Capitol Reef Day 1
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Capitol Reef National Park in Utah is a place of contrasts. Red rock cliffs stretch for miles, but right in the middle is Fruita, a green valley oasis filled with orchards and cottonwoods. We dispersed camped just outside the park entrance and headed in to see what this park was about.
Fremont Petroglyphs
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We started on the petroglyph boardwalk where the native Fremont people left behind carvings of figures and animals on the sandstone walls. Then we checked out the old orchards at Fruita, planted by Mormon settlers in the late 1800s. The Park Service still maintains them, and in season visitors can even pick fruit. We found shade under the giant cottonwoods at the Gifford picnic area and watched deer lounging in the grass while we ate lunch. Next up was dessert! We bought homemade strawberry rhubarb pie from the Gifford House. Danny wanted his favorite, apple pie, but it had already sold out, so we made a note to come back earlier the next day.
After lunch we drove the park’s Scenic Drive, an 8-mile road that winds between cliffs and domes with spurs into side canyons. We took the detour down Grand Wash, a dirt road squeezed between high walls where Cassidy Arch stands out high above the cliffs.
Onwards to a ranger talk on raptors. Golden eagles, falcons, and hawks hunt these cliffs. Throughout our visit, I kept my eyes peeled on the skies looking for a majestic raptor, but all I got were ravens. Fun fact, turkey vultures (not so majestic) are also considered raptors. Key attributes of a raptor are sharp talons and hooked beaks. The turkey vulture tears apart it's dinner just like it's other counterparts, except for the fact they are already dead.
We set out on the Fremont River Trail early in the afternoon when the sun was baking. There had been mountain lion sightings here, so I kept an extra eye out. It was far too hot to expect one, unless he was particularly hungry for hikers. The trail followed the river for a stretch before climbing up for sweeping views of Fruita and the canyon country beyond. Back near the trailhead, a mare and her foal wandered over to their fence line to say hello.
From there we hiked the Hickman Bridge Trail, about two miles round trip with a steady climb up to a natural stone arch that spans 133 feet. It’s a beautiful walk through junipers and slickrock, with the payoff of standing beneath the massive bridge at the end.
Throughout the day we spotted several of the park’s most striking residents — a white-lined sphinx moth. They hover like a hummingbird over the yellow rabbitbrush flowers.
After lunch we drove the park’s Scenic Drive, an 8-mile road that winds between cliffs and domes with spurs into side canyons. We took the detour down Grand Wash, a dirt road squeezed between high walls where Cassidy Arch stands out high above the cliffs.
Onwards to a ranger talk on raptors. Golden eagles, falcons, and hawks hunt these cliffs. Throughout our visit, I kept my eyes peeled on the skies looking for a majestic raptor, but all I got were ravens. Fun fact, turkey vultures (not so majestic) are also considered raptors. Key attributes of a raptor are sharp talons and hooked beaks. The turkey vulture tears apart it's dinner just like it's other counterparts, except for the fact they are already dead.
We set out on the Fremont River Trail early in the afternoon when the sun was baking. There had been mountain lion sightings here, so I kept an extra eye out. It was far too hot to expect one, unless he was particularly hungry for hikers. The trail followed the river for a stretch before climbing up for sweeping views of Fruita and the canyon country beyond. Back near the trailhead, a mare and her foal wandered over to their fence line to say hello.
From there we hiked the Hickman Bridge Trail, about two miles round trip with a steady climb up to a natural stone arch that spans 133 feet. It’s a beautiful walk through junipers and slickrock, with the payoff of standing beneath the massive bridge at the end.
Throughout the day we spotted several of the park’s most striking residents — a white-lined sphinx moth. They hover like a hummingbird over the yellow rabbitbrush flowers.