Two Days in Capitol Reef National Park
If you’re looking for a nice relaxing weekend, in a quiet park, then I would check out Capitol Reef National Park. This old pioneer settlement is full of history, geology, and wildlife.
I arrived here shortly before sunset and parked in my campsite driveway. I’m sleeping in my car for this trip, since I’m alone, so I didn’t have much to do to set up. This was a nice change of pace. I think it was around 9 pm. I cooked some dinner and then went to sleep.
The next morning I was going to go to the Gifford house to investigate their fresh pies and cinnamon rolls. You need to go here! I got an apple pie and a cinnamon roll, I ate them both over the three days I was there. They also had these delicious soft thumbprint cookies that were filled with jam. I had one and a skippy cup of ice cream for a late day snack on my first day. This Gifford house is part of what makes Capitol Reef National Park famous.
Capitol Reef National Park is extremely easy to navigate the main roads. Everything is located off of two main roads; the scenic drive, and state route 24. Most of the historic buildings are located within two miles of their intersection. You can park at the visitor center and walk to the Gifford house, blacksmith shop, and to a lovely picnic area. There is also a generous parking lot at the picnic area. I usually left my car at my campsite if I was planning to walk around.
Along State Route 24, you’ll find some fascinating history. There’s petroglyphs that are between 700 and 1400 years old. They’re beautifully carved into the rock by the Fremont people. This area was inhabited by them for almost a thousand years. The river that runs alongside the road, is named Fremont as well. Further away from the visitor center, you’ll find the Fruita schoolhouse and the Behunin cabin. As crazy as a one room schoolhouse can seem, the Behunin cabin housed 11 people!
Petroglyphs in the Park
The scenic drive is full of beautiful rock outcroppings. It took about 45 minutes for me to drive through to the end of the paved section from the visitor center. I stopped and photographed many rocks, as I do, but this felt like a good pace for this road. It a bit narrow in some places, but its easily driven with a two wheel drive, low clearance vehicle all the way to the end. At the end, there is a section that is designed for a more rugged vehicle. It was windy, and the sky threatened of a storm, so I decided that driving myself into a narrow canyon was not a good idea.
By the time I was back to my campsite, the sky had cleared. I spent the rest of my day reading a book and lounging in the picnic area across from the Gifford house. The deer and elk graze here freely. They seem unamused by human presence, but I stayed away, knowing the power they hold. I walked back to camp along the Fremont river, and came uncomfortably close to a few deer along the way. I stayed here until I was ready to have dinner and sent the rest of the night at camp
The next morning, I went back over to the Gifford house to get myself another thumbprint cookie for breakfast. Its vacation ill eat what I want. Anyways, the two wonderful women that were working there recognized me from the morning before. Both of them suggested I journey to the visitor center and pick up the guide for the “loop the fold” drive. This route fully encompasses the park and also takes you through Grand Staircase and Escalante. Six months have passed since I went, and in hindsight, I never should have done this drive alone. But, it was great. I would not recommend this drive for someone who does not have a high clearance vehicle. While I was able to do the entire drive just fine in two wheel drive, I do have all terrain tires, and I drive off road regularly for work. I plan to do a more detailed post of this route for those that would like to know more. This took me about 6 hours to complete the drive. It took me through the forest again, and to parts of the grand staircase I had previously seen on my initial drive to the park, but had not stopped at to enjoy their splendor.
Burr Trail Switchbacks
I also hiked up the grand wash this day, I’m truly a canyon lover, and so this roughly two mile hike seemed like the perfect accompaniment for my drive. It took me a bit over an hour to hike up and back. This hike is great for the warmer days, as the canyon offers plenty of shade from the sun. it is hikable in sneakers, but the loose gravel in the wash is better suited for a sturdier shoe. I drank roughly two liters of water and it was in the 90s that day.
The Grand Wash
This was my third day on the trip. I was feeling slightly anxious, and a bit warm, so I decided to pack up and head to panorama point with a bucket of ice to soak my feet in, and my telescope to look at comet NEWOISE. Even if there isn’t a comet, panorama point is probably the best viewpoint in the park if you’re interested in astronomy. After the sunsets, it is quite dark. Due to the comet, it was a bit crowded this night. I met a lovely couple who was traveling across the country from Alabama, we chatted and stargazed before going our separate ways.
Also, fair warning. The wasps here are no joke. In the left corner of my tupperware this wasp decided she was going to seek revenge on me for spraying her with Raid by dying INSIDE my car. I used a trekking pole to get her out. But, it was a good half an hour to an hour of fighting with her to try and get her away from my campsite. The metal picnic table was appearing to be a nice place to build a nest, so she kept lurking around.
Capitol Reef National Park is the perfect park for someone that would prefer a more laid back trip. There was no sense of urgency in this park, and is probably the least frequently visited of all the Utah 5. I spent a lot of time here, but the majority of this park could easily be covered in a single day. There’s no cell service within the park, but the nearby town has plenty, and was roughly a twenty minute drive from the campground. I did go here almost daily to check in back home, as well as to get ice and a drink.