.

Visiting Capitol Reef National Park? See our Capitol Reef National Park Trip Planner.

Historical temperature average in October
66°F
highs
39°F
lows

General weather summary

Moderately chilly, breezy
Feels like
10%
Chance of rain
0.038 in
Amount
11.9 mph
Wind speed
45%
Humidity
11.2 hrs
Daylight length
7:32 AM
Sunrise
6:47 PM
Sunset
69%
Cloud cover
Sweater
What to wear
What to wear in October
With an average high of 66°F (19°C) and a low of 39°F (4°C), it generally feels moderately chilly and breezy. With that in mind, most people would dress in something moderately warm like a sweater
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Best attractions for Capitol Reef National Park in October

Besides the array of exciting events and activities Capitol Reef National Park has to offer for travelers in October, we want to remind you of the classic attractions in Capitol Reef National Park that are great to visit at this time of the year as well! You can’t miss these iconic landmarks, local favorites, and places rich with cultural heritage. We hope to give you insights and inspiration into the best things to see and do to make the most of your visit. Here is a list of our top attractions in Capitol Reef National Park for October.
Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Center
1. Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Center
4.7
(1812)
Visitor center
Nature & Parks
Slide 1 of 8
I liked this park a lot. I feel like it’s a bit underrated compared to others in the area. We went on a weekend in late April and there weren’t too many crowds. There is no service so download your offline maps to stay prepared :) bring lots of water as the hikes do not have much shade
Stunning, Jaw dropping, amazing! Every turn is an Oooh Ahhh turn. Truly a magnificent place. Thank God they protected these areas. The National parks are one of our greatest treasures
Has a small museum dedicated to the park, and souvenir store. Rangers were friendly and will give you answers in your inquiries about the park.
Really small visitor center. Can't accommodate all the visitors, but the staff were really helpful and they have great exhibits and a small gift shop. Appreciate the maps all being located outside so you don't have to wait in line just to ask for a map.
As usual the staff is always helpful. Make sure you take your ID and American the beautiful pass or money to pay the park entry fee. Many options for souvenirs and interesting facts about the park.
Small visitor center with theater, information desk, and shop. Must get to Gifford house early to get the delicious pies.
This park was so stunning and every moment it was more stunning.The rocks changed their clothes every time.The sun moved
Great camping, great hiking, great National Park! We stayed Friday-Monday and had plenty of time to explore and relax. Try the 🥧 pies and if you are early enough to snag a cinnamon roll they are a must!
Hickman Bridge Trail
2. Hickman Bridge Trail
4.6
(20)
Nature & Parks
Hiking Trails
Relaxed, scenic trail in Capitol Reef National Park heading to a large natural arch & river views.
Slide 1 of 8
Moderate hike me and my wife took our time and it took just over an hour. You can go to the bridge and back, or you can go to the bridge under the bridge and walk around the backside. As a loop, pretty cool little hike. Not too bad. Well, marked, when you go on the backside. Stay tight to the wall. And you'll see the left back to the beginning. I would recommend this hike to anyone if they want to be adventurous, but not go too far off the beaten path.
I went there for a quick run and got done in 28 minutes. It had families and couple spaced throughout the trail. The trail is a 2 mile out and back. There is about 475 feet of elevation gain. Make sure you use wide angle on your pictures at the bridge.
Beautiful hike, moderate effort, trail is marked well. Bring water. We saw a bighorn sheep on the opposite rock walls.
Great hike with beautiful views from the start. The bridge is 133 feet long. The trail is about 2 miles out and back with 400 feet elevation change. The biggest incline is in the beginning of the trail. Decent size of the parking lot and the bathroom at the trail head.
Fun trail but not very well marked. When you get near the top it appears that recent rock falls have forced a change in the path. Ended up hiking down in the dark with flashlights. We had fun, but we enjoy this stuff. Signs are misleading with the distance. I tracked almost 2 miles one way. No pics of the arch since it was dark.
