Southern Utah’s National Parks - American Southwest - page 579

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sandstone table; the silent, eerie Temple of the Moon; and the commanding Castle. The
colors of Capitol Reef 's canyon walls are spectacular, which is why Navajos called this
“The Land of the Sleeping Rainbow.”
But Capitol Reef is much more than brilliant rocks and barren desert. The Fremont
River creates a lush oasis in an otherwise unforgiving land, with cottonwoods and willows
along its banks. The area is also rich in history, with thousand-year-old rock art, historic
buildings, and other traces of the past.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE The park straddles Utah 24, which connects with I-70 to the north-
east and northwest. Those coming from Bryce Canyon National Park can follow Utah
12 northeast to its intersection with Utah 24, and continue east into Capitol Reef. If
you're approaching from the Four Corners area, follow Utah 276 or Utah 95 (or both)
north to the intersection with Utah 24, where you'll then go west into the park.
VISITOR INFORMATION Contact Capitol Reef National Park, HC 70 Box 15,
Torrey, UT 84775 ( & 435/425-3791, ext. 111; www.nps.gov.care).
The visitor center is on the park access road at its intersection with Utah 24. It's open
daily in summer from 8am to 6pm, with shorter hours at other times, and closed on
several major holidays. It has exhibits on the area's geology and history, and provides
information and backcountry permits.
FEES Entry to the park (for up to 7 days) costs $5 per vehicle or $3 each for individu-
als. Free permits, available at the visitor center, are required for all overnight hiking trips
into the backcountry.
RANGER PROGRAMS Rangers present a variety of free programs and activities from
spring through fall. Campfire programs take place most evenings at the outdoor amphi-
theater next to Fruita Campground. Topics vary but may include animals and plants,
geology, and human history in and of the area. Rangers also lead hikes and walks and give
short talks on history at the pioneer Fruita Schoolhouse and the Mormon homestead.
Schedules are posted on bulletin boards at the visitor center and campground. Kids can
become Junior Rangers or Junior Geologists; they'll learn to map ancient earthquakes,
inspect water bugs, and so on.
SEEING THE HIGHLIGHTS
Start at the visitor center, where you will learn about the park's geology and early history.
From there, the paved 25-mile round-trip Scenic Drive leads south into the park, offer-
ing good views of its dramatic canyons and rock formations. Pick up a free copy of the
Scenic Drive brochure at the entrance station and set out, stopping at viewpoints to gaze
out at the array of colorful cliffs and commanding rocks.
If the weather's dry, drive down the gravel Capitol Gorge Road (5 miles round-trip),
at the end of the paved Scenic Drive, for a look at what many consider the best back-
country scenery in the park. If you're up for a short walk, the relatively flat 2-mile
(round-trip) Capitol Gorge Trail, which starts at the end of Capitol Gorge Road, takes
you to the historic Pioneer Register, a rock wall where traveling pioneers “signed in.”
HISTORIC SITES
In the park, you'll find evidence of human presence through the centuries. The Fremont
people lived along the river as early as a.d. 700, and their petroglyphs (images carved
into rock) and pictographs (images painted on rock) are visible on the canyon walls.

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