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Capitol Reef National Park Park Regulations
In order to protect fragile desert resources and maximize your enjoyment, please follow these guidelines:
A free backcountry use permit is required for all overnight trips in the park. Permits are available at the park visitor center, the Glen Canyon visitor center at Bullfrog, Anasazi State Park in Boulder, and the multi-agency visitor center in Escalante Purify all water before drinking. Do not pollute water sources with soap, food scraps, suntan lotion, etc. Do not swim or bathe in potholes or tanks. When possible, hike on existing roads and trails. In other areas, walk on slickrock, in washes, and on animal trails. Avoid walking on cryptobiotic crust. Do not disturb or deface natural features, historic sites, or archaeological sites. Collecting items of any kind is prohibited. Pack out all trash, including food scraps, cigarette butts, and toilet paper. Burning or burying toilet paper is prohibited. Bury human waste 6 inches deep in soil and at least 100 feet away from any water source, and out of washes. Pets are not permitted on trails or in the backcountry, and may not be left unattended. Gathering firewood and building fires is prohibited; use fuel-burning stoves in the backcountry. Camp at least 1/2 mile from roads and trailheads. Camp out of sight and sound of the trail and other campers. Camp away from flowing water, archaeological/historical sites, and trail junctions. Parties camping overnight in the backcountry must not number more than 12 persons.
Vehicle camping is restricted to designated sites within the Fruita, Cedar Mesa, or Cathedral campgrounds. Fires are permitted at established campgrounds, but must be contained within designated receptacles in each site. You must supply your own wood or charcoal; gathering firewood is prohibited. Read and follow guidelines posted in campgrounds. Pets must be leashed at all times.
All vehicles must stay on designated roads. Vehicles and drivers must be state licensed.
ATV use is prohibited within the park. Mountain Biking Mountain biking is permitted only on designated roads, and is not permitted on any trail or anywhere off-road. Firearms and Hunting Hunting and trapping are prohibited. Firearms are prohibited (firearms transported in vehicles must be unloaded, broken down, and out of sight).
Maine ocean islands provide the only nesting sites for Atlantic puffins in the United States. Eastern Egg Rock in the midcoast region, Seal Island and Matinicus Rock at the mouth of Penobscot Bay, and Machias Seal Island and Petit Manan Island off the downeast coast provide habitat for more than 4,000 puffins each summer.