Discover history at one of Utah’s Mighty 5 National Parks. Capitol Reef often gets overlooked, but taking the time to visit this park is worth every second. It’s full of beautiful scenery, great trails, and so much history. We took a day to make our way around the Fruita Historic District and could not have loved our time more.
Historic Sites
Gifford Homestead
Get a taste of early Mormon pioneer life at the Gifford House and Museum. By taste, I mean some pies and bread. That’s right! You can get homemade pies, bread, and cinnamon rolls here. You doesn’t love all of those things. Gifford Homestead is typically open from late March – October, but check their website for the most up to date information.
Pendleton - Jorgenson - Gifford Barn
Next to the homestead, you’ll find the barn and horses. These beautiful animals seem to be all about visitors. They enjoy getting their picture taken and you can even pet them. We were surprised at how large these horses are, but if you work on the farm, I guess you have to be big and strong.
Orchards
A visit to the Fruita Historic District is not complete without seeing the orchards. Planted in the late 1800s by the pioneer settlers, these trees provided much needed food for early life. Some of the fruits include apples, apricots, cherries, and peaches. If you visit while the orchards are in bloom, you can pick some of the fruit! What a great experience. The park has strict regulations on this practice so make sure you check the orchard website for the necessary information.
Ripple Rock Nature Center
The nature center at Capitol Reef is the place to go with kids. They have Jr Ranger events, activities based on early pioneer life, and Dark Sky programs. The national park is a designated Dark Sky park and the star gazing is absolutely amazing. Find out all the information for fun things to do with kids HERE
Blacksmith Shop
Fruita is first and foremost…a farm. Visit the blacksmith shop to see all of the tools, both past and present, that are used on the farm. It takes a lot of work to keep a farm going.
Fruita Schoolhouse
One of our favorite spots in Fruita is the tiny school house. You have probably heard about one room school buildings before and this is no exception. Take a look through the windows and see early school life. This building was also used for church, meetings, and dances. Can you imagine?
Petroglyph Panel
Visit the Fremont Culture Petroglyphs. This area is just off Route 24 and has some boardwalks for a safe viewing experience. Some of the petroglyphs can no longer be seen because of natural rock slides and graffiti. It’s a must visit to learn these incredible stories from long ago.
Trails
Fremont River Trail
This easy trail can be accessed from the Visitors Center or the Fruita Campground. It’s a 1 mile trail that takes you past several of the historic sites within the park. Halfway through, you’ll see the river and as the trail ends, it’s a quick hike up to a beautiful panoramic view of the historic district. MORE INFO
Cohab Canyon Trail
If you’re looking for great views, Cohab Canyon Trail is the place to get them. Be advised that the beginning of this trail is a steep, winding climb for about .25 miles. The total length of the trail is less than 2 miles, but you have some options when hiking. There are some side canyons to explore and two overlooks you can hike to for great views of the park. MORE INFO
Camping
I can’t end this blog post without talking about camping at Capitol Reef. Fruita campground offers 71 developed sites. There are no water or electrical hook ups, but they do have a dump station where you can get water. The campground offers orchards on one side and the Fremont River on the other. It’s open all year long and reservations can be made March 1 – October 31. It’s first-come, first-serve November – February.
Consider the Wonders is a travel blog intended for entertainment purposes only. We are not RV, travel, or hiking experts and are not making recommendations. These are our opinions and you should do your own research and make your own decisions.
Consider the Wonder is not affiliated with Capitol Reef National Park or the National Park Service.
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