Round Trip Distance: 0.8 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 6323 - 6370 feet
Cellphone: 0-2 bars
Time: 30 mins.
Trailhead: Sunset Point
Fee: $7 individual, $15/vehicle
Attractions: Scenic views
The Sunset Point trail is located in Capitol Reef National Park near Torrey, Utah. The trail leads from the parking area to a view point where hikers can take in panoramic views of this section of the park. The shadows and light cast upon the colorful cliffs and canyon walls by the sun as evening approaches makes this a popular trail for the parks visitors.
The Sunset Point trailhead shares the same parking area as the trailhead for the Goosenecks Overlook. The parking area is at the end of a dirt road less than a mile from Highway 24 at the Panorama Point turnoff.
The trail has a slight climb to it as it leaves the parking area and works its way around to the east side of the hill but overall the entire elevation change for this hike is less than 50 feet.
A bench near the halfway point and one at the end of the trail provide comfortable places to enjoy a sunset.
A whole spectrum of colors are displayed in the desert landscape. As the sun moves across the sky the contrast of each color displays a slightly different picture.
Looking out over the desert expanse is the evidence of millions of years of geological processes. Some of the formations were laid down when the area was covered by a shallow sea while others came about when the area was much drier and looked more like the Sahara desert. There were even some periods where much volcanic ash has left its mark on the landscape as well as boulders of lava that were rounded by the flows from glacier activity. Many changes have come to the land over the past eons. With the slow movement of the continents and the continual changes in the climate it is truly a living planet.
The Sunset Point hike can be done in conjunction with the Goosenecks Overlook trail and a stop at Panorama Point. The 3 of them together will only take up about an hour or so of your time. You can get a copy of the official hiking guide to study and print out to bring with you from the Capitol Reef National Park website. If you would like to see it for yourself then all you have to do is 'Take a hike'.