In Capitol Reef National Park in Utah, you’ll find so many fun and beautiful hikes. For me, the Capitol Gorge to Tanks Trail takes the cake as the best one. It’s fun, the trail is easy enough that it’s not a workout and challenging enough to make you feel like you accomplished something. It’s not too long, and at the top you get the prettiest scenery.

So what are we waiting for? Let’s talk about the prettiest hike in Capitol Reef National Park (in my opinion).

What to Expect on the Capitol Gorge to Tanks Trail

The hike to The Tanks is one of those trails that feels more like an adventure than a traditional hike, and that’s exactly what makes it so fun.

You’ll start by walking through Capitol Gorge, a wide canyon with towering red rock walls on either side. The first part of the trail is mostly flat and sandy, making for an easy, relaxing start as you take in the scale of the canyon around you.

As you continue, you’ll see a few petroglyphs and then a bunch of names carved into the canyon wall from the early settlers in Fruita (the town inside of Capitol Reef National Park). This area was once used as a route by early settlers, and you can still see names etched into the rock from the early 1900s. (Nowadays we’d call that graffiti… but now that it’s old it’s cool. Haha.)

Eventually, you’ll reach the point where you start the actual Tanks hike. The trail leaves the canyon floor and climbs up onto open slickrock. From here, you’ll follow small cairns (stacked rocks) that guide you across the sandstone. This section is fun and the rock patterns/formations are super interesting to look at while you’re hiking!

As you make your way higher, the views start to open up behind you, with the canyon stretching out in the distance. You can see the part of the trail that you walked on into Capitol Gorge and it’s really pretty!

At the top, you’ll find the “tanks,” which are natural sandstone basins carved into the rock that collect rainwater. Depending on when you visit, the tanks will look different. These pools can be filled with water, reflecting the surrounding cliffs, or when the sky is blue, the water in the tanks is a super bright blue against the orangish sandstone, which is stunning. In the winter they freeze, which is super cool looking in a different way.

The area around the tanks is usually pretty peaceful and quiet, even in the busier season, making it the perfect place to take a break, snap photos, and just soak in the scenery.

Tip: This hike doesn’t have much shade, so bring plenty of water and avoid the hottest part of the day—especially in the summer.

So, let’s get into the numbers with some statistics:

Cassidy Arch Hike statistics

Capitol Gorge Tanks Trail Distance

The Capitol Gorge Tanks Trail is about 2 miles round trip. It’s an out-and-back trail.

Capitol Gorge Tanks Trail Difficulty

It’s moderate. While the distance isn’t long, the difficulty comes from hiking across slickrock and uneven terrain. There isn’t always a clearly defined trail, so you’ll need to follow the cairns (rock markers) and pay attention to your surroundings. Don’t let that scare you though, it’s a pretty good hike for beginners and pretty short so it feels easier than moderate, in my opinion.

Capitol Gorge Tanks Trail Ascent

You start the hike at around 5,300 feet elevation, and end at about 5,500 feet, meaning there’s an ascent of about 200 feet.

The elevation gain is relatively mild, but the slickrock sections can make it feel a bit more challenging than expected, depending on your fitness level.

How long does it take to hike the Capitol Gorge Tanks Trail?

For most people, it takes about 1 to 2 hours to complete the hike. If you’re fast you can definitely do it faster, but 1 to 2 hours is what I’d say if you’re an average traveler/enjoyment hiker. Why rush it, anyways?

If you spend extra time exploring the tanks, taking photos, or navigating slowly across the rock, it may take a bit longer as well. It just depends on how much you want to do on the trail. I went during the off season when the tanks of water were frozen, and my group spent a while throwing rocks into them and breaking the ice. So if you’re anything like that group was, it might take you longer. Just remember to “leave no trace” and keep the parks awesome for future visitors!

When to go on the Capitol Gorge Tanks Hike

You can go on the Capitol Gorge Tanks hike any time of year, but if you don’t love the heat, the best times are spring and fall when temperatures are milder.

After rain: The tanks are often filled with water, making this one of the most scenic times to visit

During the Summer: Very hot, little shade—go early morning or evening

During the Winter: Less busy and when it’s cold enough, the tanks are frozen (which is really cool to see.) This is when I went most recently and the frozen tanks look kinda magical. I have a whole article on the difference between the Utah National Parks in the summer and winter so go check that out for more information.

If you have extra time and feel like you’ve done everything you want to in the park, the town Torrey has some fun places to explore as well.

I hope this article helped you get a better feel for this hike. If you go on this trail, tag @mckennauncharted on instagram and I’ll likely repost it!

If you want more content about Capitol Reef, check out my One-day capitol reef itinerary or my articles about other hikes at Capitol Reef. Have a great day!