Capitol Reef NP is the least visited of the five national parks in Utah, but only because of its location. The park has red rock canyons, bridges, cliffs and domes. We had some wild weather while we were there: thunderstorms, lightning, hail, rainbows and sun, all within the span of a day and a half.

Although the Scenic Road was closed due to flooding, the weather didn’t take away from the beauty of the park. Hiking in the rain was easy as the sandstone does not get slippery at all. Here are some of the hikes we liked:

– Hickman Bridge Trail

– Rim Overlook Trail

– Sunset Point Trail. There is a 360 degree view at the end of the trail.
– Norton-Bullfrog Road to Burr Trail Road. The mostly unpaved road around the park is very scenic and is a must (need a high clearance car to get through some flooded spots if raining). Burr Trail Road passes through Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and the area is as spectacular as the park, if not more. The most impressive find was an unmarked canyon I accidentally spotted in the solid wall of red rock.