Easy to Moderate difficulty level hiking trail 🥾 This trail is located in the Capital Reef National Park! After having visited 12+ National Parks during our roadtrip, we realized this is the most underrated park 🏞️ The changing landscape offers beautiful views on the way 😍 The trail is well maintained and has great views. The Hickman Bridge is one of the best arches we saw on our Utah roadtrip. Definitely worth visiting this National Park and doing this hike.😊
We were at Capitol Reef national Park for a brief visit. This was the one trail that we did. It gave some great views of the park as well as of course the bridge at the end. Definitely would recommend.
Pretty easy hike- family friendly for the whole crew. Small kids might need a carry, but kids 6+ will probably be fine. Bring water! It’s a short hike, but it has some grades and gets hot. Some shade, but largely open to the sun. Wear sun protection.
Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Center
3. Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Center
4.7
(1812)
Visitor center
Nature & Parks
Slide 1 of 8
I liked this park a lot. I feel like it’s a bit underrated compared to others in the area. We went on a weekend in late April and there weren’t too many crowds. There is no service so download your offline maps to stay prepared :) bring lots of water as the hikes do not have much shade
Stunning, Jaw dropping, amazing! Every turn is an Oooh Ahhh turn. Truly a magnificent place. Thank God they protected these areas. The National parks are one of our greatest treasures
Has a small museum dedicated to the park, and souvenir store. Rangers were friendly and will give you answers in your inquiries about the park.
Really small visitor center. Can't accommodate all the visitors, but the staff were really helpful and they have great exhibits and a small gift shop. Appreciate the maps all being located outside so you don't have to wait in line just to ask for a map.
As usual the staff is always helpful. Make sure you take your ID and American the beautiful pass or money to pay the park entry fee. Many options for souvenirs and interesting facts about the park.
Small visitor center with theater, information desk, and shop. Must get to Gifford house early to get the delicious pies.
This park was so stunning and every moment it was more stunning.The rocks changed their clothes every time.The sun moved
Great camping, great hiking, great National Park! We stayed Friday-Monday and had plenty of time to explore and relax. Try the 🥧 pies and if you are early enough to snag a cinnamon roll they are a must!
Petroglyph Panels
4. Petroglyph Panels
4.6
(471)
Historical place
Sights & Landmarks
Slide 1 of 8
The petroglyphs were very interesting visit. The boardwalk and parking lot allowed for a nice visit.
Worth the quick and easy stop along the side of the road. Really short boardwalk with information plaques explaining the history of the petroglyphs and they are easy to spot.
Really cool to see all the rock carvings. Right off the road. Super easy to check them out.
Definitely worth a quick stop. The petroglyphs aren’t the easiest to see, but you can find them. Very nice boardwalk trail.
If you are traveling on the scenic biway 12 or in the area to visit Capitol Reef, this is a quick roadside attraction stop. There are 2 main areas to see the petroglyphs that are fading away with each decade. The Easter most glyphs are on a wooden pathway that is about 200 yards long. Saddly, the glyphs at the end seem to have broken off as there is a rock on the ground. It looks like they maybe had some but has been washed away over the years. The main area to see the glyphs is right by the parking lot. Make sure you have a camera with a good zoom if you want good pictures of these as they are at the base of the canyon wall.
They have some binoculars set up, it’s definitely better if you look through those or bring your own. They’re pretty cool and if you do t have a lot of time, it’s quick and definitely worth the stop. I wish the signs were a little more clear especially when it comes to if there is anything to look for at the end of the boardwalk.
This spot is about 50 ft from the parking lot, so an easy walk for everyone, there was only the one panel that I saw, so not the best I've seen, but well worth the stop.
Not busy when we stopped by to check them out. Not the best around but they are still awesome to view.
Burr Trail Rd
5. Burr Trail Rd
Nature & Parks
Off-Road & ATV Trails
Gifford Homestead
6. Gifford Homestead
4.7
(661)
Historical place
Slide 1 of 8
Great little spot. The place itself is a bit small but what else would you expect, it's part of the charm. Very cool little gifts and things to buy. Has a small museum in one of the rooms. They sell some very yummy fruits and jams. The pies are amazing. Home made and delicious. Easy to find, not sure why others can't, must be a personal issue navigating a map.
The pies are amazing, especially for only $8.50. But they close for lunch and some of the items are ridiculously expensive, like $54 for a wooden spoon. There are picnic tables right outside to sit and eat or the picnic area just before the homestead.
