Capitol Reef National Park is amazing when the tourist hordes have gone!
It may not have Angel’s Landing or the Bryce Amphitheatre, but it has amazing views and an attraction of its own.
We camped at the Fruita Campground right in the center of the park, unheard of for last-minute camping unless you come in the off-season. There were maybe 10 other spots occupied in the entire campground.
Beautiful hikes through Utah towering sandstone walls along the Grand Wash, the climb up to Cassidy Arch (one of the only arches you can legally stand on), and the popular hike to Hickman Natural Bridge all make Capitol Reef National Park a very popular destination on the National Park loop.
We highly recommend hitting this in shoulder season or off-season, the temperatures will be colder but that bring fewer tourists and more solitude!
Crushin’ It
Hopefully Colette’s heavy hiking boots don’t crush the Cassidy Arch.
Whiteout
It’s not often that you wear a full puffy jacket on a hike!
Line on Line
Stopping to inspect the lines and colors in the Utah sandstone on our way down from Cassidy Arch.
Deep Walls
You get an idea of the massive size of these walls from the little red speck that is Colette.
Over Under
Walking under a massive ledge, this would be a bad time for an earthquake.
Back Out
Heading south out of Capitol Reef’s Grand Wash.
Long Rock
Looking up at the Hickman Natural Bridge.
Spot the Hiker
You probably can’t pick out Colette sitting at the base of the natural bridge here.
Red and Orange
Lots of orange, and more orange, and more orange in Utah’s sandstone.
Here Come The Aliens
The Fremont Petroglyphs make you wonder what aliens visited the First Peoples.
Light Me Up
We get a quick shot of a a sunset at Capitol Reef.
Winding Through
The roads here wind through amazing formations of sandtone.
Horses at the Fruita Campground
Horses at the nearly empty Fruita Campground. Pardon the video, we were capturing memories not making a movie 🙂
