Desert vistas, slot canyons, colorful hills made of bentonite and sandstone, marine fossils…these are just a few of the things that you will see when you Loop the Fold in Capitol Reef National Park.
This incredibly scenic drive takes you through the remote, southern section of Capitol Reef. On this drive, you will circle around part the Waterpocket Fold, a wrinkle in the Earth’s crust that stretches for almost 100 miles.
Often overlooked by most visitors to Capitol Reef, this road, and the hiking trails that lead away from it, get very few visitors. When we did this (November 2020) we saw just two people on the entire drive.
If you like scenic drives, short hikes through slot canyons, and leaving the crowds behind, keep reading! This is an underrated experience in Capitol Reef National Park.
Table of Contents
Overview of the Drive
Distance: 125 miles round-trip
Length of Time: It takes roughly 4 hours to drive this loop, but with detours, overlooks, and short hikes, looping the fold takes one full day.
Direction: The best way to Loop the Fold is in the clockwise direction. In this direction, the timing is best for photography and you get to hike the slot canyons in the morning, before it heats up (if you are in Utah in the summer).
Type of Vehicle: Part of this drive is on a gravel road. When conditions are good (it hasn’t rained or snowed recently), this road is suitable for standard cars. There is one detour where a 4WD is necessary (Strike Valley Overlook). However, if you don’t have a 4WD, you can skip this detour or hike down the road on foot (more on this later). Before doing this drive, get updates on road conditions at the Capitol Reef Visitor Center.
When to Go: You can Loop the Fold all year. Spring and summer storms can temporarily make the roads impassable, even for a 4×4. Notom-Bullfrog road is not plowed in the winter.
Our Experience
We did this drive in early November.
Our day started off great, with bright sunny skies. As you will see in our photos, midday clouds moved in, and by the time we reached Boulder, the first snowflakes were falling. On the drive from Boulder to Torrey it snowed, so unfortunately, we don’t have photos of the overlooks from this part of the drive. But it just goes to show how you need to be prepared for snow, even in the middle of autumn.
Best Things to See & Do
These sights are discussed more below, but here is a list of the best things to see and do when you Loop the Fold.
- Burr Trail Switchbacks
- Surprise Canyon
- Headquarters Canyon
- Strike Valley Overlook
- Long Canyon
How to Loop the Fold
In this post, we provide two route descriptions.
The first route is the complete route Loop the Fold route, which is done round trip from the Capitol Reef Visitor Center.
The second route we describe is a one-way route, which can be done in either direction. This route goes point-to-point on Notom-Bullfrog Road and Burr Trail Road, the two roads that are the best part of Looping the Fold. This is a great option if you want to drive these scenic roads when traveling between Capitol Reef National Park and Escalante or Bryce Canyon National Park.
Route #1: Loop the Fold
This loop is described in the clockwise direction, since that is the recommended way to do this drive.
How to Use This Map: Click the tab in the top left hand corner of the map to view the layers (things to do and the driving route). You can click the check marks to hide or show layers. If you click the icons on the map, you can get more information about each point of interest.
If you click the star next to the title of the map, this map will be added to your Google Maps account. To view it on your phone or computer, open Google Maps, click the menu button, go to “Your Places,” click Maps, and you will see this map on your list.
The number for each overlook/detour/hike is the mile marker, starting at the Capitol Reef Visitor Center. The distances of the detours we mention are not included in the calculation of the mile markers.
Note: These mileage numbers are from the odometer of the Jeep Wrangler we rented. Odometer readings can vary slightly between vehicles.
0.0 Start: Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Center
Reset your odometer. From the visitor center, head east on Utah State Route 24.
9.0 miles: Notom-Bullfrog Road
Turn right onto Notom-Bullfrog Basin Road. This road starts off as a paved road.
16.7 miles: Burro Wash
Look for the signed parking area on the right side of the road. This slot canyon hike is 7.5 miles long and strenuous. There may be pools of water in the canyon.
17.4 miles: Notom Road Twin Rocks
Look for a pull-off area on the right side of the road directly opposite of the hoodoos. This is a great place to view these Entrada sandstone formations.
18.0 miles: Cottonwood Wash
Similar to Burro Wash, Cottonwood Wash is a strenuous slot canyon hike. It is 6 miles long, out-and-back, and there may be pools of water in the canyon.
21.6 miles: Sheets Gulch Trailhead
This is the third and final hiking trail in this area. Sheets Gulch is the longest and most challenging slot canyon. It is just under 14 miles long.
25.3 miles: Dirt Road
At this point, Notom-Bullfrog Basin Road turns into a dirt road.
