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Pro
Beautiful scenery, less busy than other Utah parks
Con
Summers can be very hot, with temperatures in the upper 90s. No food, gas, motels or hotels are located inside the park.
In a nutshell
Utah's off the beaten path gem!
Basaic Says: Capitol Dome and the nearby Navajo Dome are made of Navajo Sandstone and are remnants of an ancient Sahara-like desert. They were formed as sandy sediments were laid down over millions of years and cemented together by minerals deposited by the waters of an ancient shallow...
Basaic Says: A short distance east of the Petroglyph Parking Area is the one for Hickman Bridge. Hickman Bridge is the largest natural bridge in the park with a 133 foot span. The bridge is reached via a 2 mile round trip trail that is steep and strenuous in spots then levels out and...
Basaic Says: A bit further along Utah Highway 24, about a mile east of the visitor center, you will find a series of rock art consisting of "petroglyphs" pecked into the rock by another rock) and "pictographs" (painted onto the rocks). This rock art was left by the Fremont Culture which...
Basaic Says: Heading east from the main part of the park is the Fruita School, part of the Fruita Historic District. The Mormon Settlers realized the importance of education so they built a one-room schoolhouse in 1896. The school served all grades and had from 8 to 26 students at a...
Basaic Says: Some of the formations along the Scenic Drive include: The Egyptian Temple; EPH Hanks Tower; along with formations of Wingate Sandstone (Photo 3); Navajo Sandstone (Photo 4); and Chinle Formation (Photo 5).
Basaic Says: Another interesting site toward the beginning of the Scenic Drive is the Historic Gifford House which was built by Calvin Pendleton in 1908. A few years later, Dewey Giffordsand his family occupied the farm. The Giffords Family was the last residents in Fruita and did not...
Historic Fruita Blacksmith Shop
Basaic Says: At the beginning of the drive is part of the old Mormon settlement called "Fruita" because of the fruit trees the settlers planted here. At that time (the late 1800s) this part of Utah was pretty isolated so the little community had to be self-sufficient. The community...
Basaic Says: One of the main things to do in the park is taking the 10 mile long Scenic Drive. This drive costs $5 per vehicle after the Fruita Campground area and leads along the Waterpocket Fold. After the 10 miles of paved road the road divides into two unpaved roads: One leading to...
Basaic Says: Just across Utah Highway 24 from Panorama Point is the parking area for the Chimney Rock Trail. This 3.5 mile loop trail leads through beautiful red rock formations to Chimney Rock, a very interesting formation. My photo of Chimney Rock did not come out well, this is from...
Panorama Point/Gooseneck Overlook
Basaic Says: Here at Capitol Reef National Park is some of the cleanest air in the country allowing you to see longer distances. A nice place to do that is here at Panorama Point and nearby Gooseneck Overlook. These views are on Utah Highway 24 before you get to the visitors center....
Basaic Says: The Ripple Rock Nature Center is located a short 1/2 mile down the Scenic Drive from the visitors' center. It has some nice interactive displays that are fun and educational for kids of all ages. You may want to check first at the visitors center, though, as the hours seem...
Basaic Says: The visitors center for Capitol Reef National Park is located at the intersection of the Scenic Drive and Utah Highway 24.It is kinda neat how the building blends into the environment. Here you can get a brochure and newspaper for the park; look over maps; and get...
Various: Dining In and Near the Park
Basaic Says: There are no options for food inside Canyonlands National Park; but there are some choices in nearby towns. I ate at a decent restaurant called the Rim Rock Restaurant in Torrey and had a very good meal at the restaurant associated with Harold's Place Inn in Panguitch.
Multiple options: Refueling near the Reef
goodfish Says: Aside from those fab little pies at Gifford Farmstead, there's no place to eat at the park. See my Torrey restaurant reviews for some nearby spots to fill your tummy.
goodfish Says: The Torrey area averages less than 8 inches of rain a year and temperatures often top 90 degrees during the summer. You'll see reminders everywhere to drink plenty of water, pack at least a quart (short hikes) to a gallon (longer treks) along for the day, and cover your...
goodfish Says: Cairns, those little pyramids of piled stones along the trails, are there for two reasons:A. To keep you from getting lost and/or away from dangerous or unstable placesB. To keep you off cryptobiotic crustCryptobiotic means "hidden life" and these lumpy, living colonies of...
Hickman Trail and Rim Overlook Trail
Basaic Says: The Hickman Bridge Trail is reached a 2 mile round trip trail that is steep and strenuous in spots then levels out and becomes easier. The trail connects to the strenuous 4.5 mile round trip, Rim Overlook Trail if you want a bit more of a challenge. Both trails will expose...
Basaic Says: The Old Wagon Trail follows, as you might guess, an old wagon trail, and traverses several types of rock formations. Good walking shoes, water, sunscreen, a hat, insect repellant, a snack, weather appropriate clothing, don't forget your camera!
Basaic Says: The Cohab Canyon Trail stretches from the Fruita Campground to Utah Highway 24 just across from the Hickman Bridge Trailhead. The trail connects to several other trails. Good walking shoes, water, sunscreen, a hat, insect repellant, a snack, and weather appropriate...
Basaic Says: To me, this is probably the most beautiful hiking trail in the park. The Chimney Rock Trail is a 3.5 mile loop trail that leads through bright red sands and colorful cliffs of Wingate Sandstone to a neat formation called Chimney Rock. The trail connects to the Chimney Rock...
It is not hard to imagine the colorfully hued rock formations of Utah being submerged under a sea of blue. They would perhaps fit better there than sitting incongruously on the planet's exterior....
An Eclectic Mix of Rock Formations
The park has a variety of rock formations that are distinctly unique from each other depending on the area you are in. A lot is the sedimentary rock for its loose layers of different colored rocks...
We limped into Torrey at the tail end of a 2-week hiking trip in southern Utah with our less-than-youthful knees feeling a tad, well, less than youthful. The Beehive State has five of the United...
Outside Magazine once referred to Capitol Reef as one of America's Top Eight Under Visited Parks. This gigantic fold in the Earth's crust- otherwise known as a National Park, receives about 750,000......
Basaic Capitol Reef National Park Page
The terrain here was created some 65 million years ago when the same forces that created the Colorado plateau caused a wrinkle in the earth's crust. This formation is called the Waterpocket Fold and...
Build your own Capitol Reef National Park page
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