Utah - Capitol Reef National Park
We arrived at Capitol Reef National Park around 5:00pm. It was a fun day with all the scenic driving we did, but we were ready to check in and relax.
Capitol Reef Resort
We reserved a TeePee at the Capitol Reef Resort, located right outside the park. It was a glamping style stay. The Teepee had a king bed, electricity, heating and AC. We had our own private bathroom (not in the TeePee, but nearby).
Rim Rock Patio
The Rim Rock Patio was just across the road, so we headed over there for dinner. This place has a great patio with fantastic views of Capitol Reef and the red cliffs of Torrey. We ordered the Combo Specialty pizza. It had pepperoni, Canadian bacon, sausage, green pepper, red onion, olives and mushrooms. It went great with a cold beer!
Combo Specialty Pizza with a great view on the Patio.
After dinner, we returned to our TeePee. The resort had gas fire pits everywhere and one near our teepee. We headed over there and joined the other teepee dwellers staying near us. It is always fun to meet other travelers and get ideas of what to do next.
The next day we slept in, then went to the visitor Center for some ideas on where to go. There is a scenic drive (called Scenic Drive) right at the Visitor Center. It is about an 8 mile paved road. It ends at Capitol Gorge. The road looked newly paved and we saw very few cars. One of the first sights to see is the Gifford House. It is a museum and shop. They are known for thier strawberry rhubarb pies, so we stopped and pick one up.
Gifford House
The Gifford House, originally known as the Gifford Homestead, is a restored farmhouse built in 1908 by Mormon settler Calvin Pendleton. It showcases the spartan yet practical construction typical of early Utah farm homes, It later became home to the Jorgenson family (1916–1928) and the Gifford family (1928–1969), who operated a small motel for visitors during the mid-20th century. The property was sold to the National Park Service in 1969 and is now a cultural demonstration site interpreting early Mormon settlement and frontier adaptation in the desert. They are known for their pies. We got a strawberry rhubarb pie. What a treat!
The drive was amazing! I would say one of the best we have been on. It took us through some amazing rock formations.
When we got to the end, the road turned to gravel. This is the entrance to Capitol Gorge. This used to be a though road until 1962. Now it is a hiking trail. It was fun driving the car into a slot canyon. In some spots, the walls of the canyon came right u p to the road. The road ended at a parking lot. There were only a few cars there, so parking was easy. We got out and hiked deeper into the slot canyon. Highly recommended! Oh- and no crowds!!!!! Amazing!
The return drive was just as amazing. We noticed more things from this point of view.
It was a 90 degree day in the canyon. We headed back to our Teepee and relaxed in the pool. (Keeping with the theme of the day).
Teh pool at the resort was very nice and refreshing!
Ended the day by the fire. A very relaxing day!
Gas fire pits near our teepee. (ours is the closest one with the red top)
The next day, we stopped by the petroglyphs on Hwy 24 near the Visitor Center. There are viewing scopes to see some of the carvings up high on the cliffs. There is also a boardwalk for an easy hike to see more along the Fremont River. These were carved by the Fremont and Ancestral Puebloan cultures.
Then we headed west to Sunset Point and Gooseneck Overlook.
Sunset Point is a lookout right off of Hwy 24. This parking lot was pretty busy (there were two busses there). But there was room to walk out to the viewing area. It was very windy today, so you had to watch your hat!
From the Sunset Point parking lot, there was a gravel road that would take you to Gooseneck Overlook. Not a lot of people ventured down this road. It was narrow and windy. No busses or campers! Only two cars were in this parking lot at the end of the road. There was a short hike up to Gooseneck Overlook. The views area amazing, but precarious. There is a large canyon with steep edges and no railings!
Gooseneck Point
gorge at Gooseneck Point.
Got some lunch at a food truck called Capitol Burgers. They are know for their Mac-n-cheese burger, but Sandy got a cheese burger, I got the pastrami burger. Both were fantastic!
Another food Truck! Capitol Burger. YUM!
We did a jeep tour of Cathedral Valley. We were told this was the only way to access this area. I think I could have done it with my Highlander!
The tour was fun. We got up close to Cinderella’s castle, walls of Jericho and Solomon’s Temple (all formations ). Our guide knew the area well and pointed out lava dykes, monoclines and pando aspens.
Pando Aspen Clone
Pando, also known as the Trembling Giant, is a single genetic organism consisting of approximately 47,000 genetically identical aspen trees connected by a massive underground root system. Despite appearing as a forest of individual trees, all stems arise from the same root system, making it one of the largest living organisms by mass on Earth.
Pando is located in the Fishlake National Forest in south-central Utah.
Pando Aspen Clone Forest
Ended the night back at our teepee and enjoyed the view and night sky. Tomorrow we continue the adventure on our way to Colorado.
Sandy snuggled up in bed at the Teepee.
