The Capitol Reef National Park area has so many hiking options! We hiked an out and back of 5.7 miles up Crescent Canyon on a bright sunny day. Actually, Derek did the full hike, I turned around early to try to take it easy on my back.
This hike is beautiful! We started just outside Sunglow Campground on a sandy trail. The trail starts down in the desert environment of junipers, pinyon pines, cacti, and sagebrush. It was chilly at the start, but we started at 7100′ and climbed up to 8200′ so it was to be expected. The perennial streams in the canyon trickled through the wide grassy meadows, wedged beside walls of craggy, red-orange Wingate sandstone.
After crossing the meadow the trail climbed up onto a saddle with views of the entire valley below. Rounding the corner following the contour of the mountain, the views continue. It’s not an official trail and splits a couple times for a choose your own adventure day. It’s fairly steep and rocky on the initial climb but then mellows out. You can hike even further on some spurs but Derek turned around close to 3 miles in.
If you’re looking for a quiet beautiful hike, this is your dream!
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