Best Time to Visit Capitol Reef National Park

Pick a month. Best months are in bold.

The best months to visit Capitol Reef National Park are February, March and April — computed from official NPS visitation (2021–2025 average), NOAA weather normals and daylight. May is the crowd peak (213,386 monthly visits); January is quietest at 8% of peak.

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Best months for fewer crowds

The quietest months at Capitol Reef, leaving out harsh weather and months when main access is typically closed.

Monthly crowd curve

Average monthly recreation visits, 2021–2025 (NPS Visitor Use Statistics). Amber bar = current month.

Capitol Reef month by month

Crowds: NPS Visitor Use Statistics, mean of 2021–2025 (2020 excluded as a COVID-19 anomaly). Weather: NOAA 1991–2020 monthly normals, station CAPITOL REEF NP, UT US (8 mi from park coordinates). Daylight: computed for the 15th of each month at the park's location. Methodology.

How many people visit Capitol Reef each year

Capitol Reef National Park had 1,388,476 recreation visits in 2025, 2% fewer than 2024 (NPS Visitor Use Statistics). The busiest year since 2015 was 2024, with 1,422,490. Over 2021–2025 it averaged 1,342,558 visits a year, which makes it the 22nd most-visited of the 63 national parks.

Calendar-year recreation visits as published by NPS Visitor Use Statistics. 2020 is shown here but left out of the monthly averages above, because the COVID-19 pandemic makes it unrepresentative. See how every park compares: all 63 parks ranked by visits.

What to pack for Capitol Reef in February

Computed from February's weather normals — Capitol Reef's best month above. Visiting another month? Each month page has its own weather-computed list.

• Insulated jacket, beanie and gloves — nights average 26°F, below freezing
• Sturdy broken-in footwear, navigation and a basic first-aid kit — every park, every month

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Common questions

Capitol Reef month by month: notes from the park service

• February: February at Capitol Reef usually brings days in the upper 40s°F, nights in the mid-20s and about 2 inches of snow, with a record low of -7°F. Visitors, and leashed pets, can wander the historic Fruita orchards at any time of year; the park looks after about 1,900 heirloom trees there, watered by the same gravity-fed ditches pioneers dug in the 1880s.
• March: March brings one of Capitol Reef's small openings: the Gifford House Store and Museum in Fruita reopens on March 14 (Pi Day), open daily 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. until late November. The park and its campgrounds are open all year, but the park service notes that some roads can still close for snow or bad weather, and visitor center hours change with the season, so call 435-425-3791 for the current hours and road report.
• April: April at Capitol Reef: the Gifford House Store and Museum in Fruita has been open since March 14 (Pi Day), daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. until late November. The park and campgrounds are open year-round, though the park service notes that some roads can close for snow or bad weather, so call 435-425-3791 for the daily weather and road report.
• May: May at Capitol Reef falls inside the Gifford House season: the store and museum in Fruita is open every day from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. between March 14 and late November. The park and its campgrounds are open year-round.
• June: June at Capitol Reef turns hot, typically reaching the high 80s°F, and it is one of the driest months, with about a third of an inch of rain on average. Apricots are among the first fruits to ripen in the Fruita orchards, and the park says staff post signs when fruit is ready to harvest.
• September: September closes Capitol Reef's summer monsoon season, which usually runs from July to September, and storms can still send flash floods through the canyons, so check the National Weather Service flash-flood rating before a canyon hike. Afternoons usually reach about 80°F.
• October: October at Capitol Reef is inside the Gifford House season (March 14 to late November, daily 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), the store and museum in historic Fruita. The park and campgrounds stay open all year, and the visitor center opens daily except some major holidays, with hours that change by season.
• November: November is the last month of the Gifford House Store and Museum's season at Capitol Reef: it is open daily 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from March 14 until late November. The park and its campgrounds stay open through the winter, and the visitor center is open daily except some major holidays.
• December: December is one of Capitol Reef's coldest months, the park's 1991 to 2020 averages show, with daytime temperatures around 40°F, nights near 21°F and roughly 3 inches of snow. The park and its campgrounds stay open all year, though some roads can close for snow, so call 435-425-3791 for the morning road report.

Each month page carries the full note and the NPS page it comes from.

Dive into a month

Comparing parks for the same trip? See how Capitol Reef ranks against all 63 parks in February, March and April.

Last verified 2026-09-24 · all parks