Capitol Reef National Park with Kids: A Complete Guide
Exploring Capitol Reef National Park means a family vacation filled with fascinating hikes through otherworldly landscapes, scenic drives, picking fruit in historic orchards, and (perhaps the best part) eating freshly made pies!
This Utah national park between Torrey and Hanksville is an incredible adventure on its own, or as part of a larger Utah national parks road trip. It’s Utah’s second least visited national park, so there’s more room for your family to roam and far fewer lines that you’ll get elsewhere in the Mighty 5.
In this guide, I’m simplifying your time in Capitol Reef, offering up suggestions on kid-friendly hikes, places to camp in and outside of the park, family activities you shouldn’t miss, and all of the details on those pies.
The Camping Kiddos and me at the west entrance sign to the park
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Family Vacations at Capitol Reef: An Overview
Capitol Reef National Park is one of the 5 national parks in Utah, collectively known as Utah’s Mighty 5. These parks are some of the most visited and photographed in the country, and they are all well worth a visit since each offers up unique geological formations, hiking opportunities, and outdoor experiences.
If you’d like to visit Capitol Reef as part of a larger Utah Mighty 5 road trip with your kids, check out my comprehensive guide and itinerary!
Capitol Reef National Park is beautiful, but it’s also not really on the way to anywhere. This remoteness is part of the reason why this otherwise incredible place is overlooked for easier to access parks like Zion (which is right off of I-15) and Arches (about 30 minutes off of I-70).
Capitol Reef, on the other hand, requires a 90 minute jaunt off of I-70 via Utah Route 24, a gorgeous but incredibly remote road that cuts through the tiny town of Hanksville before bisecting the park on the way to Torrey, Utah.
If you’re willing to get off of the beaten path and out of cell phone reception range, what awaits you and your family at Capitol Reef is packed with potential memory making moments.
Capitol Reef National Park covers about 240,000 acres, making it about a third smaller than Canyonlands, and twice as large as Zion. Overall, Capitol Reef’s size makes it feel a bit more manageable than Canyonlands while still giving you plenty of room to explore.
The red rock formations across Route 24 from the visitors center
Layout of the Park
The park is laid out across several different areas:
The park’s scenic drive, which runs 8 miles from the visitors center before ending in a rough off-roading area
Route 24, which runs east-west through the middle of the park,
Fruita, where you’ll find the visitors center, fruit orchards, historic pioneer buildings, and pies, and
Cathedral Valley in the north of the park, which contains the famed rock formations called the Temple of the Sun and Moon, main route cutting through park.
You will need a rental car, as there’s no public transportation within the park, nor is there anyway to get to the park unless you’re on a tour.
How Long Should I Visit the Park?
Ideally, you should plan at least 2 days here to see the main areas and do a couple of hikes.
If you have 3-4 days here, you can expand that basic overview of the park. With that extra time, you can add in others scenic drives and excursions into the area around Capitol Reef.
There is SO much to see and do within easy driving distance including Anasazi State Park, Fishlake National Forest, and Goblin Valley State Park.
In the Fruita district with the campground behind us
When is the best time to visit Capitol Reef with Kids?
Since Capitol Reef doesn’t see the crowds of nearby Arches National Park or Zion National Park, you’ve got to stress less about visiting during the off-season or a specific time of the year. Capitol Reef welcomes around 1.2 million visitors each year, coming in ahead of the 900,000 that Canyonlands has and behind the 1.4 million that Arches sees on average.
Capitol Reef is about 2.5 times the size of Arches National Park, so, while there’s not a major difference in the number of annual visitors, Capitol Reef is able to spread those people out more efficiently—and you’re less likely to feel crowded on your visit.
That being said, I know that many families are constrained by school and work schedules and are more likely to visit during spring break, summer vacation, or fall break.
All of these are going to be excellent choices, though your experience at the park will change according to the time of year you’re arriving.
The Castle rock formation as seen from near Sulphur Creek
Capitol Reef, Season by Season
Capitol Reef National Park is open year round, so it’s ready and waiting whenever your family’s schedule allows for a visit.
Summer is Capitol Reef’s peak season, though even the top crowds here are reasonable when compared to the more popular national parks. It’s also when you’ll see the highest temperatures (80-85 degrees mid-day on average in July and August), though this is much cooler than Arches, Canyonlands, and Zion during the same time period.