27.7 miles: Entrada sandstone
To your left you can see Entrada Sandstone, which formed over 140 million years ago when this area was covered with water.
28.0 miles: Enter Capitol Reef National Park
At this point you enter Capitol Reef National Park.
31.9 miles: Oyster Shell Reef
Oyster fossils can be seen in the rocks on the left hand side of the road. There is no pull-off area here so you have to park along the side of the road.
In this ridge of sandstone, you can see tiny oyster fossils that date back 95 million years, when this area was once under water. Please do not disturb or take the fossils.
38.7 to 39.3 miles: Viewpoints of Notom-Bullfrog Road
This is a slightly hilly section of Notom-Bullfrog Road with awesome views all around you. This portion of the road can be impassable when wet due to the clay consistency of the soil.
39.3 to 39.4 miles: View of the Waterpocket Fold
Just past the S-turn, look for a small turn out. Park here and walk to the viewpoint of the Waterpocket Fold. The white rock is Navajo Sandstone and the red, jagged layer underneath is the Carmel layer.
41.6 miles: Road Junction
If you continue straight on Notom-Bullfrog Road, you head to Bullfrog and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. If you turn right, you head towards Boulder on Burr Trail Road. To Loop the Fold, you will turn right here. However, we recommend continuing south on Notom-Bullfrog Road for the best detour of the day.
Detour #1: Surprise & Headquarters Canyons
This detour to two slot canyons is well worth the short drive and the extra time. This was our favorite thing to do when Looping the Fold. Because of the remote location, there is a chance that you could have these two slot canyons all to yourself (we did and it was a blast!).
This detour adds 5 miles onto the loop and a total of 2 to 2.5 hours, if you hike both canyons.
Surprise Canyon (0.9 miles from the Road Junction)
Distance: 2.2 miles out-and-back | Difficulty: Easy | Time: 1 hour
Look for a small parking area on right that can support 3 vehicles. The trail starts here and heads directly towards the colorful hills of the Waterpocket Fold. This slot canyon is somewhat wide and the trail dead ends at a rockfall.
End of Surprise Canyon
Headquarters Canyon (2.4 miles from the Road Junction)
Distance: 2.6 miles out-and-back | Difficulty: Easy | Time: 1 to 1.5 hours
Look for the trailhead sign on the right and a parking area just past the trailhead sign on the left. The parking area can support 3 vehicles.
Like Surprise Canyon, this trail heads directly into the Waterpocket Fold. Headquarters Canyon is also very easy to hike. But with its narrower sections this is the more thrilling of the two slot canyons here. If you only have the time and energy for one hike, I recommend Headquarters Canyon over Surprise Canyon.
Once you finish these hikes, backtrack to the Road Junction.
41.6 miles: Road Junction & the Burr Trail Switchbacks
Back at the road junction, turn left to take Burr Trail Road to Boulder. This is the start of the Burr Trail Switchbacks, another highlight when you Loop the Fold.
For 2 miles, this road climbs up through the Waterpocket Fold. It is known as being one of the most scenic drives in Utah.
This road dates back to the late 1800’s, when John Atlantic Burr constructed a trail in order to move cattle across the Waterpocket Fold, between summer and winter grazing ranges.
43.7 miles: Top of the Burr Trail Switchbacks
From the top of the switchbacks, enjoy the view over Strike Valley.
44.8 miles: Upper Muley Twist Canyon Road
Turn right on this road for the next detour, a stunning view over Strike Valley.
Detour #2: Strike Valley Overlook
There are two ways to get to Strike Valley Overlook: drive the extremely rough Upper Muley Twist Canyon Road to the trailhead (4WD vehicle is necessary) or hike along the road.
Upper Muley Twist Canyon Road is 2.9 miles long, one-way. It ends at the trailhead for Strike Valley Overlook and for the Upper Muley Twist Canyon trail.
If you do not have a 4WD vehicle, there is a parking area that is located 400 meters from Burr Trail Road. To get to the trailhead for Strike Valley Overlook, you will have to walk just over 2.5 miles, one-way, to get to the trailhead.
From the Strike Valley Overlook trailhead, it is a half-mile walk to the viewpoint. Here is the view.
Is it worth it? If you have a high-clearance 4WD vehicle, then it is worth it. However, if you are driving a standard vehicle, it’s about a 6-mile round trip walk to get the view, and in my opinion, it’s probably worth skipping it. You can get a similar but slightly less dramatic view from the top of the Burr Trail Switchbacks.
This detour adds 6 miles of driving and about one hour onto Looping the Fold, if you drive to the trailhead.
