Capitol Gorge is a short hike in Capitol Reef National Park in Utah.   From the Visitors’ Center, follow the Scenic Drive south to the end of the pavement and turn down a dirt spur road which winds through the canyon to the trailhead.   This was the only east-west road through the Waterpocket Fold in the Park area prior to 1964.   The Navajo sandstone canyon walls rise on both sides and the Golden Throne stands above the cliffs.

The drive in is a scenic one.   At the parking area in the Gorge, one trail heads up to a high viewpoint near the Golden Throne, a 4 mile round trip.

The Capitol Gorge Trail heads down the canyon on a sandy wash.   Along the way are some petroglyphs, then a Pioneer register (Mormon Pioneers inscribed and dated their names into the sandstone over 100 years ago).   The wash continues for about a mile to a side trail, which climbs up to the “tanks”, deep waterpockets on a stream course.   This is worth the side trip and once up on the slickrock, we could explore for hours.   In the series of waterpockets, an arch can be found (with some scrambling).

Back at the Gorge, I walked down the canyon for another mile and back.   If I had kept going, I would have reached Notom Ranch, outside the Park,  in about 3 km.   The main hike is about 2 miles return, but if you climb past the tanks and go farther down the canyon and back, it can be about 4.5 miles.   Another side canyon goes right (southwest) up Waterpocket Canyon, a route “bookmarked” for future exploration.

We will return to these hills in 2017.