Sulphur Creek

6.25 miles ONE WAY (need a shuttle)
easy (downhill if you start at Chimney Rock and go to the visitor center)
Wear water hiking sandals! Or old tennis shoes you don't mind getting wet and dirty, as long as they still have good traction.

One of the most fantastic hikes in Capitol Reef National Park, Sulphur Creek offers easy access to awesome canyoneering, complete with waterfalls, a 600-foot deep gorge, and great opportunities for wading, swimming, and rock scrambling. This is a family, and child-friendly hike that provides a rewarding experience for all skill levels and ages. The route is six miles long, and drops over 500 feet in elevation from Chimney Rock to the visitor center.

Most visitors begin the hike at Chimney Rock, work down to the dry streambed until they reach the confluence with Sulphur Creek, and then splash their way on downstream until they reach the visitor center. Note: There is NOT a park shuttle to take you back to your car at Chimney Rock, some visitors hike back along Highway 24 (adding an extra 3 miles to the trip) or leave a second car to transport them back.

Water levels fluctuate often within Sulphur Creek; visitors should check with the park officials at the visitor center before entering the canyon, especially when bringing children. The water level in the creek should not be much higher than your ankles (mid-calves in some deeper spots) for the hike to be safe.

Chimney Rock looms up above the parking area to the north. Visitors will cross the road and head south into the gulch. After almost one and a half miles, the dry gulch joins with Sulphur Creek, and marks the point where the fun starts.

Almost immediately, hikers will have to negotiate wading pools and waterfalls, some of them close to 15 feet high, while navigating the meandering turns of the Goosenecks, surrounded by cliff walls that reach upward of 600 feet tall.

Eventually, the canyon disappears, and the stream bubbles past the Capitol Reef visitor center on Highway 24. Hikers can fill up on water here—as there is no potable water in the canyon—as well as getting the latest weather and creek conditions.

To Hike the Traditional Route:  Park at the Chimney Rock Trailhead and cross Highway 24 to get to the trail (don’t take the Chimney Rock Trail).  You will see a dry wash that looks like a trail.  This is where you begin.

For the first 1.5 miles of the Sulphur Creek Trail, follow the dry wash.  When you reach the creek, take a left.  You will hike through the Goosenecks, two waterfalls, the narrows, another waterfall, and then another 1.5 miles or so to the Visitor Center.  Some non-technical bouldering and scrambling is required to get past the waterfalls.  Just remember, for the first two waterfalls the trail is to the right.  For the last waterfall, you will want to go down on the left side.

The hike ends when you get to the Visitor Center, at which point you will need to drive your shuttle car back to Chimney Rock, or walk the 3 miles along the highway.

To Hike the Shortened Route:  Park at the Visitor Center.  To the right of the Visitor Center, you will find a trail that leads down to the water.  Take a left when you get to the water, and just follow the creek for approximately 1.5 miles to the waterfall.  Return the same way you came.

Getting Here

From Torrey, take Highway 24 east for about 11 miles to get to the Visitor Center.  If you are taking the traditional route, park a car here, and then with the other car, drive west on Highway 24 for 3 miles to get to the Chimney Rock Trailhead to start the trail.

If you are taking the shortened route, your hike will start at the Visitor Center so you can just park there and begin.