Great pie and National Parks. A pairing that is a great idea. They also have limited quantities of cinnamon rolls and sourdough bread. At least that's what the label on the empty case says. Pie flavors include apple, strawberry rhubarb, mixed berry, peach, and cherry. We tried cherry, peach (pictured), and strawberry rhubarb. They were all very tasty and the crust was flaky and delicious. I wish I could have more great pie like these at other national parks!
*NOTE: no fruit this year (2025) because all the blossoms froze in the spring. They still make and sell pies but they’re not made with Capitol Reef fruit. So cute, love the nods to pioneer life and culture. These people built sustainably before it was cool. They used but also enriched the land through proper land management. So much respect for these early settlers that carved out a life here!
Get here as early as you can. There was a line out the door at 9:00 a.m., when they opened. They sell outof their pies much earlier than 4:30. The pies are tasty and pretty sweet. The pies are not made at site, but are driven there and dropped off in the morning. The pie filling for some of the pies isn't fresh, but canned filling.
We like most people, stopped in here for the pies, and was it worth the stop, they were amazing and well worth the $8,there are shaded parks around the house, so you can sit and enjoy you plunder with a light breeze comforting you as you rest after you day of hiking and sightseeing.
The mixed berry pie was very delicious; the filling and crust were perfectly baked. We also bought bread and jams to take home. Even though we had to wait because they were closed for lunch when we arrived, we were happy to stop by.
Well preserved house which is now a mini museum and a store. The staff are nice, it tends to get crowded. Its unfortunate we missed out on its famous pies. :(
Goosenecks Overlook Trl
7. Goosenecks Overlook Trl
5.0
(1)
Nature & Parks
Hiking Trails
Capitol Gorge Rd
8. Capitol Gorge Rd
Nature & Parks
Hiking Trails
Fruita
9. Fruita
Sights & Landmarks
Historic Sites
Fruita is the best-known settlement in Capitol Reef National Park in Wayne County, Utah, United States. It is located at the confluence of Fremont River and Sulphur Creek. Despite its status as ghost town, it is the location of the National Park Service's employee residences. Wikipedia.
Cathedral Valley Rd
10. Cathedral Valley Rd
Nature & Parks
Valleys
Circular biking & driving route past sandstone monoliths & colorful hills in the Painted Desert.
Cohab Canyon
11. Cohab Canyon
5.0
(6)
Ravine
Nature & Parks
Slide 1 of 5
This canyon is fascinating and unique. I started in Fruits across from the cute old house that sells home baked pies, and baked goods. The trail head is on the opposite side of the road of the pie place and further down the road towards the barn. You know when you find it for it is well marked right off the road. It starts with a series of switch backs to climb up the mountain. The views of the barn and the campground and some beautiful Capitol Reef cliffs are beautiful, but the thing I liked the most was how the switchbacks were so carefully and beautifully crafted. Someone took some great pride in doing an amazing job making this trail so nice. When you finally get to the top of the switchbacks you are at a base of a tall vertically rock slab. You walk along the bae and then this gorgeous canyon opens up. I seriously had my jaw drop open for I did not expect it to be so pretty. This canyon has unique holes in the cliff walls creating interesting shapes. It is called Cohab canyon after the cohabitation. In the early days of the Church of Jesus Christ of LDS there a lot more women that felt the spirit about the truthfulness of the teachings. During this time period of women having no rights, and trying to settle in a area with no nearby towns and hostile Indians, if was crucial that these excess women had a man that would protect them and care for them. That is why some men in the Church of Jesus Christ of LDS were asked to care for more than 1 wife. The US government found out and sent military to kill these men (which would have left the women and children in a very scary life threatening situation.). The men head up to this canyon that has hundreds of places to hide. There are narrow slot canyons, ledges, and caves. That are perfect places to hide. So that is how to got it's name is because if safely hid many men that were trying to provide for an extra women so they not only could have food, means, and home, but also not be withheld from enjoying the blessings of family and children. Gorgeous place, and very fun to count how many hiding places you can find. It also has a really nice Hoodoo. Highly recommended hike. #LetsGuide #CapitolReef
This hike was so much fun. We only saw three people the entire time. We went early in the morning then had a post-hike pie at the Gifford House
This is a super fun canyon to hike, recommended for any skill level
A sharp climb at the beginning leads to a walk through a beautiful canyon and up to incredible viewpoints that cannot be missed. Lots of lizard friends along the way!
