Capitol Reef National Park,
Utah
Capitol Reef National Park, Utah is a small national
park but has a brilliant array of colored cliffs, canyons, arches, and domes.
The park has historic orchards, an old schoolhouse, and other pioneer structures.
The main feature at Capitol Reef National Park is the Waterpocket Fold. This is
a 100-mile long wrinkle in the earth's crust. These wrinkles contain innumerable
eroded pockets that hold thousands of gallons of rainwater. And this water has
affected the history within the park. In the 1880's settlers established the community
of Fruita and grew orchards of apple, peach, cheery, pear and apricots. While
visiting the park you can pick and eat the fruit grown in the orchards free of
charge, but you pay a fee if you want to take the fruit with you.

The
park's paved scenic drive is 25 miles round-trip and overlooks slickrock wilderness,
arches, and canyons. The scenic drive of Capitol Reef is only a small fraction
of park. There are a couple of unpaved roads accessible from within Capitol Reef
National Park, and cars do quite well because the roads are managed by the park.
To get within the majority of the park boundaries you have to travel the more
rugged routes that cross the northern and southern sections of the park. For these
unpaved roads a high clearance 4-wheel-drive vehicle is highly recommended. Anytime
I can go off road I'm game. It's not like I go 4x4'n but I do like to get past
the crowds and out into the wilderness. At the end of the scenic drive the paved
road ends and if you stay to the left you begin driving through some beautiful
narrow, winding, barely wide enough slot canyons until the road ends at a parking
area. From there you hike to The Tanks or on the Golden Throne Trail. This parking
area was full of vehicles but we passed about six people on the trail to The Tanks.


If there is a non-hiker/explorer in your
group no worries. Drop them off at the park on the river just before the campground.
There are restrooms, big shade trees, picnic tables, a foot bridge, and a lot
of grass to play Frisbee or football without getting in anybody's way. Or you
can do what we did, take a sheet, lay it on the grass and take a nap or run around
with the rabbit while he eats grass and naps. 
Capitol
Reef's campground and two primitive backcountry campgrounds are open year round.
The Fruita Campground has a dump station but no hookups. There are no food services
and no gas stations within the park. Click here to see The
Alamo and missions pictures in San Antonio Texas if you like a more city like
advernture. Jason's thoughts - Gorgeous grounds
and camping upon entrance to the park. You could hang out here all day if you
wanted enjoying huge shade trees, breezy views of the surrounding vistas. The
free movie that plays at the visitors center is enlightening and worth seeing.
The road in is an absolute must if you are within three hours of this place. It
is just that good and you don't have to get out of your car. We drove then hiked
the Capitol Gorge portion to The Tanks and this part is especially tight, winding,
and adventurous. I really liked this portion even more than anything I saw in
Death Valley. Kelly's
thoughts - A terrific scenic drive but to really see past the canyon walls
around you then get out and hike. The views are beautiful with the farmlands of
Fruita in the distance, and the mature orchards against the red-colored rocks
was fascinating due to the fact that Capitol Reef National Park is in a dry climate.
Both Bugsy and I took advantage of being lazy at the grassy park by the Fremont
River. Travel info - BIG motorhomes or trailers
- If you are going to take the capitol gorge scenic drive you need to stop at
the turn around/parking area before the road turns into dirt. There it becomes
so narrow that two cars can barely fit to pass, winding between the very steep
canyon walls. Capitol Reef is 112 miles east of Bryce
Canyon and 270 miles southwest of Arches
National Park. Visit The Tanks at Capitol Reef National Park.
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