While those summer temperatures should be considered when hiking mid-day with your kids, overall, the peak season weather is safe and comfortable enough to do outdoor activities in the morning and late in the afternoon.
The weather is nearly perfect in April, May, September, and October, as the days get a little cooler. The park’s visitor level dips in these shoulder seasons as kids are either finishing up a school year or starting the next. If you can manage a spring break or fall break trip, you’ll enjoy both the weather and the lower crowds.
Winter is when you see the fewest crowds and the coldest weather, though it doesn’t ever get frigid here beyond the occasional cold snap. Capitol Reef also doesn’t see much snow or rain throughout the year, and if it does snow, it’s usually no more than a dusting.
If you’re willing to bundle up, Capitol Reef can be an excellent option for a family outdoor adventure over your child’s winter break! Keep in mind that some of the facilities, like one of the loops in the Fruita campground, close during this low season, and this is when the park is most likely to do repair or construction work.
Typically, though, you’ll be able to access all of the most popular areas of the park during the winter, just without the crowds.
Do I need a reservation for visiting Capitol Reef?
No, you do not need a reservation for visiting Capitol Reef. Unlike other national parks like Arches National Park, also in Utah, or Glacier National Park in Montana, which have issues with crowded trails and overuse of amenities, Capitol Reef does not currently need that reservation system.
Capitol Reef does have an entrance fee, which is always separate from a reservation in the parks that require it.
The entrance fee for Capitol Reef is $20 per car, and it is good for 7 days. There isn’t a toll booth at this park, so it runs on the honors system. You can purchase your digital pass ahead of time on Recreation.gov or at the visitors center.
This honors system is a result of the fact that Route 24 runs directly through the park east-west, and, as it is the only paved thoroughfare through this part of the state, the national park hasn’t attempted to turn it into a toll road of sorts. Instead, those simply passing through do not have to pay, while those visitors who plan to hike and explore should secure the proper pass.
If you’re entering the park from the south via Scenic Drive, there’s a little self-pay station on the side of the road where you can pay with cash.
NOTE: If you have a digital pass, I recommend taking a screen shot of it as the cell reception is generally awful in most of the park.
If you have an America the Beautiful Pass, which I highly recommend if you plan to visit more than 2 NPS sites in a 12-month period, you only need that pass.
If approached by a ranger, you should be able to show your pass when requested, so keep it handy.
What Can You Do in Capitol Reef with Kids?
While this wild, remote national park might not be the first place in Utah that you’d think to visit with your kids, there’s plenty to do here with the entire family if you know where to look.
In this section, I’m sharing my favorite kid-friendly things to do with kids in Capitol Reef, along with all of the details you’ll need to plan your own excursions and hikes.
Pies from the Gifford House
Let’s start with my favorite family activity in the entire park, and something that you can’t get at any other national park in the U.S.
The Gifford House in the Fruita district serves up multiple flavors of freshly baked pies each day, and you’re going to want to get in line for one (or several).
You can choose from cherry, apple, peach, mixed berry, or strawberry rhubarb, each of which is served in a small tin pie pan. These little pies are probably meant to serve a couple of people, but when it comes to pie, any of them can be a personal pie if you try hard enough!
Pies, a shady spot, and Junior Ranger booklets—a perfect combination
I unashamedly have served my kids pie for a meal while we’ve been at Capitol Reef, and we loved every bite. The cherry and apple were favorites, while the strawberry rhubarb was the least impressive.
Go early for a pie if you can; on peak summer days, the store will sell out. Keep in mind that the store closes from 12-1 PM for the employee’s lunch, and there is usually a line waiting over the lunch break.
This tiny house also has a small gift shop inside with various cooking supplies, aprons, jams, and cookbooks.
Bring a picnic blanket if you’d like to turn your pies into an event. Otherwise, there’s plenty of grass to sit on, as well as a few benches to the side of Gifford House.
Picking Fruit in the Historic Orchards
My son getting a helping hand for the mulberries from my dad
The Fruita district has produced crops since the 1880s, when Mormon pioneers took the bold move of finding a way to farm in this arid climate.
Thanks to the several rivers that run through this area, they made it work, and, today, those same orchards still produce fruit.
You can wander through the orchards when the trees have ripe fruit (the gates are locked before then), and anything you can eat in the orchard, you are allowed to pick for free!
If you’d like to take some of the fruit home, there’s an area where you can pay cash for it, but the prices are reasonable.
