This Lesser-known Utah National Park Is a Dupe for Zion—With Similar Colorful Canyons and Towering Cliffs But Fewer Visitors

It could also result in dirty campsites and bathrooms and overflowing trash bins.

Utah’s Capitol Reef National Park could certainly be considered one of those hidden gems.

Like Zion, Capitol Reef is anInternational Dark Sky Park, a designation it received in 2015.

A natural stone arch in Capitol Reef National Park in Utah’s south-central desert.Credit:Tessa Desjardins/Travel + Leisure