47.1 miles: Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
At this point, Burr Trail Road turns into a paved road and enters Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
60.9 miles: Viewpoint of Long Canyon
There is a pull-off on the left at the top of the hill for a viewpoint of the Circle Cliffs, Henry Mountains, and colorful hills of the Chinle Formation. You will now enter Long Canyon and have spectacular views of the towering red sandstone walls on both sides of you.
65.6 miles: Arch/Cave formation
There aren’t any signs here but there is a small pull-off area on the right side of the road to stop and take a look at this arch from the side of the road.
66.2 miles: Singing Canyon
Park on the right hand side of the road and walk 100 meters to enter a cool, shady canyon. It is called “Singing Canyon” because the acoustics are perfect for music. There is a chance that you will meet a musician or singer here. We weren’t so lucky.
68.0 miles: Long Canyon Viewpoints
As the road climbs out of Long Canyon, there are several small pull-offs on right that offer an amazing view over the canyon.
77.7 miles: Boulder, Utah
Burr Trail Road ends at the intersection of Utah State Route 12. To continue on the Looping the Fold route, turn right onto Utah State Route 12.
78.4 miles: Anasazi State Park Museum
Stop here to visit the Anasazi State Park Museum, which contains a partially excavated Puebloan village.
90.7 miles: Homestead Overlook
Turn right here. It is a short drive to Homestead Overlook, for sweeping views across Utah.
Note: We do not have photos of this section of the drive because of a snowstorm that was perched over Boulder Mountain.
This was our view for the rest of the drive.
92.0 miles: Summit of Boulder Mountain
At this point you reach the summit of Boulder Mountain, at elevation of 9,600 feet.
100.3 miles: Larb Hollow Overlook
Turn right here for panoramic views over Capitol Reef National Park and the San Rafael Swell.
114.5 miles: Torrey, Utah
At this point, you arrive at the intersection of Utah State Route 12 and Utah State Route 24. There is a gas station and food services here. You could go directly back to your accommodations in Torrey. To complete the loop, turn right and you will head towards the Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Center.
125 miles: End of the Route
Now you are back at the visitor center and completed the entire loop.
Route #2: Point-to-Point on Notom-Bullfrog Road and Burr Trail Road
If you are driving north to Capitol Reef National Park from places such as Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument or Bryce Canyon National Park, then you can drive the best part of Looping the Fold.
If you will be driving from Capitol Reef National Park and Torrey to Grand Staircase-Escalante or Bryce Canyon National Park, you can also follow this one-way route on Notom-Bullfrog Road and Burr Trail Road.
Driving the paved road from Boulder to Torrey is the more direct and faster way to go. But if you are looking for a drive that is more adventurous and more scenic, you can drive Burr Trail Road to Notom-Bullfrog Road and see the highlights of Looping the Fold.
Below we describe the route from south to north (Boulder to Capitol Reef). You can also do this in reverse, basically following the route above, but once you reach Boulder, turn left to go to Bryce Canyon National Park and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
From Boulder to the Capitol Reef Visitor Center
0.0 miles: Boulder, Utah and the intersection of Utah State Route 12 and Burr Trail Road. Burr Trail Road starts at this intersection. Turn right onto Burr Trail Road and reset your odometer to zero.
9.7 miles: Long Canyon Viewpoints. As you are descending into Long Canyon, there are several small pull-offs on the left that offer amazing views over the canyon.
11.5 miles: Singing Canyon. Park in the pull-off area on the left hand side of the road and walk 100 meters into the shady canyon.
16.8 miles: Viewpoint at the end of Long Canyon.
30.6 miles: Burr Trail Road turns into a dirt road and enters Capitol Reef National Park.
32.9 miles: Optional Detour to Strike Valley Overlook. Turn left on Upper Muley Twist Canyon Road to walk or drive (4WD is necessary) the 2.9 miles to the trailhead for Strike Valley Overlook.
34.0 miles: Top of the Burr Trail Switchbacks. Start your descent down the switchbacks and enjoy the incredible views.
36.1 miles: Road Junction. Turn left onto Notom-Bullfrog Basin Road to head north towards the Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Center. Turn right to take the detour to Surprise Canyon and Headquarters Canyon.
Optional Detour: Hike Surprise and Headquarters Canyons
This detour adds 5 miles of driving and a total of 2 to 2.5 hours, if you hike both canyons. See the route above for stats about these two hikes.
38.3 miles: Viewpoint. Pull over here for a stunning viewpoint of the Waterpocket Fold.
38.4 to 39.0 miles: Viewpoints of Notom-Bullfrog Road. This is a slightly hilly section of the road with awesome views all around you. This portion of the road can be impassable when wet due to the clay consistency of the soil.