If you’re visiting in the late spring or early summer before the historic orchards are open, try the mulberry trees that are located in front of the Ripple Rock Nature Center. These ripen earlier, and they taste like blackberries.
You may have to help your child up to get those berries since the branches can be too far for little ones to reach alone.
Ranger Talks
These are always a treat at the national parks, and Capitol Reef has some excellent free programs available for all ages.
When you’re visiting with kids, look specifically for the Junior Ranger talks, which will be focused on a more kid-friendly topic and led by an exceedingly patient park ranger. These are usually held at the Ripple Rock Nature Center in the Fruita District, which has benches and tables available under the shady trees.
Topics can range from wildlife and conservation to local history. Check at the visitors center for the daily program options and locations.
Junior Ranger Program
My kids at one of the ranger talks exclusively for Junior Rangers
This free program is another must-do when visiting Capitol Reef with kids. If you’re not familiar with the Junior Ranger program, I have more details in my national parks for beginners guide here.
Essentially, kids (or kids at heart, as there’s no age limit) get a free booklet about the park, and complete related activities in the booklet.
They also have to attend a ranger program at Capitol Reef, and have that ranger sign off on their participation.
Once the required booklet pages and other activities are completed, your child can take the book to the visitors center to have it reviewed by a ranger.
If all is in order, your child will get sworn in and will receive a free badge for their efforts.
These badges are a blast to receive, and my kids keep them as souvenirs.
Stamp the backs of the wooden badges with the official national parks cancellation stamp at the visitors center for a truly personal souvenir.
Exploring the Visitors Center
The Capitol Reef Visitors Center is located at the corner of Route 24 and Scenic Drive (also known as Campground Road). There’s not a lot of parking available here directly in front of the building, but you can park in the overflow across the street near the orchards or back on Route 24 near Sulphur Creek.
Inside, you’ll find a small but well stocked gift shop, an information desk, and an area with interpretive materials to learn more about the wildlife, geology, and history in the park.
If you have 20 minutes or so, the park film is worth viewing. It looks at the different ways that water helps shape the park, even though the park gets such little rainfall each year. The film is free to view and it runs twice an hour on the hour and half hour.
Don’t forget to pick up your Junior Ranger booklet and a park map before you leave.
Kid Friendly Hikes in Capitol Reef
We made it to the Hickman Natural Bridge!
Hickman Natural Bridge Trail
Hickman Natural Bridge Trail is one of the most popular trails at Capitol Reef, if not THE most popular.
And for good reason.
This relatively easy trail is just under 2 miles, so it’s not going to take you all day, even if your child wants to stop a look at every rock. Keep in mind that there is about 440 feet of elevation gain, most of which is done in the first quarter mile as the trail rises steeply from the parking lot before leveling out.
At the 0.9 mile marker, you’ll be treated to the large natural bridge that spans 133 feet. You’ll hike underneath the bridge before heading back to the trailhead.
There are several sand pit-type areas that your kids are going to want to stop and play in. Thankfully, these also come with a little bit of shade if you scoot under the rock overhands.
My kids playing in the sand underneath another (smaller) natural bridge on the trail
The elevation gain at the beginning of the trail and then in the final hundred feet or so to the bridge challenged my kids, but, overall, we enjoyed this hike.
Parking here is rough with less than 40 spots available. Given that this trailhead also serves 2 other, longer (but also popular) trails, that’s nowhere near enough space for the number of visitors. People don’t move in and out of here quickly, so be prepared to circle a lot or come back later.
On our visit, we attempted to find a parking spot 3 different times of the day before giving up and parking on the side of Route 24 across the street from the paved lot. If you do this, pay close attention to the posted signs so that you don’t get fined for parking in a fragile or off limits area.
Grand Wash Trail
If Hickman Natural Bridge seems like too much for your kids, Grand Wash Trail is where you need to head.
This 2 mile out-and-back trail is completely flat as you’re walking down a dry wash. (NOTE: If there is severe weather in the area, this dry wash can flash flood, so know your weather forecast for that day.)
Along the way, you’ll hike past fantastical rock formations carved from the water that look like something out of Star Wars or Dune. In the first half mile of the hike, there are dozens of pockets in the soft stone walls that look like little cubbies. My kids loved exploring these and seeing which they fit in.
