Coyote Gulch to Muley Twist Canyon — Capitol Reef South Desert Circuit via Strike Valley
Strike Valley walls and Burr Trail switchbacks.
South of Capitol Reef’s visitor center, Notom Road drops onto a bench between the Henry Mountains and the Waterpocket Fold, and the pavement ends fast. From Notom, the route punches south along Strike Valley — a long, drained trough where the fold’s tilted fins glow orange at first light — before swinging west into Muley Twist Canyon via the Upper Muley Twist trailhead. The canyon floor is your road here: a sandy, rock-studded wash with enough loose cobble and shelf-rock ledges to keep you honest. The Halls Creek Narrows connector adds a short, sandy slot section before looping back north on Burr Trail Road and its infamous switchbacks, dropping you off the fold’s edge in a series of tight, exposed turns that’ll have your spotter earning their keep.
Call this Moderate to Difficult — it’s not technically brutal, but the sand traps, off-camber shelf sections, and the Burr Trail switchbacks demand a proper high-clearance 4WD with aired-down tires. Stock Tacomas and 4Runners have done it; lifted rigs do it better. Best months are March through May and September through October — summer bakes this basin well past 100°F. No permits required for vehicle travel. Water is zero; carry a minimum of two gallons per person. Dispersed camping along Notom Road and Strike Valley is wide open and legal. Escalante Interagency Visitor Center in Boulder can pull the latest road conditions from Capitol Reef’s south district.
Trail Specs
| Difficulty | Difficult |
|---|---|
| Trail Type | Backcountry, Technical 4x4 |
| Surface | Dirt, Rock, Sand |
| Features | Camping, Historic, Remote, Scenic |
| Length (miles) | 68 mi / 109.4 km |
| Duration | 2-3 days |
| Max elevation (ft) | 6200 ft |
| Best season | March-May, September-October |
| Minimum vehicle | High-clearance 4WD, aired-down tires |
| Nearest town | Torrey, Utah |
| Land manager | Capitol Reef National Park / BLM Henry Mountains Field Office |
| Permit required | No |
| Cell service | None |
| Water crossings | No |
| Dispersed camping | Yes |
| Official sources | Capitol Reef road conditions BLM Henry Mountains Field Office |
| Start coordinates | |
| End coordinates | |
| Copy both for Google Maps directionsClick to copy the directions URL · or open it directly in a new tab | |
| Find on Google | Search on Google → |
Location
Trail Conditions
No recent condition reports. Be the first to post one.
Log in to post a condition report.
Frequently asked questions
Can a stock Tacoma or 4Runner handle this, or does it need to be built?
A stock high-clearance 4WD can run most of it, but you need to air down to 18-20 PSI for the sandy sections and rocky Burr Trail switchbacks. A suspension lift helps on the rougher ledge rock near Strike Valley, but it's not a hard requirement — slow and deliberate gets you through.
When does this route typically become impassable, and can you run it in winter?
Winter is a hard no for most of this circuit — snow closes the higher elevations and wet clay turns the dirt sections into an undriveable mess that will bury you. Stick to March–May or September–October; even then, check current road conditions with Capitol Reef NPS before you leave Torrey because a single rainstorm can shut the whole thing down fast.
Do you need a permit for this route, and is there a fee to enter Capitol Reef?
Capitol Reef National Park charges a vehicle entrance fee ($35 as of 2024), valid for 7 days. The BLM sections don't require a separate permit, and dispersed camping on BLM land outside the park boundary is free — just follow Leave No Trace and don't camp within a quarter mile of water sources.
What's the hardest section on this route and what exactly makes it technical?
The Burr Trail switchbacks climbing out of the canyon are the crux — steep, loose rock ledges with tight turns that will drag your sliders if you're not lined up correctly. The descent into Strike Valley also has exposed shelf road sections with no guardrails and serious drop-offs; one bad line and you're recovering, not driving.
Where do you get water and gas on a 2-3 day run through here — is 68 miles enough range to worry about fuel?
Fuel up in Torrey before you leave — there is zero resupply on this circuit and the nearest gas after that is Boulder or Hanksville, both well off-route. Water is scarce and unreliable in the backcountry; carry a minimum of 4 gallons per person and treat anything you pull from natural sources. Cell service is completely dead the entire route, so someone needs to know your timeline.
Trail track
No GPX track for this trail yet. If you've driven it and have a track, contribute below.
Log in to contribute a GPX track.