Pleasant Creek Trail

A perfectly pleasant way to spend an afternoon in Capitol Reef National Park.

Trail description

Sounds of the splashing creek will lead you to the trail, located about 20 feet south of the parking area. While you can hike upstream towards Tantalus Flats, this guide describes the downstream (eastward) hike towards the Notom Road.

Over the river and through the reef

When you reach the creek, turn left and follow the footpath east, shouldering your way through the brush. Overgrown Russian olive branches slap the hikers behind you as you continue down the trail.

The trail crisscrosses the stream within the canyon walls, so be prepared to get your feet wet within the first half mile and regularly thereafter. Though the sandy banks make for a bit of a trudge, it hardly dampens your trek as Pleasant Creek courses through the Waterpocket Fold. The Waterpocket Fold is a north-south trending monocline, or uplifted ridge, that extends for about 100 miles, and proved a significant navigational challenge for early prospectors and settlers. In fact, it was the geologic feature that explains how Capitol Reef got its name—when explorers of the Colorado Plateau met such an impassable rock ridge, they referred to it as a “reef.” Pleasant Creek, however, defies the rock barrier, cutting through canyon walls and allowing hikers to venture into the inner realm of the Fold.

In the first mile, you become well acquainted with the marbled Wingate and Navajo Sandstone walls. Farther downcanyon, the trail crosses a patch of Russian thistles. If you’re wearing sandals, watch your feet. Without appropriate protection, any exposed skin is going to feel the pain of this prickly, pesky plant.

Around the bend

As you round the bend near 1.8 miles, you see black boulders scattered about the creek bank. These volcanic rocks rolled down from Boulder and Thousand Lake Mountains, which are about 18 and 25 miles away, respectively. Rock slides and meltwater from former mountain glaciers carried the boulders down to neighboring lowlands, scattering them like big bowling balls throughout the park.

Continuing another half mile down the trail, the canyon walls constrict even more. The creek carves into the slickrock a few feet, creating a deep, sculpted bed and some nice bathtub-sized pools. The trail skirts this miniature narrows section by cutting far right on the bank, but don’t miss the opportunity to see this beautiful stretch of Pleasant Creek. Hike as close to the water as possible.

In about 2.5 miles, the canyon floor opens up into a diamond shape. Mirrored side canyons on your right and left stretch to points, adding width to the canyon.

In the next few tenths of a mile, you pass more boulders on the high sand benches and come to a horseshoe-shaped bend in the river. You may see faint footpaths that cut overland here, but the easier and more picturesque route simply follows the creek.

The narrow, low canyon walls make for an intimate final stretch of the hike. Horsetails line the banks, with extensions of the slickrock walls creeping into the creek. Just over 3.5 miles, you reach the park boundary. A slatted wooden fence hangs over the creek, and a gate allows passage farther downstream. You can continue following the trail to Notom Road if you have arranged a car shuttle. Otherwise, this is a good place to turn around and retrace your route back to the trailhead.

Directions

From Torrey, Utah: Take UT 24 east for about 11 miles and turn right towards the park visitor center. Continue down the Scenic Drive, passing orchards, the historic Gifford House, and the park campground in the next 1.5 miles. Stop at the self-pay station and continue down the winding road towards the trailhead. Enjoy views of the Waterpocket Fold to your left for another 7.8 miles. Just before you reach the Capitol Gorge picnic area, you see a sign pointing right towards Pleasant Creek. Turn right onto the gravel road, but make sure the sky looks clear first, since the road crosses several washes as it heads southwest to the creek. Keep right around 10 miles when you pass the Capitol Reef Field Station. A few more tenths of a mile takes you past the weathered remains of Sleeping Rainbow Ranch (formerly Floral Ranch). You arrive at the trailhead at 10.5 miles, and you can park in the gravel area near the pit toilet.