As you get further into the hike, the trail narrows significantly, making portions of it look like the Narrows hike in Zion National Park, just without the water.
One thing that’s great about this trail is that you can go as far as you and your kids are comfortable with and then turn around since there’s no one specific overlook or waterfall that you’re aiming for.
Parking is tough as there is little parking available at the trailhead, so you’ll need to leave your car along Route 24 and walk. I found this to be the worst part of the hike as navigating a 2 lane road while herding my kids past cars is nerve wracking. There’s not always a place to hike on the side of the cars away from the road due to the steepness of the embankments, so be careful.
Capitol Gorge Trail
Capitol Gorge Trail is a good option for families who want to get away from the crowds a bit. It’s in the backcountry, but barely, as the trailhead is down a maintained but dirt road at the end of the paved Scenic Drive (see more on that below).
If you do the entire trail, it’s probably more than most younger kids can handle at 4.6 miles round trip. My kids hike a lot, and my 7-year-old has just now started taking on hikes more than 5 miles (and we’ve learned that he maxes out around 6 when those little legs just don’t want to go any more).
So, use that to determine how far into this trail you’d like to go. This used to be the way that pioneers went from Fruita to nearby Noton, and you can see some pioneer graffiti from the late 1800s about a quarter mile in. This area is very flat and easy enough that nearly anyone could do it.
As you get further into the canyon, you’ll rely on cairns to keep to the trail, so only push on if you’re confident in this type of hiking. You’ll dip down into the canyon and will come to a spur trail called The Tanks at around the 1.5 mile marker.
If you do this section, know that it’s much harder than what you’ve done before with a few areas of rock scrambling and steep trail section. Older kids should be able to handle this, but younger kids will struggle. At the Tanks are some pothole formations, which are created by water pooling in the soft rock over time.
I don’t suggest going past the Tanks spur trail when doing this with kids as 1) there no awe-inspiring view at the end of the trail, just a park fence, and 2) you have to go back up an incline, so you don’t want to overtax you and your kids.
Still, if you do just that first half of the hike and turn back, you’ll get a quick and easy taste of what it’s like hiking in the backcountry around here without too much stress.
Scenic Drive
My dad and kids near the start of the Scenic Drive in Fruita
From the visitors center, you can drive 8 miles down Scenic Drive (also known as Campground Road). This paved area winds along beautiful overlooks where you can get great views of the Waterpocket Fold, the geological feature that defines the park in its towering red cliffs.
Scenic Drive is a point-to-point road and not a loop, so when you get to the end of the pavement, you can continue onto the unpaved, but usually still easily accessible, Capitol Gorge Road, or you can turn around and return to the visitors center area.
As you’re driving around the park, be sure to have your Capitol Reef National Park GuideAlong audio tour running! These inexpensive audio tours are excellent, and we use them whenever we’re visiting the national parks.
Once the tour is downloaded to your phone, it doesn’t need Wifi or cell reception, which is excellent for places like Capitol Reef that have truly terrible service. The tour works by satellite positioning to automatically start and stop as you pass points of interest.
You can replay, skip, or pause the tour points at any time, making it far more flexible than a traditional, in-person guided tour. Along the way, you’ll learn about the park’s history, important figures, geology, wildlife, and much more.
Fruita Pioneer School
My son beside the Fruita Schoolhouse
This tiny wooden clapboard building is a short stop, but still one that your kids will find interesting.
This one room school house is where several generation of children from the Fruita community came to get their education. Fruita was a small outpost with only 8-10 families at any given time, so there wasn’t any hiding from the teacher here!
The building isn’t typically open, but you can easily peek into the large windows that run along the outsides. You can see the desks, chairs, buck stove, chalkboard, and other items that the children would’ve used daily.
In true pioneer fashion, the community made what it could out of limited resources for this little grade school, and used older children to teach the younger when a dedicated teacher wasn’t available. The school’s first teacher was one of the older daughters of a local family, who, at only 12, was put in charge of nearly 2 dozen younger children!
If you walk behind the schoolhouse, you can find the large rock carving done by the children that says “Fruita Grade School” and is accompanied by the names of many of the children.
There’s a gravel parking lot here with room for several cars. The schoolhouse is located on Route 24 close to the visitors center.
Panorama Point Overlook
The view from Panorama Point looking back towards the visitors center
As you enter the park from the west side near Torrey, Utah, you’ll wind your way along Route 24, which has several overlooks and trailheads.
