Capitol Reef National Park

Over the centuries, the exposed edges of the uplift have eroded into a slickrock wilderness that encompasses most of Capitol Reef National Park's scenic splendors. Layer upon layer of brightly colored sandstone is cut by deep, serpentine canyons or eroded into natural bridges or massive domes. One of these great monolithic rock structures apparently reminded an early traveler of the capitol dome in Washington, D.C., and he came up with the name Capitol Reef.

One of the most wonderful parts of the canyon is along the Fremont River. In this deep-cut passage, the early Mormons settled and planted extensive groves of fruit trees, including apple and peach. The park headquarters and visitor center are found here, along with a fine campground.

At sunrise and sunset scattered bands of mule deer are often seen feeding in this area, as well as the occasional coyote and gray fox. Sometimes lucky park visitors encounter a herd of desert bighorn sheep. The last sighting of a native bighorn was in 1948, and park officials believe that they disappeared because of diseases caught from domestic sheep. The park has since reintroduced the desert bighorn.

Another marvelous area is located in Cathedral Valley to the north of the Fremont River Canyon. In fact, Ansel Adams took one of his most memorable photographs (of the Temple of the Sun rock formation) at this site. The lovely Cathedral Valley reveals eroded spires of Entrada sandstone that rise 50 stories from the valley floor.

In the valley, a narrow four-wheel-drive road loops among stark and bizarre formations with such names as the Gypsum Sinkhole, the Walls of Jericho, and the Temple of the Sun. Elsewhere the pioneers descriptively dubbed the terrain Poverty Flat, Fern's Nipple, Tarantula Mesa, and Dogwater Creek.

Capitol Reef's lovely, 25-mile-long scenic drive leads into the heart of the park along an old wagon trail called the Blue Dugway. Legend has it that this road has been used by Native Americans, outlaws, miners, and gypsies. It is said that the Devil himself was once spotted strolling on the trail. A pioneer farmer supposedly drove him away with the Book of Mormon. Today the Blue Dugway is graded and covered. It connects the former Mormon community of Fruita with the section of the Waterpocket Fold called Capitol Reef.

The backcountry of Capitol Reef National Park is a rugged realm, and careful preparations should be made before undertaking any major trips. Most importantly, sufficient water must be taken in this vast desert region.

Capitol Reef National Park Photo Opportunities

You'll find dozens of picturesque vistas as you hike along the Fremont River and through Cathedral Valley. Here are some suggestions for other unforgettable sights:

This rugged region of southern Utah has been home to various inhabitants, including the Fremont people and early Mormon settlers. To read more about the early Capitol Reef dwellers, turn to the next page.

Capitol Reef National Park is in such a remote corner of the Colorado Plateau that the nearest traffic light is about 80 miles away. But for centuries, Capitol Reef has been known as a place of dramatic beauty that has drawn visitors to gaze at its wonders or reap its bounty. Ancient petroglyphs, often figures of bighorn sheep and other animals, were cut into rock walls by people who inhabited this area more than 700 years ago.

The people who carved these figures, known as the Fremont people, once plowed fields in the central area of today's park, where towering cliffs contrast with a green oasis along the Fremont River. The Fremont people were a Puebloid group who hunted and gathered for sustenance. Archaeololgists have recovered artifacts distinct to the Fremont, including pottery and unique clay figurines that closely resemble the pictographs and petroglyphs found in the park today.

In the 19th century, Mormon pioneers settled in the high plateau lands to the west of Capitol Reef. One community took root at the junction of the Fremont River and Sulphur Creek. Originally called Junction, the settlement became known as Fruita after its inhabitants farmed and planted orchards in the valley. The prodigy of the Mormons' farming can be seen today in the apple, pear, peach, apricot, cherry, plum, and mulberry trees that still flourish. The one-room schoolhouse that visitors can tour was established by the Fruita settlement in 1896 to serve as a community center as well as an educational building.

The last residents left in the early 1960s, but current visitors can still reap the benefits of the previous community's diligence, such as when the Fruita orchard blossoms with a myriad of fruit in the spring. As each fruit ripens, park visitors are allowed to partake on a pick-your-own basis. That's just one reason to make the journey to this magnificent slickrock park.

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