(Translated by Google) Superb viewpoint and hike in the heart of a small, charming canyon (Original) Superbe point de vue et randonnée au coeur d’un petit canyon, charmant
Sunset Point
12. Sunset Point
4.8
(150)
Scenic spot
Nature & Parks
Slide 1 of 8
So beautiful at sunset. It feels like you're looking at a painting as the sun hits the rocks. Get there well before sunset so you can find a parking spot and a good spot to watch the sunset on the rocks. The hike is easy with fun boulders for the kids to climb along the way.
The views were fine, I thought panorama point was better for sunset, the goose necks would be too. It would be a great spot to watch the sunrise though.
Nice little hike. Beautiful scenery.
The views are unbelievable. It’s amazing how far you can see in all directions. The trail is easy even for a fat guy like me. Be careful near the edges, some are sheer drop offs with loose ground around. The wind whips up there, feels good. A must for those looking for an easy hike.
Very easy 1/3mile trail. Startedtrail at 19:00 with 2 kids (6 & 4 yrs old) and get to the point at 19:10. it was just 10 minutes trail,but view was a lot better than panorama point. Took a kids picture with beautiful sunset for 25 minutes and get back to parking lot at 19:45. i do recomend this place!!
You can drive past Panorama Point to Goosenecks and Sunset Point - very short and manageable walks to both. Sunset Point was one of the more impressive vistas that we have seen in the US National Parks, and is highly recommended. Make sure you climb up on the rocks there for the best view.
Short hike and worth the views. Even with clouds the sun hit multiple cliff faces and gave stark shadowing. Showed up an hour before sunset and not many people were there, we left about 30 minutes prior to sunset and it was getting pretty packed.
The view wasn’t worth the hike. On the positive side, there were some interesting-looking stones along the trail.
Larb Hollow Overlook
13. Larb Hollow Overlook
4.8
(604)
Scenic spot
Sights & Landmarks
Slide 1 of 8
Stunning viewpoint and well worth the pull off! One of my favorite viewpoints in Utah.
Great place to take pictures of an arch from either side of it. You can go into the campground/amphitheater and get the other side of the view
Visited on 9.22.2025. Spectacular Views and you can see the rock formation outlines of Capitol Reef National Park from this area.
Million Dollar Highway, Billion Dollar View. Can see clear to Canyonlands. Cainville Mesa and Factory Butte are prominent, epic beyond belief. If driving highway 12, this is a must stop. Quick easy parking.
Excellent stopping point to rest and use the restroom. The views are amazing. The restroom is well maintained. Definitely a must stop to take in the scenery.
Incredible view!! Well worth the quick stop. There are restrooms as well.
The views from this overlook are stunning! The pictures don’t even come near to doing it justice. If you are driving along Utah Highway 12, you need to stop here and see it for yourself. You can see Lower Browns Reservoir in the near ground, Waterpocket Fold inside Capitol Reef National Park in the mid ground, then the Henry Mountains in the distance.
Absolutely beautiful over look of the mountains and valleys. It was a great stop for our family with bathrooms and a dumpster for trash. Stunning view, that pictures just can't do it justice.
Behunin Cabin
14. Behunin Cabin
4.6
(62)
Historical landmark
Sights & Landmarks
Slide 1 of 8
I just wanna know how Old Man Behunin squeezed 13 kids and his wife in this shack.
Really cool historic cabin
I’m impressed that buildings this old are still standing. It’s kind of fun having a Mormon background because you get to see posts from random relatives you didn’t know existed. Elijah is my great great great grandfather. There’s a ton of information about him on the family search site. Lots of pictures too.
Nice place to stop for a leg stretch and photo op. Great piece of history to check out on your way out of or in to Fruita.