The park has also included some interpretive signs along the way to help you identify major rock formations such as Twin Rocks, Chimney Rock, and the Castle.
While anywhere along this road is going to be pretty, the overlook that’s worth stopping for if you have kids is the Panorama Point Overlook just past the trailhead for Chimney Rock.
Panorama Point feels dramatic with its short hike to the overlook area (and your kids can stretch their legs if you’ve been riding for a while!). Once at the top, you can see many of the defining features of the park laid out below you.
If you’d like to get to another overlook in this same area, follow Goosenecks Road to the usually less crowded Goosenecks Overlook.
If Panorama Point’s parking area is full, circle for a few minutes. People move in and out of here quickly, so a spot will open up in no time.
Petroglyphs
The longer of the 2 boardwalks leading to the petroglyphs
These petroglyph panels are located 0.4 miles from the Fruita Schoolhouse along Route 24.
Park in the paved parking area and then explore the 2 boardwalks that lead underneath each set of petroglyphs.
The pictures are high on the wall, so help your kids spot them.
My kids have loved finding petroglyphs at the places we visit—like those in a couple of hikes in Moab, Utah, outside of the national parks—and we’ve had great conversations as we learn about the people who made them long ago.
The longer of the two boardwalks is to the right if you’re standing in the parking lot looking away from the road, and it’s a calm, pretty walk on its own.
Have your kids bring a drawing pad and pencil to try and recreate the petroglyphs on their own, or even come up with other petroglyphs in the same style for additional learning fun.
Splashing in Sulphur Creek
My son playing in Sulphur Creek with the Castle in the background
If your kids are anything like mine, they never need an excuse to splash around in a pool, river, or lake.
Sulphur Creek runs behind the visitors center, and it is easily accessible from the visitors center’s overflow parking lot across Route 24. Look for the large dirt lot behind the concrete barriers between the visitors center and the vehicle bridge.
From this parking area, you can walk the short distance to Sulphur Creek, where the water flows slowly and is shallow enough that I’d feel comfortable letting even little ones splash around. (I was a lifeguard for 6 years in high school and college, so I’m even more cautious about water safety than the average mom!)
The river bottom here is a mixture of red sand and small rocks, so have your child wear water shoes to avoid stubbing any little toes.
You’ll also have an incredible view of The Castle rock formation, which is a lighter red grouping of stone perched high above the cliffs here, and it looks like an actual castle if you squint your eyes a bit.
Cathedral Valley
If you have an extra day at Capitol Reef and you’ve already done at least one of our recommended hikes, the scenic drive and the Fruita district, I’d recommend taking a tour of Cathedra Valley to see the Temple of the Sun and the Moon.
This beautiful section of the park is to the north of Route 24, and gets its name from the intricately shaped rock formations that look like Gothic churches (or so the park’s first superintendent believed).
Part of Cathedral Valley in the north of Capitol Reef | source
Note that you will need a high clearance vehicle, preferably with 4x4 capabilities, to do this drive as it is not paved and can be very uneven.
The dirt road becomes nearly impassable after a heavy rain, so if the weather has been less than stellar, you’ll need to either check in with a ranger at the visitors center or call the dedicated hot line for this drive at 435-425-3791.
If your rental car isn’t up to the task (or you want someone else to do the driving), but you still want to see this stunning area of the park, I highly recommend taking a guided tour of Cathedral Valley.
Not only will someone with real experience be at the wheel, but you’ll get an in-real-time rundown of the geology, wildlife, and history of this out of the way corner of Capitol Reef.
Given that this area has poor cell reception and there are few other visitors out this way, a guided tour is the way to go for first time visitors with kids, but it’s sure to leave you with lasting memories of this otherworldly place.
Where to Stay when Visiting Capitol Reef
There’s no lodging in the park, so your only options within Capitol Reef’s borders are the Fruita Campground and backcountry camping.
The Fruita Campground has some amenities, but no full hook-ups or showers onsite.
Both backcountry campgrounds are more than 20 miles off of Route 24 and down dirt roads, putting these out of reach for most first time visiting families.
If you’re looking for a campground with full hook-ups, a pool, and a playground, I recommend Thousand Lakes RV Park and Campground in Torrey, about 15 minutes drive time to the west of the park. There are also cute cabins here, too.
