At the end of Capitol Gorge Road is the Capitol Gorge Trailhead with the historic Pioneer Register Hike.
Take a walk between the canyon walls of Capitol Gorge while looking for the ancient petroglyphs on the rock walls and names of the Mormon pioneers who once traversed the area. This is how the pioneers used to get through the waterpocket fold when coming through.
This is a shorter trail than the Grand Wash but still takes you between the canyon walls. Although it isn’t very narrow, parts of this trail get to a narrow canyon that feels like you are in a slot canyon area.
Pioneer Register Hike Basics
1 Hour
1.6 Miles Round Trip
Out-And-Back
80 Feet
Duration: 1 Hour
This short hike will take about an hour to complete if you go to the “registry” left by the early pioneers who traveled through in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Distance: 1.6 Miles Roundtrip
There’s no true end to the trail, but most people turn around when they reach the historic inscriptions of the registry on the walls about 0.8 miles into the easy hike. You can continue through past the park boundary, but there’s not much to see past there.
Type: Out-and-Back Trail
The trail is an out-and-back hike that goes through the sandy wash between two canyon walls. It doesn’t loop back around.
Elevation Change: 80 Feet
The elevation change is very gradual on this portion of the trail.
Season: Any
The trail is available any time of year, but it’s best to avoid it during the summer due to the hot temperatures and the chance of flash floods during monsoon season.
Time of Day: Any
While the trail is navigable throughout the day, it’s best to go in the morning or evening when it isn’t as busy.
Amount of Shade: Partial
The amount of shade on the trail partly depends on what time of the day you go on the hike. In the morning or evening, most of your walk will be shaded by the towering canyon walls.
Difficulty: Easy
Of the many primitive trails we’ve done, this was definitely an easy one to hike.
What Makes Pioneer Register a Great Hike?
We really enjoyed this area in Capitol Reef and was one of my favorite hikes we did on our Utah Mighty Five road trip. Of course, the boys were only 3 and 5, so we had to stick to the easier trails on this trip.
We were in the park on June 4th when we went, so it was Tyler’s 5th birthday that day. He had fun telling any hikers we saw that he was celebrating his birthday in the park and got a lot of well wishes.
The trail was easy but we took our time and spent about two hours in the canyon. Any time we found rocks that could be climbed up, even a little bit, the boys were all over them.
Even though they were too young to understand the significance, we were able to show the boys some of the ancient rock art on the walls.
Scenery on the Pioneer Register Hike
Start of the Trail
The Pioneer Register trail starts at a covered picnic area near the trail head sign. You quickly walk into the canyon and get your first glimpse of the towering walls up close.
On the Trail
Along the trail, you’ll see a petroglyph panel in a few places on the walls. Make sure you are looking about 20 to 50 feet up to see the rock art.
End of the Trail
There’s not an official end of the trail, but you’ll see the pioneer signatures on the rock wall from the late 1800’s. It’s a good place to turn around and head back through the wash bottom to the parking area.
Notable Places on the Hike
About 3/4 of a mile into the hike, you’ll see a sign for a spur trail that leads a short distance to the “tanks”. The tanks are famous water tanks that are large potholes. Snowmelt in the spring and monsoons in the summer fill the holes with lots of water that the pioneers would use as they came through.
Pioneer Register Hike Trailhead Information
Park Name: Capitol Reef National Park
Capitol Reef National Park is located in South-Central Utah and preserves the 100-mile Waterpocket Fold and the Capitol Wash.
Finding the Trailhead
You'll find the trailhead at the end of the Capitol Gorge Road. After leaving the Visitor Center, go about 8 miles down the paved road on Scenic Drive. Then continue 2 miles of dirt road until you get to the parking space and covered picnic area at the end of the road.
Markers Along the Trail
The only trail marker you'll see is the sign for the side trail to the Tanks.
Nearest Restrooms: Trailhead
A set of vault toilets are available in the covered picnic area at the trailhead.
Parking Area: Capitol Gorge Road
The parking lot for the trailhead is at the end of the scenic drive on Capitol Gorge Road. The last 2 miles is a dirt road but most passenger cars should be able to make it without any issues.
Other Trails at this Trailhead
From this parking area, you can go east on the Pioneer Register Hike or west on the Golden Throne Trail.
Tips for Pioneer Register Hike
- If you look up and see bars sticking out of the cliffs, those are from old telephone lines that used to run through the canyon.
- Even if the trail is shaded, make sure to bring plenty of water as it gets warm quickly.
- The Pioneer Register of names is on the left side of the canyon about a half mile from the start of the trail.
- Though there are ancient carvings on the walls, it is illegal to add your own markings, engravings, and graffiti to the walls. It is punishable by up to 2 years in prison and/or a $20,000 fine.
Accessibility Information for Pioneer Register Hike
Dirt
Dirt Lot
Trail Type: Dirt
Most of the trail is packed with the dirt and small rocks that you would expect in this type of desert environment. It’s not paved, so wouldn’t be accessible to those with wheelchairs or strollers but it might be possible for some people with slight mobility issues as long as you take it slow and easy.
Parking: Dirt Lot
Capitol Reef Scenic Drive is a paved road, but the last 2 miles to the Capitol Gorge Hike is a dirt road that ends in a dirt parking lot.