Bikepacking the Cathedral Valley Loop in Capitol Reef National Park

After convincing a friend to bike across the state of Washington with me despite not having any bikepacking experience, we thought it would be a good idea to do a shake-down trip. We needed to test out our gear and actually see if we enjoyed spending 8+ hours in the saddle (turns out we do!).

The 72-mile Cathedral Valley Loop in Capitol Reef National Park was a one-night trip I’d had my eye on and we decided it would be a great (albeit short) test run for our upcoming big trip.

The route traverses through the remote Cathedral Valley of this lesser-known park and is one of the most beautiful and unique sections that not many visitors get to experience.

The area earned its name ‘Cathedral Valley’ because “the eroded sandstone shapes reminded early explorers of ornate, Gothic cathedrals, with fluted walls, alcoves, and pinnacles” (NPS Website).

In addition to the giant monoliths, the route also passes by colorful bentonite hills, sweeping desert overlooks, a gypsum sinkhole, and a really cool glass ‘mountain’.

While the route is pretty straightforward, this guide will help you plan your bikepacking trip out to Cathedral Valley in Capitol Reef National Park.

Let’s roll!

What & Where is Cathedral Valley?

Cathedral Valley is located within Capitol Reef National Park in southern Utah, a lesser-known and lesser-visited (but no less beautiful!) National Park.

Like many of the parks in southern Utah, Capitol Reef is characterized by its unique desert landscape, red rock bluffs, and white sandstone cliffs. There are also lush green meadows and even fruit orchards that are the relics of the historic Mormon settlement of Fruita.

Scenic landscape view out over Cathedral Valley in Capitol Reef National Park — Looking down into Cathedral Valley – you can see the tall monoliths rising up from the valley floor

To access Cathedral Valley, there is a 60-mile sandy dirt road that traverses through this rugged and remote area. Most people drive this route in a day, but it can also be done as an overnight bikepacking trip, which is what we did.

The Cathedral Valley Loop at a Glance

My stats & trip details

The Cathedral Valley loop is about 72 miles in total and can easily be done in two days with plenty of time to explore the sights and attractions of Cathedral Valley.

These are the details and stats from my trip, which may differ from yours depending on where you start and if you decide to do any of the little side trips or not. You can also check the stats on Bikepacking.com to compare.

I have more tips for planning your trip in the Planning section below.

Start/End: Sleepy Hollow Campground
Total distance: 72 miles
Days needed: 2 days
Rideable time: 100%
Fitness level: Good
Skill level: Easy
Elevation gain/loss: 4,547 ft (1,386 meters)
High point: 7,204 ft (2,196 meters)
% singletrack: 0%
Time of year: Late April
Ease of navigation: Easy
Ease of resupply: None
Water availability: None

Bikepacker riding bike on the Cathedral Valley Loop in Capitol Reef National Park with tall sandstone cliff on left side — The Cathedral Valley Loop is all dirt road – some of it is hard packed like this, but there are also very sandy and loose sections

Cathedral Valley Loop Map

Highlights of the Cathedral Valley Loop

The Cathedral Valley Loop is a short and relatively easy bikepacking trip, but it packs in a lot of cool sights and spots.

Here are a few highlights to expect along the loop:

Pedaling through the unique and beautiful Bentonite hills
The remote Cathedral Valley Campground
The views descending down into Cathedral Valley – stunning!
Seeing Temple of the Sun and Temple of the Moon up close
The Glass Mountain – I’d never seen anything like it
The Gypsum Sinkhole – worth pedaling out to

View of Temple of the Sun behind Glass Mountain in Cathedral Valley, Capitol Reef National Park — Temple of the Sun and Glass Mountain in Cathedral Valley

Challenges of the Cathedral Valley Loop

Overall, this route really isn’t that challenging, but here are some things to consider before deciding to commit to it:

Aside from the Bentonite hills, day one is a bit monotonous
There are some very sandy stretches – wide tires are a must
There is no water availability, so you’ll need to carry all you need
It’s a popular route for 4×4 vehicles, so you might experience some traffic
It was VERY windy at the campground – I don’t think either of us slept

Woman riding bikepacking bike up dirt road through Bentonite hills in Cathedral Valley National Park — Riding through the Bentonite hills on day 1

planning Your Cathedral Valley Bikepacking Trip

As I’ve mentioned above, in the grand scale of bikepacking trips, the Cathedral Valley Loop is pretty straightforward, but as with any bikepacking trip, you do need to plan a bit.

