Cathedral Valley Loop

No rating.... just an observation in case you're headed this way.... As of this review the Hartnett and Cathedral Valley entrances are closed. Both access points have "closed signs" posted in the middle of the cattle guard. According to the BLM office in Hanksville / Henry Mountain Field office, the road has sustained major damage due to recent monsoon storms. Lots of mud and road washouts. If you drive through Hanksville, note that a motel and gas station parking lots are covered in mud.

There’s nothing really that needs to be said other than this trail is Epic. We had no idea that this was part of Capital Reef National Park. We basically had 65 miles all to ourselves on Memorial Day weekend. It was awesome unreal! We spent 5 days exploring Utah and all of its wonders away from Moab and the crowds. If you find yourself in this area. Do this trail. It is worth it and afterwards drive through the main park and stop on Torrey for one of the best burgers I’ve had in years. “Capital Burgers” food truck.

I did the whole loop in a Volvo XC60 (similar capabilities to Subaru Outback). AWD is probably a minimum requirement, given the water crossing and a couple steep rocky sections. As of 12 April, the water crossing was probably around a foot deep, but actual levels will depend on weather I suppose. The entire loop is mostly smooth-ish except for washboarding on some stretches. I had no issues with the sandpits I've seen referenced in earlier reviews. The only rough area is just past the campground, descending into Cathedral Valley proper. Lasts about 1 mile. Beyond that, watch out for wash/creek crossings where deep ruts across the road will require sufficient entry/exit angles. Most AWD stock vehicles will be fine, but take it slow. Overall, Cathedral Valley and surrounding areas are some of the most breathtaking landscapes you will ever see in your life. Well worth spending an entire day / overnight on this trail.

We've wanted to take this trail for years, but had not been back to Capital Reef NP until now. The unique geology, spectacular scenery, colorful wildflowers, weathered trees, and deep blue skies well exceeded our expectations, The road is easy with no real challenges. The portion climbing towards Cathedral Valley campground gets a bit rocky and bouncy but no big deal. We choose not to air down our tires and had no problems, but it might have made that rocky portion a bit more comfortable. The fording of the Fremont River was not a challenge at all for our stock Colorado. Just remember to stay on the South side of the river until you are able to exit. Our friends, Bruce and Jen accompanied us in their stock F-150. Jen is not a fan of dirt roads and we were concerned that she would not be happy on this ~60 mile trip. How wrong we were! She loved the scenery and the road. We only saw five other vehicles during the entire trip. We plan on being back and taking more time, there is so much to see and explore. Perhaps camping overnight at Cathedral Valley Campground.

Great trail! It was a bit busy when we came out here, and the lack of camping detracts from the full 5 stars. Absolutely gorgeous and if you are in the area, highly recommended to do at least once. There were a few very deep and gnarly sandpits that I would not attempt in anything without AWD minimum. A 2wd vehicle is just asking to get stuck on this trail.

Completed trail with overnight at the campground in our GMC AWD Sportsmobile with BFG AT K02 LT265/65R18 tires aired down with no problems. Incredible views from the South Upper Desert Overlook at sunset. Road was in good condition and the sandpits were a pretty easy pass. Great overnighter to take your time and enjoy the sunset. Glass Mountain is pretty amazing as is the sinkhole and the incredibly varied views.

Newbie in a 2020 Gand Cherokee Overland fully stock. Still Learning. A GREAT day with moderate temps, little wind and slight overcast. Great views and well worth the time. Probably a "no brainer" in anything more adapted for off-trail use. We (Me, Sandee & our German Shepherd) took about 6 hours on the clockwise route with much of it for hikes and photos. We stopped at and visited all of the stops on the map except the campground (12) and Morrell Cabin (13). We also took time for the longer hikes at locations 8, 9, 10. The only time we used 4W Low was to control down hill speed and minimize brake use for the decent down to the valley after Morrell Cabin. The course starting after the river crossing through the bottom of the drop to the valley after the campground alternated between rocky/bumpy and packed dirt with some minor washboarding. Outside of the rocky areas we could get up to 30 MPH in some places. The worst place was the first part of the entrance to the Upper Valley Overlook (10). I think that perhaps it was the rockiest/bumpiest part of the course. After getting to the bottom of the valley things got a little bit interesting with several sections of soft, deep sand. A few were relatively short but a few of them were between 20 & 50 yards long. These were the first, significant stretches of sand I've ever encountered but the Jeep in standard drive configuration with traction control handled them OK. The concern I had was if I was going to hit hard rock surfaces at the end of each stretch of sand. That did not happen. After departing the Temples & Sinkhole road the road became less sandy and shortly after we passed Willow Seep we got back into more sections of moderately rocky/bumpy conditions but nothing too tough to knock your teeth out.

