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Capitol Reef: hidden gem among the big names
The scenic drive through the park takes you past spectacular rock formations and impressive viewpoints. Here too we hardly saw any people.
I enjoyed the walk through the Grand Wash.
One trailhead is located just outside Fruita, the other a long way in the park.
It is one of the most popular and accessible hikes in the park.
We started at the trailhead in Fuita and hiked about 4 km (there and back together) in the canyon.
Later we made another hike in Capitol Reef itself, the Capitol Gorge Trail, up to the so-called ‘tanks’ (together about 3 km there and back).
Surprise! This turned out to be the other end of the Grand Wash.
Here you will pass canyon walls on which the first pioneers who trekked through the canyon around 1880 have left their names. At that time they still wrote in elegant calligraphic script.
Later, others also added their traces, clearly without historical context.
What actually makes the difference between heritage and vandalism, and who determines the boundary?
When I was waiting for my husband, who was going to get water from the car, several passers-by spontaneously asked if everything was okay. That was a nice illustration of the warm side of America.
We were very happy to have set aside a day for this. The small respite at Giffords’ Homestead in Fruita made for a nice conversation with people from South Korea.
Emma
Another well-hidden gem: Grand Staircase Escalante. Read more about this in our next story.