South Draw Road - Capitol Reef NP

Total Miles
5.6

Technical Rating

Moderate

Best Time

Spring, Summer, Fall

Trail Type

Full-Width Road

Accessible By

Trail Overview

Rugged but fun dirt and rock route accessing Capitol Reef National Park through the back door. This route is little maintained. It both crosses and runs along the creek bed of South Draw and becomes braided in multiple spots. Check with the ranger station about current conditions and avoid during wet weather.

Photos of South Draw Road - Capitol Reef NP

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Difficulty

rugged dirt road

Technical Rating

Status Reports

Posted sign at the entrance to Capitol Reef. No through road to SR24. Vehicles must turn around at Pleasant Creek and return to access road! Trail is marked is 4x4 required and not recommended due to maintenance. There’s no date on the posted sign.

There are a few narrow sections but my F150 could fit through. The crux is a short (50 yard) descent at the park boundary on the south side. Steep (probably 8-10%) with large rocks/steps (12-18") and a drop off on the side. Only other vehicle I saw were two park rangers.

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