Capitol Reef and Surrounding Area
Capitol Reef is one of the most overlooked National Parks in the United States. Despite this, it and the surrounding area is a photographer's paradise, especially in the Fall when the Aspen, Cottonwoods, and Poplar are changing color. Aspen are found on Boulder Mountain which is about 15 miles South and a bit West of Capitol Reef on Highway 12. Highway 12 is often named as the most scenic highway in America and the drive over Boulder Mountain from Boulder Utah to Torrey is spectacular when the Aspen are changing. This usually occurs about the last week of September and can be short lived if there is an early snowfall or high wind. Cottonwoods and Poplar trees are found along Sulfur Creek and the Fremont River, and along the Dirty Devil river in Hanksville. The last week of October is a good time to catch them changing. Some of the areas to visit in the area include:
In Capitol Reef
Sulfur Creek and the Castle - across from the visitor center
The picnic area has many poplar trees and is very good in late October, mule deer are often present but shy.
There is a small waterfall on the Fremont River on the left just past Behunin Cabin on Highway 24. Park at the pullout on the North side just east of Behunin Cabin marked by a sign that states no jumping, diving, ...
The twin rocks near the west entrance on Highway 24 photograph well in the spring when there are wildflowers present. A good sunset shot.
Panorama point near the West entrance at sunset.
Strike Valley Overlook - off the Burr Trail three miles from the west end of the road (intersection of the Burr Trail and the Notom Bullfrog Road). If you are coming from the East the turnoff is about 30 miles from Boulder Utah on the Burr Trail. To reach the trailhead turn north off the Burr Trail and drive about 3.25 miles to the trailhead and sign the trail register. This road is only passable to 4WD vehicles. From the trailhead it is about .35 miles to the overlook.
Cathedral Valley
In my opinion Cathedral Valley is the most photogenic part of Capitol Reef. There are two access roads into Cathedral Valley from the South, and several from the North. Access from the North is via the Thousand Lakes region from I70 and will not be covered here despite being very scenic and worth exploring. Almost all visitors, and there are few, come in via the South. A 4WD vehicle is required to access the area. Cathedral Valley is accessed via a 60 mile long loop road from Highway 24. Allow at least four hours to travel the loop and probably a lot more. To complete the loop requires fording the Fremont River. Water levels in the Fremont are usually less than a foot and the ford is normally not difficult. You should ask about conditions at the Visitor Center in Capitol Reef before attempting it. As of late October 2010 crossing was not possible due to heavy mud just before the river ford near highway 24. My understanding is that there was also a rock fall blocking the road on the other side of the river. The crossing is 2.7 miles from the east boundary of Capitol Reef on Highway 24 and is clearly signed. It is recommended that if you drive the loop road you start with the river ford so that if there are any problems you find out about them immediately rather than driving 60 miles and having to return the same way you came. The other southern access is via Caineville Road which intersects Highway 24 9.3 miles from the east boundary of the park (18.6 miles from the visitor center). Caineville road was in good condition as of late October 2010. Most of Caineville road is on BLM land and you can freely car camp overnight along the road. To car camp within Capitol Reef NP you must park in a designated campground.
Temple of the Sun and Moon - if you are not driving the full loop of Cathedral Valley easiest access is via Caineville Road. Drive 15.3 miles from the intersection of Caineville Road and Highway 24 and turn left onto the signed dirt road. Temple of the Moon is about 2 miles down this road, park a bit before it so that your car is not in your pictures. The temples are best photographed in the morning with the best time of year being around the spring or fall solstice when light will hit them earliest. At dawn they take on a wonderful red glow. If you are photographing both "temples" I suggest walking 100 yards or so south of Temple of the Moon before shooting. This will make the Temple of the Sun more prominent. Otherwise it will appear very small in your picture despite being taller than the Temple of the Moon. The shot of both temples is almost due North so this is a good "star trails" location. If you intend to shoot at dawn you can either drive Caineville road in the dark, plan on at least an hour to do this, or car camp pretty much anywhere on Caineville Road. You cannot camp at the temples themselves since they are within the national park where camping is permitted only in designated campgrounds. If you plan to shoot both temples in the evening you need to be there a few hours before sunset, otherwise one temple will be in shadow. Glass Mountain is close by, to me it is uninteresting.
Upper Cathedral Valley Overlook is a good evening location and is 30 miles from the River ford. A short hike is needed to get to the overlook. Best a bit before sunset, you can camp at the NPS Cathedral Valley campground - pit toilets, no fee, no water. Six sites available, first come, first served. Very unlikely it would ever be filled.
South Desert Overlook is an evening location 27 miles from the river ford.
Bentonite Hills is a great location 9 miles from the river ford. It photographs best a few hours after sunrise or before sunset, otherwise they are in shadow. If there is heavy rain the road at the hills is impassable and you will have difficulty even walking on them.
