Date of trip: June 2007

Although many people travel to Utah to visit the state’s beautiful national parks, Capitol Reef is often overlooked. Even though is is only about 1.75 hours from Bryce Canyon, it is not as developed as the other parks and considered somewhat out of the way. This is unfortunate as Capitol Reef is every bit as impressive as its peers and its lack of crowds allows you to fully absorb yourself in all the park has to offer.

Highlights:

-There are no hotels or lodges inside Capitol Reef, only campgrounds. Fortunately, there is a charming little town called Torrey right outside the park. We stayed at a wonderful bed and breakfast called the Skyridge Inn and it was one of the nicest places we’ve been. The inn features six unique and beautiful rooms as well as a hot tub on the back terrace. Included in their low nightly rates are delicious evening snacks and a great breakfast. In the common room you can play board games, read a book or browse their large library of videos and CDs that you can enjoy in your room. Included in their collection are several programs about Capitol Reef and a very good CD driving tour that you can borrow to listen to in your car as you drive through the park.

-The paved, Scenic Drive will take you past some famous natural formations like The Castle and Chimney Rock. You can turn down the Grand Wash dirt road which brings you inside the park’s famous Waterpocket Fold. This giant 100 mile wrinkle in the Earth’s crust, formed over 50 million years ago, is the defining feature of Capitol Reef and a short hike will bring you right inside.

-Early settlers were farming in the park hundreds of years ago and the orchards they planted still bear fruit today. The Gifford Homestead is an old farmhouse which stands on the scenic drive today and has been preserved for visitors to learn what life would have been like there. Inside the old home, there is information about the Gifford family who lived there from 1928 to 1969 and you can even buy homemade ice cream and fresh pie made with fruit from the trees outside.

-There are only two paved roads in Capitol Reef, the scenic drive I mentioned before and Highway 24 which brings you through the Fruita Historic District. Although the Giffords are the most famous residents of the park, there were people inhabiting the area as early as 700 A.D. The first residents were the native Fremont people and believe it or not, evidence of their existence is still visible. Art carved into ancient rocks, or Petroglyphs, can be seen from several viewing areas. Between the time of the Fremont and the Giffords, there were other early Mormon settlers farming in the area which was called Fruita because of the orchards planted there. It is hard to imagine anyone living in a place which seems so wild and untamed, but you can get a taste of what their lives were like by visiting the old Fruita Schoolhouse where the children attended classes and the small Behunin Cabin where a family of 10 once lived.

-If you have more than a day in Capitol Reef and want to see more of the park, you will need to hike in or drive one of the unpaved roads accessible only by 4-wheelers when conditions permit. Before embarking on a trail, be sure to check with the Visitor’s Center for current closings and warnings as the weather can cause safety hazards in the backcountry. Hiking in the park overnight also requires a permit. The northern section of the park can be looped by driving the 60 mile Cathedral District Tour. This will take you through Cathedral Valley famous for its large free standing rock formations. The Waterpocket District Tour is a longer 125 mile loop trail which enters the southern portions of the park and offers the best views of the amazing Waterpocket Fold. If you don’t feel comfortable driving the rough terrain, there are several companies right outside the park in Torrey which offer 4 wheeler day tours.

Capitol Reef is as beautiful and remote as a national park gets but ironically it has been populated by people for thousands of years. The mix of untouched nature and the preservation of historical artifacts and evidence of early inhabitants for visitors to see make it truly unique and interesting. Here I learned not only about the history of the earth and environmental phenomenon but also about human history and the people who once called Capitol Reef their home.

For more pictures, please visit my Photo Gallery or click on any of the photos posted above.

Capitol Reef Links:
Capitol Reef Official Site
Skyridge Inn