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After our hike to Hickman Bridge, we drove back to the Visitor Center where we perused the displays about the park’s geological history. The rock formations in the park are sedimentary…loose matter that has settled in layers and has compressed into rock. Each layer is from a different period of the Earth’s history.
Next we continued on the service road past the Visitor Center to the Gifford Homestead. The Giffords were the last residents of Fruita and sold their property to the NPS in 1969.
The NPS and the Capitol Reef Natural History Association maintain a working farm on the homestead site with a store that sells baked goods.
We admired the horses and then got back on the road to begin the Scenic Drive. Just past the Gifford barn is the entrance to the drive with a lock box for the fee charged to drive the road. This is the only section of the park where there is an entrance fee and it is on the honor system.
The drive itself is five miles out and back and is indeed quite scenic. We were there towards the end of the day and there weren’t any other cars on the road with us.
We stopped at a few points to take photos. There are trail heads all along the road worthy of exploration, but we will have to save that for a future visit.
Capitol Reef posts:
- Cathedral Valley
- Goblin Valley State Park
- Hickman Bridge
- Scenic Drive
- Panorama Point
Location: Wayne, Utah
Designation: National Park
Date designation declared: 12/18/1971
Date of my visit: 4/13/2017
Alie says I remember every restaurant I ever ate in. It is not true, I just remember the desserts. 🙂 One of the best apple pies I ever had was from the Gifford House store in Capitol Reef.
Ahhhh….it was late in the day by the time we got to the homestead and hubby was too impatient for pie😒
How can one be too impatient for pie?
I know, right!
This place looks stunning and I had never even heard of it until today. Thanks for the adventure idea!
It’s a great park…the least visited of Utah’s Big 5. Thanks!
I have added it to my list. Last summer I visited Arches and Canyonlands during my first visit to Utah and truly loved it. Thanks!!
Thank you for this post. I’d never heard of this park. Looks like something out of an old western movie.
Thanks! Just two hours south of this park is Kanab where many of the old westerns were filmed.
Loved visiting Capitol Reef in 2018 on our way to Colorado. Great formations and views.
I particularly like the photos with the horses in front of the beautiful rock formations. Those colors complement one another so well.
Thanks Tanya!
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Capital Reef is one of our favorite parks. The campground in the orchard is beautiful and the hiking great. No big crowds.
👍👍
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Wonderful post! I had a fabulous experience there.
Thanks! 🙂
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