Cathedral Valley Road

This is the motorized backcountry of Capitol Reef. A few dirt roads pass through the rugged desert where sandstone towers with unique shapes and colors dominate the view. It's an amazing place and the pictures in the visitors center lure many tourists there. The rub is that the road is only passable for cars with high clearance. The park service does their best with grading but after big storms, don't expect to drive them for awhile. With names like, Temple of the Sun, Temple of the Moon and The Walls of Jericho, how can you resist a visit.
Two routes start out off Hwy 24, one is River Ford 11.7 miles east of the visitors center, the other is the Caineville Wash Road that starts near Caineville 18.6 miles east of the visitors center. You can also drop into the valley from the Thousand Lakes Mountain Area.