We planned only one day for Capitol Reef as it is a smaller park. Capitol Reef is a warp in the earth’s crust that is 65 million years old with newer and older layers of earth folded over each other in an S-shape. This warp weathered and eroded over millennia to expose layers of rock and fossils. The area was named for a line of white domes and cliffs of Navajo Sandstone, each of which looks somewhat like the United States Capitol building. Early settlers referred to parallel, impassable ridges as "reefs”. The area was inhabited both by Native Americans and subsequently Mormons who named the area, Fruita. It is known for its orchards with fruit grown every season of the year. I had read beforehand that we absolutely needed to stop and purchase a pie at this national park.
We started our tour of the park with a scenic drive complete with multiple overlooks. Some of the trails can be partially traversed by vehicle and we tried to make it down one of the paths. We quickly learned that off roading in an RV is a no go. After our drive, we paid a visit to the historic Gifford House to pick up our pie. We enjoyed cold Stewart’s sodas in the yard while Harper explored on her own. After our snack, we went to see petroglyphs along part of the mountain and then hiked a 2 mile round trip to Hickman Bridge. We were pleasantly surprised how awesome the hike was with stunning views. It was a great day!
The formations on the way in were amazing.
We enjoyed our soda in the shade at the historic Gifford House.
Petroglyphs
The start of Hickman Bridge Trail
The "bridge" is actually an arch. It was beautiful!
Our RV site had great views.
Our strawberry rhubarb pie!
Harper had a lot of fun looking for sticks and rocks at every campsite and on every hike.
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