Wash canyon
Capitol Gorge
The narrow canyon that carried the main road through Capitol Reef from 1884 to 1962, with petroglyphs, the Pioneer Register and a short walk to waterpockets.
Capitol Gorge twists through Wingate sandstone below white Navajo sandstone domes, the domes that gave Capitol Reef part of its name. Mormon pioneers spent eight days in 1884 clearing the first road through it, and settlers cleared debris after every flash flood until Highway 24 was paved along the Fremont River in 1962.
The Capitol Gorge spur road now ends a few miles in. From there the park’s easy trail runs 1 mile one way through the gorge, past worn petroglyphs and the Pioneer Register, where early travelers recorded their names, to a short climb to waterpockets called the Tanks. The Golden Throne trail starts at the same trailhead. The park prohibits damaging or removing anything, so leave no marks of your own.
Safety
The spur road and trail are in the bottom of the canyon. The park warns that Capitol Gorge floods quickly in storms; in June 2022 two vehicles were washed down it. Stay out when storms threaten.