Places to Visit: Capitol Reef National Park

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Capitol Reef National Park

Capitol Reef National Park located in south-central Utah, is said to be the second largest park in the state. According to available information it is however, not as overcrowded as the other parks are and this could probably be due its slightly remote location. So if you plan to travel this way for your vacation, rest assured that you will be far from the madding crowd.

Travel in Utah is synonymous with picturesque routes that take you along dramatic gorges, sheer cliff walls, unbelievable mountain peaks, and gurgling streams. But at no stage can you say that you've seen them all. Each park stands out with idiosyncratic features that make it unique and worth visiting. Capitol Reef National Park is one such that will make for a memorable vacation. Located in south-central Utah, it beckons both the adventurous and the peace lovers.

If you are driving down, you would take I-70 from where you need to take the Hanksville exit to get on UT-24 that goes through the Park. This highway is indeed a great way to go for it takes you along an incredible landscape of colorful cliffs and crumbling rocks that take on different hues as the day wears on.

From I-15, take exit 188 to get on UT- 50. Keep going for about 30 miles till you reach UT- 89 from where another 8 miles should see you in UT- 24. A further 82 miles in the direction of Sigurd will take you to the Visitor Centre of the Park. From here you can arm yourself with all information you would need to make your trip worthwhile.

If you're driving down from Grand Canyon, be prepared to do 348 miles and spend about 8 hours on the driver's seat. From the Canyon, turn left on to AZ-64 and hit the Navajo trail on US-89. 15 miles on turn right into US- 160 for about 82 miles and then left on to US-163 for 48.2 miles. That's when you hit UT-261 where you need to go left for a further 32.8 miles. This gets you to UT-95 for a 111.3 mile leg that takes you to Bullfrog Rd. A couple of miles on this road and you're there.

As for public transport, Greyhound buses take you up to Green River, Salt Lake City, and St.George. Amtrak can take you to Green River, Salt Lake City, and Helper. If you're flying in you touch down in Salt Lake City or Moab, from where there are shuttle services available.

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