If you’d prefer a hotel, there are a handful within a few miles of the western entrance to the park on the outskirts of Torrey. I’d recommend staying at the Noor Hotel, which has clean, basic rooms with beautiful views of the mesas outside of the park.
There’s also a Mexican restaurant, convenience store and gas station on site, making this hotel a one stop shop.
Tips for Visiting Capitol Reef National Park with Kids
The Ripple Rock Nature Center in Fruita
Fuel up.
Unlike national parks like Petrified Forest National Park that have gas stations inside the park’s boundaries, Capitol Reef requires you to come with your vehicle prepared.
And, since Capitol Reef is remote, you’re not going to have an abundance of options right outside of the park if you do need to fill up.
If you’re entering from the west entrance on Route 24 and need to top up your car’s fuel, you can stop at the Hidden Falls gas station in the same complex at the Noor Hotel and La Cueva Mexican Restaurant.
This gas station is 8 miles from the national park visitors center.
From the east entrance on Route 24, the closest gas station are the Hollow Mountain and Sinclair gas stations at the intersection of Route 24 and Route 95 in Hanksville. These gas stations are 37 miles to the east of the visitors center.
Cell reception is spotty at best.
While exploring in this area, I often didn’t have any cell service whatsoever.
Because of this lack of service, you’ll want to download your GuideAlong audio app before you get to the park, along with specific trail guides and your Recreation.gov digital pass. If ever there was a place to have paper copies of your itinerary and reservations, this would be it.
Taking along a Garmin InReach, which I have and use anytime we’re adventuring outdoors, which doesn’t require any cell service to contact emergency services. We haven’t ever had to use it, thankfully, but there’s piece of mind in knowing that I have it if I need it.
Plan ahead for meals.
When you’re ready for a break amid your fun adventures in Capitol Reef, the first thing you’ll do is likely look for a place to eat lunch. Unless you’re planning to eat pie from the Gifford House as your meal (which, if you do, no judgment from me!), you’re going to have to either take a detour out of the park or pack your own lunch.
I prefer to eat quickly in the park so that we can get back to the hiking and exploring ASAP. If you’re like me, you’ll want to head over to the picnic area near Ripple Rock Nature Center, where you can find several shaded picnic tables. Just watch out for the deer that are not scared of humans and will try to eat your food!
NOTE: Torrey
If you need to run out of the park for lunch, La Cuerva is a Mexican restaurant less than 10 minutes from the visitors center on Route 24 near Torrey. Torrey’s small downtown area has a couple of cute burger and sandwich shops, but those will take you about 20 minutes to reach from the visitors center.
Bring water.
The areas around Fruita, with their pretty green trees and orchards, might make you forget that you’re still in a desert while visiting Capitol Reef National Park.
That desert environment means that you can quickly dehydrate in the dry area, an issue compounded by the heat in the summer and the elevation of the park.
You’ll need to drink far more water than you think while exploring here, even if you don’t feel as if you’re particularly exerting yourself in the process.
Since the park’s infrastructure is sparse, there’s only water available at the visitors center. So, bring water bottles and extra water to refill them.
Camping in the park is competitive.
If you do decide to tent or RV camp in the park’s front country campground in Fruita, you will need to plan ahead as the sites book up quickly. You can reserve the sites in the campground’s 3 loops up to 6 months ahead of time, but keep in mind that Loop C closes during the park’s low season.
You can have generators in the campground (in Loop C during the summer, and then in Loops A and B during the winter), but there aren’t any other hook-ups.
If the Fruita Campground is full, which is often is, I recommend staying at the Thousand Lakes RV Park in Torrey, which is about 15-20 minutes away from the west entrance of the park. It has full hook-ups, a pool, playground, and more.
For more details comparing your options in and out of the park, as well as similar comparisons for camping in all of the Utah Mighty 5 parks, check out my guide to the best RV camping in the Utah national parks here.
Don’t underestimate the elevation.
While many areas of Capitol Reef look flat, the elevation is 5,000 feet above sea level or higher in most of the park.
For those visitors who are visiting from lower elevations in the US and beyond, that change can be tough. You’ll find that you breathe more heavily when doing even light exercise, that you need more water to stay hydrated, and that you might feel nauseous for no apparent reason.
Altitude sickness might not hit you full force at this elevation—usually, that’s at areas where you’re at 7,000 feet or above for sustained amounts of time—but you will want to keep drinking water, hiking slower than usual, and building in break times.
