Jailhouse Rock/Temple Rock Trail

Dogs No Dogs

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A short hike to the overlook for Jailhouse Rock winds gently down an old road. Beyond the overlook, the road descends steeply through wildly eroded rock and then disappears on the valley floor. Eventually, visitors will pick up a lightly used hiker-made trail that passes just north of Jailhouse Rock and continues on to the top of an eroding volcanic dike and beyond to a viewpoint close to Temple Rock.

Comprised of Entrada Sandstone bases covered by more resistant Curtis Formation caprock, both Jailhouse Rock and Temple Rock are superb examples of how such a simple difference in a rock's susceptibility to weathering can drive the formation of such dramatically stunning monoliths in the middle of the Utah desert. While the faint path continues into the desert, the real stars of the hike are Temple Rock and Jailhouse Rocks.

You can continue further, but it won't much enhance your journey. Once you've gone as far as you'd like, simply turn around and return the way that you came.

This content was contributed by author Rick Stinchfield. For a comprehensive hiking guide to Capitol Reef National Park and to see more by Rick, click here.

Keep your eyes peeled for yellow mule's ear along the hiker-made path to Temple Rock.