Over my years of exploring, I believe I have visited every national park in the state of Utah, save one. Capitol Reef National Park in central Utah, for whatever reason, has just not been on my to do list until now. Some months ago, I made camping reservations and planned a weekend bouncing between Capitol Reef and Arches National Parks. That weekend has arrived.
The park encompasses a warp in the Earth's crust known as the Waterpocket Fold. This geologic feature makes for an amazing desert landscape. Driving into the park, I'm provided breathtaking views of red sandstone cliffs and escarpments. Deep canyons carved by the Fremont River run alongside the main highway.
This area has seen many visitors over the millennia. From the ancient Fremont people creating intricate petroglyphs and pictographs to the early Mormons carving their names and dates of travel as part of 'pioneer register', the walls of many of the cliffs and canyons are covered with a thousand years of history.
I have a lot hikes planned between the two parks, one of which I end up knocking out before setting up camp, but afterwards, I head to the Fruita Historic District of the park. This area was settled by the Mormons, who planted a number of orchards, which give it the name. The campground is pretty standard for the park system, but very nice. I have a fire ring, picnic table, and grill. After setting up my tent, I pop open a beer, get a campfire going, and begin to cook dinner over the flames. Life is good.
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