A quick roadside stop to make on Rt 24 towards the east end of Capital Reef National Park is the historic Behunin Cabin situated beside the road. This one room cabin was built by and for the Elijah Bahunin family in 1882. You can't enter the cabin but can walk around it and peer into its windows. There is an information sign on site so you can learn about their building. Difficult to imagine that Elijah, his wife and perhaps 11 of his 13 children resided in this small single room dwelling. In the end, this is a quick 3-5 minute stop to see an early Settler cabin, something that will be interesting to those who appreciate history and architecture.
Nice preserved cabin.
Awesome History! I’m so thankful for the faith and determination these amazing grandparents of mine had. Their faith has blessed my family and life immensely.
In Capitol Reef this cabin housed a very large family. Interesting the kids slept in the holes in the cliff by the cabin.
Chimney Rock Trailhead
15. Chimney Rock Trailhead
4.8
(189)
Hiking area
Nature & Parks
Slide 1 of 8
If you follow the trail counterclockwise as instructed the first part is steep but relatively short. You get a good view of the chimney from above. Then you can just go back the way you came but if you're up for a good but fairly easy hike follow the loop around for a 3.5 ish mile mostly downhill hike. Good views and few people. Worth the time
Wow, what a great 3 mile hike. Has some good climbing at the 1st about 625 ft to the top of the Mesa. Then you walk the ridge and get amazing views. I think I saw people in ages from 6-60s. The 1st 1 miles is pretty steep and is made up of steps and switchbacks.
Awesome moderate hike. I think it's in the top five in national Park hikes in the country. Do the entire loop. There is a variety of scenery along the way. Great parking lot to leave vehicle.
We walked just a bit around just close to the trailhead area. We didn't go far because it was getting too late to hike up, and we are not prepared for it. We came back in the evening after we drove around the Capitol Reef. Other overlook.
Great loop hike. Awesome views. Bring lots of water
Parking area has about 20 spaces. Good views of Chimney Rock when you park. I only walked about 5 minutes down the trail before turning around. The whole loop trail is 3.6 miles with 790 feet of elevation gain.
Nice 3 mile hike on the Chimney trail. Start counterclockwise and get the steepest part out of the way right away. But it is a loop, so whatever you go up in elevation, you eventually go down.
Lots of comments concerning the direction of the loop, I don't think it matters much. The views are great either way. If you have trouble with joints, then descending the steep portion will be difficult, so do the loop counter clockwise. The trail surface was great, generally smooth and easy hiking. Just a few places that were more rocky and rugged. This is just a nice hike with good views.
Pioneer Register
16. Pioneer Register
4.6
(45)
Historical place
Sights & Landmarks
Slide 1 of 8
The trail is awesome. The giant cliff face with names written all over it is awesome. The drive there is awesome. Took some pictures of wildlife we saw on the road to the hike.
Super cool piece of history! Fun to see the different handwriting and dates. Easy little hike to get to this wall section.
Interesting place to hike to. Many dates seen are from the late 1800's and early 1900's. This hike has beautiful scenery... Your neck may hurt after hiking here from maintaining an upward look 😁
One of the interesting things to see along the Capital Gorge Trail is the Pioneer Register, which is a stretch of sandstone wall where early travellers recorded their names after passing through the gorge. Here you can make out names and dates from the 1880s to early 20th century, mixed in with more recent and unfortunate graffiti. There are a fair number of traveller names to view and take pictures of if interested. Note: You can also find petroglyphs from the Fremont people who lived in this area between 600 and 1300 AD, not far from the trailhead parking lot. Unfortunately, time has done these images no favours and they are in rather poor condition. Both the Pioneer Register and the much earlier petroglyphs are worth spending a few minutes during your hike of the Capital Gorge. Enjoy them and take a few snapshots and then continue onward into the gorge.
Rough road, but great rocks
It was ok. Not really what we expected. There's really just one wall with some writing, which is kind of cool. But, if you want to do something else and are trying to choose what to do, I'd save this for another time. Simple, but a lot of rocks on the trail.
This was a fun, easy hike to see. The trailhead is well kept and well maintained. If you keep going you can hike to natural water tanks.
In and out trail that also includes other points of interest further on including Petroglyphs and the Tanks. Hot in the summer with limited shade, happily no biting insects.
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