Morgan Kotter7 min read
Torrey is the small town on the west side of Capitol Reef National Park, about 11 miles from the visitor center and 6,830 feet up. Most people come for the park, but the town has its own reasons to stay a day: Utah's first International Dark Sky Community, a run of summer and autumn events, galleries that have been here since the 1990s, the Great Western Trail for OHV riders, and Scenic Byway 12 over Boulder Mountain.
This guide covers the town and the country around it. For the park's trails and the Scenic Drive, see our guide to things to do in Capitol Reef. For food, see Torrey restaurants.
Events Through the Year
Torrey is a town of 182 people, so its calendar is small but good. The usual months:
- June: Torrey Chamber Music Festival. An Entrada Institute program with concerts across Wayne County, from Bicknell and Hanksville to the Teasdale Culture Center.
- Early July: Torrey Apple Days. The town's Fourth of July weekend: a community dinner, a star party at Town Park, the "Race for the Apple" 5K, a Main Street parade, a car show and a dance. Fireworks depend on fire conditions and were cancelled in 2026.
- September: Heritage StarFest. Run by Capitol Reef National Park and the Entrada Institute since 2010. Most of the week happens in the park, and the Saturday moves to Torrey for talks, solar telescopes at the farmers market, a concert and a star party at Torrey Town Park.
- October: Arts and the Park. The Entrada Institute's annual arts weekend at the Entrada Center.
- Late May to mid-October: Capitol Reef Farmers' Market. Saturday afternoons at Torrey Town Park.
Dates move every year, so check the organiser's page before you plan around one.
The Entrada Institute
The Entrada Institute is a nonprofit based in Torrey that runs much of the town's cultural life: the chamber music festival, StarFest with the park, author talks and lectures at Robbers Roost on Main Street, and performances at the Entrada Cultural Center. If you are in town on an evening with an event, it is the best thing on.
Galleries and Shops
For a town this size, Torrey has a real art scene. The town lists:
- The Torrey Gallery, open since 1996, with Utah artists and antique Navajo rugs
- Gallery 24, open since 2001, showing work by 27 Utah artists, with hours that change by season
- Torrey Trading Post, for Native American art and souvenirs
- The Old House at Center and Main, for local handcrafters and authors
- Etta Place Cidery, which makes cider and mead in Torrey
The Chuckwagon General Store is where you stock up on groceries, camping supplies and beer.
Trails, Rides and Fishing Outside the Park
The Great Western Trail. The trail comes down from Thousand Lake Mountain through Sand Creek into Torrey. The Sand Creek trailhead, just north of town, is open to OHVs, hikers, bikes and horses from mid-April to November, and the Velvet Ridges above it allow open riding. Our guide to the Great Western Trail has the detail.
Off-road tours. Waterpocket Adventure Company runs off-road tours and guided hikes from Torrey.
Fly fishing. Chunky Trout Outfitters guides on public water and more than seven miles of private water on the Fremont River.
Scenic Byway 12 and Boulder Mountain. Highway 12 leaves Torrey and climbs over Boulder Mountain to the town of Boulder, about 37 miles away. Visit Utah calls it Utah's All-American Road, and the mountain holds more than 80 lakes, ponds and reservoirs. Drive it for the views alone, or pack a rod.
Stargazing
The sky is the reason a lot of people end up in Torrey. The town adopted a lighting ordinance in 2015 and became Utah's first International Dark Sky Community in 2018, three years after Capitol Reef became an International Dark Sky Park.
- Town star parties happen during peak viewing seasons. The town does not publish fixed dates, so ask locally.
- Ranger astronomy programs run in the park several nights a week from mid-May to mid-October. Start times change with the season, so check at the visitor center.
- On your own, the sky is dark almost anywhere outside the few lit blocks of town. A moonless night shows the Milky Way from your doorstep.
We are a few miles west of Torrey in Teasdale, on open land with no town lighting. Our stargazing guide covers what the sky does here month by month.
What Closes in Winter
Torrey is a seasonal park town. Visit Utah notes that some visitor services may be limited in winter and early spring, and several businesses close for the season. The Rim Rock Restaurant, for example, opens March through October. The Sand Creek trailhead's season ends in November, and the farmers market and most festivals run between late May and mid-October.
Winter still has its draws: empty trails in the park, snow on the red rock, and long, dark nights. Just call ahead before you drive anywhere for a meal or a tour.
Where to Stay
Torrey has around ten hotels and motels, plus cabins, inns, glamping and RV parks in the surrounding valley. Our guide to places to stay in Torrey lays them out by type. If you want to be outside town under the dark sky, our glamping units and lodge rooms are a few minutes west.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Torrey, Utah known for?
Torrey is the gateway town on the west side of Capitol Reef National Park, about 11 miles west of the park visitor center. In 2018 it became Utah's first International Dark Sky Community, and it is known for its night sky, its galleries, Scenic Byway 12 over Boulder Mountain, and the Great Western Trail for OHV riders.
What events happen in Torrey, Utah?
The main ones are the Torrey Chamber Music Festival in June, Torrey Apple Days over the Fourth of July weekend, Heritage StarFest in September, and the Entrada Institute's Arts and the Park in October. The Capitol Reef Farmers' Market runs on Saturday afternoons at Torrey Town Park from late May to mid-October.
Can you go stargazing in Torrey?
Yes. Torrey has had a lighting ordinance since 2015 and became an International Dark Sky Community in 2018. The town holds star parties during peak viewing seasons, and Capitol Reef National Park runs ranger astronomy programs several nights a week from mid-May to mid-October.
Is Torrey worth visiting in winter?
For quiet and dark skies, yes, but plan around closures. Visit Utah notes that some visitor services may be limited in winter and early spring, several restaurants close for the season, and the Sand Creek OHV trailhead's season runs mid-April to November.
How high is Torrey, Utah?
Torrey sits at about 6,830 feet according to Visit Utah. Expect cold nights outside summer and bring layers even in warm months.
Checked 2026-10-11 against the Town of Torrey (events, businesses, dark sky), the National Park Service (Heritage StarFest, ranger programs, distance to the visitor center), the Entrada Institute, the Capitol Reef Farmers' Market, the USDA Forest Service (Sand Creek trailhead), the BLM (Great Western Trail), Visit Utah (elevation, Byway 12, winter services) and DarkSky International. Small-town businesses and event dates change, so confirm before you go.
