Scenic Drive Rehabilitation Project

The Scenic Drive at sunset

NPS Photo

 

Project Overview

The National Park Service (NPS), in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), is undergoing a project to rehabilitate the Scenic Drive and multiple parking lots in Capitol Reef National Park.

The project seeks to:

• Expand parking capacity and delineation of parking spots. This aims to improve safety and access while reducing the number of vehicles parked along the highway and Scenic Drive.

• Improve drainage due to the area’s flood-prone landscape.

• Slightly widen the road especially in tight curve areas; allowing larger vehicles to pass each other without leaving the road surface.

• Make accessibility improvements including additional accessible parking spaces, sidewalks, and low-slope grading.

Many of the park’s parking lots were originally designed and built in the 1960s when the park received about 160,000 visitors per year. Currently, more than 1.2 million visitors experience Capitol Reef National Park annually and improvements are needed for park infrastructure to accommodate the increased visitation. Parking lots are routinely overcrowded, resulting in visitors parking along adjacent roadways causing resource and safety concerns. The parking lot at Chimney Rock trailhead and Scenic Drive show signs of pavement cracking, shoulder erosion, and damage to various drainage structures.

The majority of the park will be open and accessible during this project. Visitors will still have access to the Fruita area, including the campground, Gifford House, visitor center, and trails along SR 24. The 2024 Fruita Area Map and Guide has been updated to aid in planning a visit during this project. Expect congestion in parking areas and at popular trailheads such as Hickman Bridge and Grand Wash off of State Route 24. Consider hiking earlier or later in the day to make finding parking less stressful.

State Routes 12 and 24 will remain open during this project. Visitors will still be able to travel between Bryce Canyon and Torrey on Route 12. They will also still be able to travel east and west across the park on SR 24.

 

Updates and Next Steps

The contract for this project has been awarded to Harward and Rees Construction based in Loa, UT. The project start date was April 29, 2024. The current plan is listed below but is subject to change as the project progresses. Updates will be posted on this page.

Updated on June 4, 2025

The Scenic Drive is closed just south of the Grand Wash Road.
The Scenic Drive will be fully closed (south of the Fruita Campground) starting the evening of June 11. The closure is expected to last into August.

These temporary closures are to allow the second layer of pavement to be placed before its final reopening. Check this page or the "Alerts" section at the top of our website for updates. The southern half of the Scenic Drive, beyond the junction with the Grand Wash Road, closed on May 13.

When the road is closed, there is no vehicle, bicycle, or pedestrian access beyond the closure.

The Visitor Center parking lot will also be paved in June 2025. During the week of June 2 - 6, visitor center parking will be very limited while crews prepare for paving. The visitor center will be CLOSED June 10, 11, and 12 - when paving is in progress due to safety and parking concerns. The Visitor Center may have a delayed opening on June 13 to allow the new paint to dry completely. Park staff will be available at the picnic area during the building closure to assist visitors with planning, hand out maps and other information, and they will have the park's passport stamp. The picnic area is one mile south of the visitor center on the Scenic Drive. While the visitor center is closed, visitors should carry their America the Beautiful passes with them, those needing to purchase the park entrance fee can do so on recreation.gov. Also during the visitor center closure, canyoneering/rock climbing/bouldering permits will only be available via email. The permit box in front of the visitor center will not be accessible. Visit the permits section of the Canyoneering page for more information. During this time, visitors are encouraged to stop for maps and information at the Wayne County Visitor Information Center in Torrey, at the junction of Utah highways 12 and 24.

The Gifford House will be open with a selection of souvenier items in addition to their regular sales items. The Capitol Reef Natural History Association bookstore website has additional items listed. To place an order from the bookstore, please call 435-425-4108.

The Chimney Rock parking lot will close for finish work and painting. It is expected to close the afternoon of June 11 and reopen the afternoon of June 13. While this parking lot is closed, there will be no access to Chimney Rock trail.
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A delayed schedule and colder temperatures prevented completion of the Scenic Drive paving in 2024. Work continued along the Scenic Drive over the winter, and will start again in spring 2025.

During the Scenic Drive closure, the Pleasant Creek/South Draw Road will not have through access. The South Draw Road is a rough, unmaintained road. It is not recommended. If visitors choose to access the Pleasant Creek area of the park on this road, they will have to return the same way.

Throughout this project, visitors can expect heavy truck traffic on State Route 24 and on the Scenic Drive past the visitor center and campground as construction materials are transported to the work site.

The Fruita Campground is open through the remainder of this project. Campground reservations are available through recreation.gov.

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

Why is the project being conducted over the summer?

The road needs to be rehabilitated during the warmer months of the year since the pavement needs to cure at at least 50°F (10°C). 

Did the park consider using flaggers to avoid a full closure of the Scenic Drive?

Yes, the park did consider using flaggers and keeping the road partially open. However, using flaggers and keeping the road partially open would likely delay the project and cause the road to be impacted for two seasons instead of just one season.

What areas will still be accessible during construction?

Most of the park will still be open – the projects would occur only in a small percentage of the park. Trailheads and parking areas along SR 24 will be open and accessible. The Fruita area of the park will be open, including the visitor center, orchards, Gifford House, picnic area, and Fruita Campground. The northern Cathedral Valley and southern Waterpocket districts of the park will be unaffected by this project. These remote, dirt backcountry roads do take more planning to visit and usually require a high clearance vehicle. More information on these areas can be found on the roads page.

How will this project change the Scenic Drive?

This project seeks to rebuild the entire road foundation and slightly widen it to allow two large oncoming vehicles to pass without leaving the road surface. Currently, the road is 17 to 22 feet wide and the project will result in a consistent 20 foot road width. Some curves will be widened to approximately 21 to 23 feet. Scenic Drive will retain the look and feel of a narrow backcountry byway. The road width will remain largely unchanged as will the alignment including curves. This will continue to encourage low vehicle speeds. 

What parking lots are being improved and why?

The visitor center, Chimney Rock trailhead, Hickman Bridge and Petroglyph Panel parking lots are being redesigned and repaired to improve access and flow, as well as accommodate larger vehicles and RVs. The goal is to also reduce traffic backups onto Scenic Drive and SR 24. Additional parking at the junction of Grand Wash Road and Capitol Gorge Road will provide more formal parking when these roads are closed due to flooding.

 

Link to Project Details

For more information on this project, please visit the project's page on PEPC (Planning, Environment & Public Comment).