45.8 miles: Oyster fossils. Oyster fossils can be seen in the rocks on the right hand side of the road. There is no pull-off area here so you have to park along the side of the road.
49.7 miles: Enter Capitol Reef National Park.
52.4 miles: Notom-Bullfrog Basin Road turns into a paved road.
56.1 miles: Sheets Gulch Trailhead
59.7 miles: Cottonwood Wash Trailhead
60.3 miles: Twin Rocks. Pull over here for views of the hoodoos made of Entrada sandstone.
61.0 miles: Burro Wash Trailhead
68.7 miles: Turn left onto Utah State Route 24 to head to the Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Center
77.7 miles: Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Center
Bonus: Quick Detour on Burr Trail Road
If you are driving between Torrey/Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon National Park, and want to drive a small portion of this route, here’s how to do it.
Once in Boulder, turn onto Burr Trail Road. If you drive 10 miles along this road, you get to the viewpoints of Long Canyon. You could turn around here (20 miles round trip) or keep going for another 7 miles, as the road twists and turns through Long Canyon.
If you like scenic drives and exploring the remote backcountry, driving the Cathedral Valley Loop is another awesome experience in Capitol Reef National Park. Learn more in our Guide to Cathedral Valley.
Tips to Have the Best Experience
Check the weather forecast before you do this drive. The roads can be impassable during and after storms and snow. A portion of Utah State Route 12 does not have snow removal services from dusk to dawn. Road conditions do change, so it is advisable to stop by the Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Center and ask about the current conditions of the roads before embarking on this adventure. If you are traveling from the south to Capitol Reef National Park, then check with the Escalante Interagency Visitor Center in Escalante, UT on road conditions.
ATV’s are not permitted on national park land so they cannot be driven on this loop.
Bring extra food, water, and clothing, just in case you get stranded. There are very few people out here and there is minimal cellular service, so if you get stuck, have a breakdown, etc., it could be hours or even days until help arrives.
The only food services we saw along this route was the Burr Trail Grill at the intersection of Burr Trail Road and Utah State Route 12 in Boulder, UT. It was closed when we drove past it so don’t rely on it.
Have a full tank of gas before starting this adventure. We didn’t see any gas stations along this route. Google Maps does show a gas station on Utah State Route 12 that is about one mile west of the intersection of Burr Trail Road and Utah State Route 12 in Boulder, UT. We did not drive past it ourselves to confirm it was there, but you don’t want to rely on a single gas station either. So, start your day with a full tank of gas.
If you want to rent a 4×4 for this drive, you can do so at Capitol Reef National Park Jeep Rentals, which is located in Escalante.
Purchase a copy of the National Geographic Capitol Reef National Park Map before your trip. This map has all of the detour roads on the loop as well as other BLM roads in the area. It will also be useful if you plan to visit Cathedral Valley.
Get updates on park conditions as you plan your trip and just before this drive on the National Park Service website.
While in Capitol Reef National Park, please practice the seven principles of Leave No Trace: plan ahead, stay on the trails, pack out what you bring to the hiking trails, properly dispose of waste, leave areas as you found them, minimize campfire impacts, be considerate of other hikers, and do not approach or feed wildlife.
If you have any questions about how to Loop the Fold, or if you want to share your experience, let us know in the comment section below.
More Information about Capitol Reef
CAPITOL REEF: Check out our Capitol Reef National Park Travel Guide for important travel planning tips, sample itineraries, advice on when to go, where to stay, and more.
BEST OF CAPITOL REEF: Top experiences in Capitol Reef include hiking Cassidy Arch, driving through Cathedral Valley, and hiking one of the many trails in the park. For the full list, read our article Best Things to Do in Capitol Reef.
WHITE RIM ROAD: The White Rim Road is a 100 mile road that loops around the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park. It is one of the best national park experiences. Learn how to plan your trip in our Guide to the White Rim Road and how to spend one day on the White Rim Road.
GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE: In Grand Staircase-Escalante, drive Cottonwood Canyon Road, hike Willis Creek, and hike through Peek-A-Boo and Spooky Gulches.
USA ROAD TRIPS: Planning your next big adventure in the USA? Check our our USA Road Trip Guide for travel ideas and sample itineraries.
If this is part of a bigger road trip through the USA, visit our Utah Travel Guide and our United States Travel Guide for more inspiration and travel planning tips.
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Comments 19
You didn’t look hard enough for a restaurant. Hells Backbone Grill is at the same intersection in Boulder. One of the highest Zagat ratings in Utah. Nominated for James Beard. Everything comes from their farm. Highly recommended.