Here are some tips on how to make the most of your adventure.

Water Availability

Plan for NO WATER on the Cathedral Valley Loop. You will cross the Fremont River within the first few miles on day 1, but there is no guarantee of water past the river.

I carried 8L of water for two days. I had about a liter leftover, but I always prefer to overestimate how much water I’ll need, even though it makes my bike heavier!

You can also drive up to the Cathedral Valley Campground to stash water, but a friend of mine did this only to discover a mountain lion had decided it needed it more.

Where to Camp

The Cathedral Valley Campground is situated about halfway along the Cathedral Valley Loop at 33 miles and it’s also the highest point along the route.

The campground is first-come-first-serve with 6 sites and it’s free. There is a pit toilet (no toilet paper when we were there) and each site has a fire pit and picnic table.

If you need to camp before and/or after the ride, Sleepy Hollow Campground is a great choice because it’s located on the loop and splits up the 10-mile highway section.

The campground is privately owned and has clean bathrooms and showers and potable water. It’s $20/night for tent/car camping. Call Forrest at (435) 456-9130 to reserve a site and let him know that you want to leave your vehicle overnight.

Be prepared for sand

Be prepared for some sandy pedaling. The Cathedral Valley Loop is a mix of hardpacked surface, rock-studded sections, and very sandy sand pits.

I highly recommend wide tires that are at least 2.5 – 2.8. The fast-rolling Maxxis Rekon tires are a great choice – they come in 27.5+ and 29 x 2.6 or you could probably get away with the 2.4s.

Bikepacker riding bike down sandy road in Capitol Reef National Park — There are some sandy stretches along the Cathedral Valley Loop – be sure to bring wide tires

Navigating the route

The Cathedral Valley Loop is pretty easy to navigate because most of the intersections are well-marked, but I still recommend bringing something to navigate by.

I downloaded the GPX file from Bikepacking.com to use on my Garmin Edge Computer, but you can also download it to your phone if you have a GPX-compatible app like Ride With GPS. However, using your phone will drain your battery much faster.

Paper maps of Capitol Reef National Park are also available.

Need a GPS Computer?

Never get lost again! I’ve been using my Garmin Edge bike computer for a number of years now and it has never led me astray (although it has told me that climbs were over when they clearly were not…).

I’ve used the Garmin Edge on multi-day bikepacking trips, long gravel rides, and even to navigate my epic adventure on the Ruta Maya through Central America.

It has all the features you need for a cycling trip like GPS tracking, an easy-to-use touchscreen, tons of stats, and the ability to connect to other apps like Ride With GPS, Strava, and TrailForks.

If you want to learn more, read my full review of the Garmin Edge.

Buy AT REI Buy AT Amazon Buy AT Backcountry Buy AT Competitive Cyclist

Entrance Fee

There is a self-pay station just past the Visitor’s Center and the entrance fee is $20 per vehicle. I’m not sure how (or if?) you pay this if you enter the Park from the other direction, i.e. from Hanksville since the loop is over in that direction.

About half of the loop is in the National Park and the money helps keep our beautiful lands beautiful.

Bikepacker riding bike down rough road in Cathedral Valley National Park

My Cathedral Valley Loop Trip Report

Day 1: Bentonite Hills & Cathedral Valley Campground

Miles: 33 miles
Elevation change: +3,540 ft/-990 ft
Time needed: 5-6 hours
Camping: Cathedral Valley Campground (free, no water)

Day 1 in detail

We started our Cathedral Valley Loop ride from Sleepy Hollow Campground, which is situated right in the middle of the paved highway section of the loop. There are several places you can start the ride, but we chose Sleepy Hollow Campground because we could leave our car there overnight and there were hot showers waiting for us at the end! (I’m kind of a princess…).

From Sleepy Hollow Campground, it’s a short warmup climb on the paved highway before turning off onto Hartnet Road. Shortly after leaving the paved road, you’ll come to a river crossing, which was 2-3 feet deep when we rode the loop in April. You will get your feet wet!

Woman pushing bikepacking bike through river — There is a river at the start of the loop, but this is the only water you’ll come across

After the river crossing, there’s a short switchbacked climb and then, to be honest, the next few hours of pedaling the Cathedral Valley Loop are a bit monotonous and boring.