Outside the Park
Boulder Mountain has a great many lakes accessed from spur roads off of Highway 12. In late September when the Aspen are changing the views from Highway 12 which crosses the Mountain are wonderful. Snow as early as mid September is possible but the road is regularly plowed and is normally open throughout the winter. You can also access the Boulder Mountain area via the South Draw Road which runs from the end of the paved section of the Scenic drive all the way to Highway 12. Both ends are marked "Pleasant Creek". This road can be difficult even for 4WD vehicles and is not open in the winter. The town of Boulder is a good place to stay in the area, Boulder Mountain Lodge and Hell's Backbone Grill are both excellent though pricey - reservations are needed at both, well in advance for the lodge. The town of Boulder is midway between Capitol Reef and the Escalante National Monument.
Factory Butte takes on a wonderful red glow at sunrise. The Butte is surrounded by a sea of Mancos shale which can be interesting in itself, especially during wildflower season. The Mancos shale is occassionally marred by ATV tracks. It is my understanding that ATVs are no longer allowed outside of the "Swing Arm City" area so the situation is improving for photographers. Hopefully whatever the final wilderness plan that is drawn up it will meet the needs of all interested parties (hunters, fishers, hikers, photographers, and ATVers). Good luck with that! Factory Butte is best photographed at dawn from the east side. Access is via Factory Bench Road which is a good gravel road (2WD okay for much of it). The road is also known as Coal Mine Road or Muddy Creek Road. Factory Bench Road starts at highway 24 9.7 miles from Hanksville. A good location from which to photograph the butte is about 5.5 miles from the intersection of Highway 24 with Factory Bench Road. There is a small rock outcrop here and some small round boulders which provide good foreground (f22 needed for DOF, or focus bracket). The Disney movie "John Carter of Mars" to be released on June 8, 2012 was partially filmed about ten miles down Factory Bench road near the "Factory Butte Mine" on the topo map. If you enjoy off road adventures Factory Butte road splits near the mine on the topo map with the East fork going to Muddy Creek ( usually not passable to factory 4WD vehicles) and the West fork going on to the Salt Wash area (and perhaps even to Caineville Road??).
Goblin Valley is a small (4 acres or so) state park with many red hoodoos. Admission to the park is $7 per car. RV camping is $16 and includes showers and a dump station. Despite its remote location Goblin Valley can get a lot of visitation over weekends and when the kids are off. If you visit I suggest going mid week unless you want to use "Content Aware Delete" in Photoshop CS5 a lot. From the north, Goblin Valley can be reached by taking I 70 to exit 147, then go south on Utah 24. After 30 miles turn right on the clearly signed Temple Junction/Goblin Valley Road. Take Temple Mountain Road for five miles and turn left onto Goblin Valley Road to get to the Park entrance. From the South the turnoff to Goblin Valley is 11 miles North of Hanksville. There are three official trails in Goblin Valley but I suggest you simply wander among the hoodoos yourself. The parking area sits above the Valley and a good observation point is right at the lot. The observation point faces South and good pictures can be made from it at both Sunrise and Sunset. Mount Ellen can be seen off to the West and provides good background at both dusk and dawn.
Little Egypt is one of my favorite locations in the area. It is similar to Goblin Valley but much smaller and less crowded. I've been there three times at dawn and never seen anyone else. Little Egypt photographs best at sunrise since there are cliffs to the West blocking the light at sunset. At the Winter solstice you may be able to get good shots late afternoon when the cliffs go into shadow but some of the hoodoos may still be lit. I haven't visited then so this needs to be confirmed. Goblin Valley has many more hoodoos than Little Egypt and they are more easily isolated. On the other hand the background at Little Egypt is much more photogenic than Goblin Valley and some of the hoodoos have white as well as red in them. On the whole I prefer little Egypt to Goblin Valley for its excellent background and lack of crowds. It is also free. To get to little Egypt from Hanksville take Highway 95 South 20.2 miles (milepost 20.2) from the intersection of Highway 24 and 95 in Hanksville. Turn right onto the signed dirt road and take it 1.4 miles or so to the signed "Little Egypt Geologic Area". Parking is about 100 yards down this road.
Colonnade Arch is a spectacular but little known arch with five openings near the Green River. Unfortunately it is nearly 40 miles down a dirt road and is best shot st sunrise. The road to the arch is fair - good but is impassable when wet. After parking you need to hike off trail about one mile or so to the arch, a GPS will be very helpful with this. There are some cairns but they are very intermittent and I was unable to follow them. The arch faces East so it will have good light in early morning. A very wide angle lens is needed to capture the entire formation. Unfortunately when I got there a thunderstorm was threatening so I had bad light and little time to shoot. In view of the long drive to the arch you might want to combine a trip to this arch with a visit to Crystal Geyser or the Great Gallery, or, if you have the right vehicle and skills - the Doll's House.
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View Colonnade Arch in a larger map
Map of the region
