Frying Pan Trail to Cohab Canyon - 8.4 Miles Round-Trip

The Cassidy Arch Trail joins the Frying Pan Trail on a 4.2 mile route from Grand Wash to Cohab Canyon in Capitol Reef National Park. The Frying Pan Trail and continues past Cassidy Arch to a high rim, drops across a canyon, rises back up and drops again to its terminus in Cohab Canyon.

Trail Map | Photo Gallery

The route features stunning backcountry scenery along the high western spine of the Waterpocket Fold, and lots of room to improvise across open slickrock.

While distance and net elevation change is modest, two steep climbs in each direction can be cumulatively taxing, especially in summer heat. Consider doing this trail as a thru-hike with a two-car shuttle between Grand Wash and the Fruita Campground:

The trail heads down Grand Wash to the split for Cassidy Arch on the north (left) side of the wash (.2 miles). The Cassidy Arch Trail rises sharply on winding slickrock ledges until easing on open rims and rounding a bend with great views of the arch (1.05 miles : 5,895'). 

It continues past the Cassidy Arch split (1.3 miles : 5,965') with expanding views across open desert, high canyon walls and sculpted formations. Travel moderates on more varied terrain to a crest over a deep canyon (2.2 miles : 6,457'), the highest point on the trail (GPS Point #7).

Here it begins a steep descent down a slickrock slab to a series of tight, shifting switchbacks (2.95 miles : 5,875') that lead to a wash on the canyon floor (3.25 miles : 5,685'). You'll have great views over this scenic canyon while losing 772' in just 1.05 miles to the wash. 

The trail crosses the wash and rises immediately back on switchbacks with great perspective on the route you took across the canyon.

It levels out above the canyon with your first look at Cohab Canyon to the north (3.55 miles : 5,925'). The trail shifts through varied terrain before tilting down another slickrock slab to its terminus at the Cohab Canyon Trail junction (4.2 miles : 5,640').