Did this trail in a Jeep Rubicon. No problems. The most difficult parts were deep, deep sand for short runs.

Started on the western side with crossing of the Fremont river. It was about a foot deep but no problem for a high clearance vehicle. RN up to Waypoint 6 and took a right at the optional road that runs 5 miles to the other leg of the Cathedral Valley loop. That was a fun spur that was more challenging than the main road yet still easy. When we reached the other side we headed west for a few miles and visited the amazing Temple of the Sun and Moon and Glass mountain. Then we headed east and exited at the Caineville wash area. Took about 3 hours and was a great start to the day!

Ran a lot faster than I thought it would, very little washboard. Took us 4 hours with a lunch break, helping a guy with a flat tire and checking out all the viewpoints. Deep sand between Temple of the Sun and UT-24 made it a challenge for a few motorcyclists we saw. Well worth the trip.

We took this route as one of many on our 5 day overland trip through Utah. Trail is open as of now and in pretty good shape. The scenery is amazing and well worth the trip. The road is a bit washboarded but not bad. A few of the washes on side trails will test your approach and departure angles especially on the way to Temple of the Sun. Highly recommend if you are in the area!

3 other rigs plus myself drove this route as part of a 10-day overlanding adventure through the Utah Badlands (Croton Rd, Left Hand Collet Cyn., Hole-in-rock, Mount Hillers, Cathedral Valley, Cottonwood Cyn, North Rim Grand Canyon) The road through Cathedral Valley was freshly graded and the water crossings were barely running. Very little washboard this time of the year - which was very nice. The river crossing at the beginning of the road was normal, with no risk involved to our moderately lifted jeeps & truck. We camped at Cathedral Valley Campground which is a perfect little campground. The views from some of the campsites are amazing! Although not technical in any way, Cathedral Valley is a "must-see" when in this area. Absolutely stunning views.

We Did this loop as part of a trip from goblin valley to cathedral valley, this is a great trip and outlined well here, the drill equipment and spring are really cool to see, the history of this area is amazing . The glass mountain is a must see.. The western leg is more open and a smoother road where the eastern side a little rougher but in my opinion has the better scenery

Stunning road. Ran this in a brand new 2017 Mazda CX-5 (with paper plates still), which was probably dumb, but there was nothing in the road that was too challenging. A little rain during the day made some of the wash exits more exciting, but mostly, it is just a gorgeous loop with truly unique sites. We also drove the Polk Road up and over to the highway on the way home. I would add that if you do that portion, watch for mud. Some of the Polk Road can get quite muddy on the switchbacks, causing a little heartburn if your vehicle is not a true offroader or has highway tires (such as a Mazda family crossover).

Fun, easy loop. Go from west to east so you start with the river crossing. Pretty uneventful, but gorgeous.

Super awesome loop. We ran it reverse of the instructions given here, and it was beautiful, We did it in Subaru Foresters, and it was completely within their abilities. Amazing views. The wheeling itself is not intense, but the scenery is amazing.

Made the loop in my Ford Expedition 4x4. The river ford was simple with about 12” of water that day. The bottom was firm and my grip was never in question even with highway style tires. The early scenery at the Bentonite Hills was otherworldly, the middle section was a little underwhelming considering the expectations I had built up in my head, but that all changed as I took the shelf road down into the actual valley. The monoliths blew me away. The Glass Mountain was an amazingly cool stop. I set up for a sunset shot at Temple of the Sun and got some great colors off of the surrounding rocks. I finished the trail in the dark but guided by the biggest, brightest full moon I have ever seen. Overall, great trail that can be done with many vehicles in the right weather. The variety of wonders will shock you. Spend all day out here and enjoy! Saw only 1 Jeep all afternoon.

I had always heard of this trail and have driven past the trailheads a few times on my to Capitol Reef National Park but never had a chance to run it. I ran it reverse here of how the guide is shown, and it was a truly beautiful trail! I was a little disappointed as to how well maintained the road was, since I was looking for a little more off-road adventure. The guide was perfect though! Thank you.

Cathedral Valley is stunning. Even though this trail has no thrills on the road, the scenery is breathtaking. Absolutely a must do if you are visiting Utah