Capitol Reef National Park

Tuesday, May 21, 2024

This morning, I woke up early and after a cup of coffee, walked to the nearby showerhouse; it was cold (37 degrees F) and overcast. The facilities were very nice and clean but the shower was on a seven-minute timer. When I returned, Jane was still asleep and so I finished writing yesterday’s blog at the dinette table. When Jane woke up, she looked outside and declared it was snowing. We watched the falling flakes gradually increase and fall onto the pasture behind our RV while a black and smaller white horse licked salt from a blue barrel. 

Discouraged by the weather, we took our time getting ready to depart. Eventually, the snow stopped and by late morning streaks of blue sky were appearing among the lightening clouds. So, we packed up the car and drove the short distance along AZ-24 to the entrance of Capitol Reef National Park.

Inside the park, we first stopped at Orientation Pullout then pulled over at Panorama Point were we parked and walked around enjoying the views.

Panorama Point 

We continued on a gravel road from Panorama Point to the Goosenecks Point parking area. We parked and hiked a short way to see the view. “Goosenecks” described the shape of the curves that Sulphur Creek, a Colorado River tributary, had carved through the plateau.

—— Goosenecks Point —— 

After viewing the goosenecks, we walked to the trailhead for Sunsent Point Trail which departs from the same parking lot. This was a longer hike and led to more overlooks with great views of the area.

————— Sunset Point Trail —————

After our brief hikes, we returned to the main park road (AZ-24) and drove to the Visitor Center. The center was very small and crowded with long waits to use the undersized restroom facilities. We shouldered our way through the information displays and shop area and got our Passport stamp. We also watched a park video, “Watermark”. The theater was tiny. The audience benches faced a window with a dramatic mountain view that the movie screen was lowered in front of as the show began to create darkness. 

Visitor Center

From the Visitor Center parking lot, we took Scenic Drive. Unfortunately, all but the first two miles of this popular eight-mile drive is closed this summer. We drove to the barricaded end (beyond which in other years an entrance fee is collected) then turned around in the campground and found a space to park in a nearby lot. 

This area of the park is known as Historical Fruita. In the 1880s, Mormons settled here and in nearby areas. These early settlers discovered that the area was well-suited for growing fruit orchard trees and vegetables. Much of the area still supports fruit orchards and park visitors are allowed to sample their fruit during the ripening season. We walked around Fruita visiting the Gifford House Store and Museum, the large picnic area, and the blacksmith’s shop. 

Gifford House Store and Museum

Picnic Area

Blacksmith Shop

Blacksmith Shop – Interior

After exploring Fruita, we embarked on a 2.6-mile out-and-back hike on the Fremont River Trail. The trail began as an easy level walk alongside Fremont River but soon we were steeply ascending a winding red dirt trail hugging the canyon wall. As the river dropped below us and the views became ever longer and more scenic, our lungs huffed and puffed ever harder. The upper trail section seemed to go on and on, but eventually, we rounded a switchback and entered a roughly level area. We found seats to rest and enjoy the sights. After a breather, I continued on to another more open scenic view while Jane started the downward hike alone. The descent was easier and faster and I stopped numerous times to appreciate the beautiful views. At the bottom, after the trail leveled off by the river, I passed grazing mule deer on both sides of the trail.

—— Fremont River Trail —— 

When I reached the campground, I turned off and joined Jane at the outdoor amphitheater to hear a ranger presentation about the park’s geology. After the presentation, we again stopped by the Gifford House where Jane purchased a small apple-rhubarb pie. After reaching the car, we rehydated and had a snack before driving to see other park attractions.

Geology Lecture at Campground Amphitheater

We drove back to AZ-24, and pulled off at Petroglyph Panel turnout. Here, we walked across a bridge to a viewing deck where we could view petroglyphs in the rock face before us. These etchings were left by ancestors of the Hopi Tribe, Pueblo of Zuni, and the Paiute Tribe when they inhabited this area between the years 300 and 1300 AD.  The native cacti here, and throughout the park, have started blooming adding attractive splashes of yellow and red colors to the landscape.

——— Petroglyph Panel ———

We then backtracked on AZ-24 and pulled over to see the Fruita Schoolhouse. This modest one-room building was constructed in 1896. It was a community cornerstone becasue it also served as the Mormon’s church meeting house. The last class of students was taught here in 1941 and we listened to an interesting recording of the school’s last teacher relating her teaching experiences. 

——— Fruita Schoolhouse ———

From the schoolhouse parking lot, I spotted a large bird soaring in the cliffside thermals. We tried to photograph it as it circled through the bright sunlit sky and then into the cliff’s shadow. Suddenly, it landed and perched on the cliff so that I was able to get some clear close-up photos with the 600 mm zoom lens on my camera. Later, we identified the bird via the Merlin app as a golden eagle.

————— Golden Eagle —————

The temperature was warm and the skies clear as we drove back to the campground. After relaxing awhile, we drove to a nearby restaurant for dinner, the Broken Spur & Steakhouse. Jane temporarily abandonded her pescatarian diet and ordered a huge ribeye steak with red wine while I enjoyed ahi tuna steaks with white wine. After dinner, we returned to our motorhome and for dessert, consumed the apple-rhubarb pie that Jane had purchased in the park. We spent the remainder of the evening catching up on news, watching tv, reading, and blogging.

Broken Spur Inn & Steakhouse