You’ll pass through valleys lined with red rock bluffs and sandstone cliffs and while the landscape is pretty, it’s not spectacular.

There are a few attractions to explore like the Lower Desert Overlook, which is a worthwhile detour, and the Bentonite Hills, which are otherworldly.

But for the most part, day 1 is a slow and sandy pedal up to the Cathedral Valley Campground.

But be consoled by the fact that tomorrow is almost all downhill and the landscape of the actual Cathedral Valley is 10x more impressive!

Woman standing next to two bikepacking bikes at lookout on the Cathedral Valley Loop in Capitol Reef National Park — The views on day one are ok, but they get much better tomorrow!

You’ll spend the night at the no-fee Cathedral Valley Campground, which is first-come-first-serve and has a pit toilet (no toilet paper).

The 6 campsites are studded with Pinyon and juniper trees and each site has a fire pit and picnic table. The campground is situated at 7,000ft and can be suuuper windy at night, so be sure to pack layers.

Woman bundled up in a sleeping bag at the Cathedral Valley Campground in Capitol Reef National Park — We experienced realllly strong winds at the campground – pack a warm sleeping bag and layers

Day 2: Cathedral Valley!

Miles: 39 miles
Elevation change: +1,007 ft/-3,557 ft
Time needed: 4-5 hours

Day 2 in detail

Day 2 is definitely the highlight of bikepacking the Cathedral Valley Loop. The road is almost all downhill and the views and landscapes of Cathedral Valley are really stunning and beautiful.

From the campground, you’ll start with a steep switchbacked descent into the Valley with views of gigantic sandstone monoliths in the distance.

Canyon through Cathedral Valley in Capitol Reef National Park with tall sandstone cliffs on either side

Throughout day 2, there are several side attractions that are worth checking out. First is the gypsum sinkhole, which is pretty cool and only a mile off the main route.

I also recommend pedaling out to the Temple of the Sun and Temple of the Moon, both of which are giant rock formations that poke straight up out of the ground. On the way back from the temples, check out the Glass Mountain – I’d never seen anything like it!

Woman standing next to Glass Mountain in Capitol Reef National Park — My friend Michelle standing next to the super cool Glass Mountain

As you make your way out of Cathedral Valley, the road slowly winds its way back down to the highway where you’ll turn right and pedal a few miles back to the campground.

When to plan your trip

The best time to ride the Cathedral Valley Loop is in the spring and fall when both day and night temps are moderate.

Summer is too hot and winter can see snow and freezing rain.

We did our trip in April and the temps were a little chilly (highs of mid-60s and low of low 40s) but still manageable.

The Cathedral Valley Campground is at 7,000ft, so keep that in mind when planning your trip.

One other thing to keep an eye on is rainfall. The roads can get really sloppy and muddy after rain, making them near impossible to bike on, and the Fremont River, which you need to cross, can flood.

Bikepacker riding bike down dirt road in Capitol Reef National Park — Bikepacking through Cathedral Valley is best in the spring and fall when temps are cool, but not cold

What to Pack

For a complete list of gear to pack for an overnight trip, head over to my Bikepacking Gear Checklist.

Here are a few modifications specific to our Cathedral Valley trip:

A bivy sack instead of a tent: I opted to take a bivy sack instead of a tent for this overnight because I wanted to pack lighter. It ended up being really windy at the Cathedral Valley Campground and I think a tent would have provided more protection from the wind, but it would also have been very noisy. If I did this loop again, I’d probably still opt for the bivy sack.
Wide tires: As I mentioned above, sections of the Cathedral Valley Loop are really sandy, so I recommend wide tires that still have good traction. The Maxxis Rekons are a great choice.

Woman riding bikepacking bike on dirt road toward tall sandstone monolith in Cathedral Valley in Capitol Reef National Park — Pedaling out to Temple of the Sun is a must

I really enjoyed our overnight trip through Cathedral Valley. The first day is a bit monotonous and not particularly exciting, but the second day is spectacular.

Passing through Cathedral Valley on a bike isn’t something many people get to do, so if you’re looking for a unique adventure, definitely consider adding this to your bike-it list.

Bikepacking the Cathedral Valley Loop in Capitol Reef National Park

What & Where is Cathedral Valley?