After all these years, Capitol Reef remains my favorite of Utah’s Big-Five National Parks.
It’s so nice I’ve actually been twice!
Unlike many of our other National Parks, Capitol Reef has no lodge or restaurant within its boarders. If you want to stay in the park, you’ll need to camp.
I was traveling in an RV for both of my visits to Capitol Reef, so there was only one real option for my stay.
Fruita Campground
Fruita Campground is a developed campground consisting of 71 sites, each with their own picnic table and fire pit. For my fellow RV travelers, there are no water, sewage, or electrical hookups, but there is an RV dump and potable water station nearby.
The sites are fairly small, but it’s a wonderful green oasis amongst the red rocks of the park. The Fremont River runs along the back of the campgrounds, and its surrounded by historic orchards.
I would recommend choosing a site a bit farther away from the river when booking as it can get fairly soggy in that area when it rains. We even had a bit of a flash flood during my last visit!
Reservations for Fruita Campground are accepted 6 months prior to arrival, and with only 71 sites they can fill up quickly especially during the high season. Sites cost $25/night.
If you’re not staying in an RV, don’t worry; I’ve checked out the bathrooms and they’re large and clean with running water.
Capitol Reef also has two primitive campgrounds, Cedar Mesa and Cathedral Valley, but given the aforementioned RV traveling, I’ve never been to either.
Keep in mind that cell service is limited to non existent within the park. There is wifi available at the nearby Visitor’s Center, and I’ve gotten lucky with some cell service at Panorama Point, but for the most part if you’re looking to make a call, you’ll have to leave the park.
For those looking for a more modern stay, I recommend looking into hotels in the nearby town of Torrey.
Gifford Homestead
One of my favorite things about staying in the Fruita Campground is its proximity to the Gifford Homestead. The homestead belonged to the last family to live in Fruita before it was sold to the National Park Service in 1969. These days the homestead exemplifies the rustic nature of rural Utah in the early 1900s.
There are usually some horses in the paddock here, and if you’re lucky you might spot some wild deer!
Most importantly, Gifford Homestead also sells freshly baked hand pies! Pies are usually available between mid-March and November and I love grabbing a few to devour after a long hike.
Activities
The Fruita Campground is the perfect launching point for most of Capitol Reef’s hikes, but three are accessible from the campground itself! Fremont River trail and Fremont Gorge Overlook both launch from the back end of the campground and start with a gentle walk along the Fremont River.
Cohab Canyon Trail starts across the street from the campground with a steep climb up the cliffside, and then some really interesting canyon walks. Visitors can even connect to the Cassidy Arch and Grand Wash Trail from here!
In addition to the hikes, Capitol Reef also has a rotating schedule of Ranger Talks that feature topics such as archaeology, geology, ecology, astronomy- whatever they think might be interesting, really.
If you’ve timed your visit well, visitors can even take advantage of the historic orchards and pick some of the abundant fruit. Just keep an eye out for the posted signs to make sure the fruit is ripe and able to be picked. The staff will post U-Pick fruit signs!
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