Capitol Reef Natural History Base Camp, Utah

The Trip

Capitol Reef National Park, one of the most scenic and least visited of the parks of the Southwest’s Colorado River Plateau, is the home of the Waterpocket Fold, known as the Land of the Sleeping Rainbow to its original inhabitants. The “fold” is a 100-mile-long section of the earth’s crust thrust up 65 million years ago to form a dramatic multicolored cliff, cut through by the winding Fremont River. Narrow gorges and slot canyons with hanging gardens, sandy washes, slickrock domes, spires, and natural arches and bridges invite exploration and excite photographers. The Fremont River cuts through this otherwise impassible barrier, providing habitat for cottonwoods and willows, wildflowers, birds, mammals, and reptiles, as well as welcome shade to contemporary travelers. The people of the Fremont culture left signs of their sojourn here between 800 and 1250 AD in the form of pictographs and petroglyphs. Later, the Mormon pioneers who settled here in the 1800s established the hamlet of Fruita, and left behind informative and photogenic historic structures, and still productive orchards.

We plan to camp at Fruita where there are many nearby opportunities for hikes of up to 12 miles -- sometimes scrambling over slickrock, perhaps even wading through slot canyons, though none of these require any technical skill. We will be hiking one or more hikes each day, with total daily mileage of 9-11 miles. Although most of our hikes will be along well-honed trails, we will still encounter sandy washes, gravelly slickrock faces, some bouldering, rushing rivers and uneven hiking surfaces. Our hoped-for sunny skies will be intense, requiring us to carry more water than usual and re-apply sunscreen often.

Because of the long, slender configuration of this park, on at least one day we will be driving for about an hour to reach some of the more remote trailheads, though most hikes will require minimal car travel. We will form carpools for these.

Getting There

There is no public transportation to this remote region, so you will need to drive from home or rent a vehicle. The closest airports are Grand Junction, CO; Salt Lake City, UT; and St George, UT. If you are flying in, you will need to rent a car and allow plenty of time for the drive to the park. Ride-sharing is highly recommended. A trip roster will be provided to facilitate this.

You do not need a 4x4 vehicle, but high-clearance cars for carpools will give us more flexibility in our choice of trailheads. The Park is just off UT 24 in the south-central part of the state, south of US 70 and east of US 15. Remember that there is a $5 fee to enter the park unless you have one of the various park passes.

The nearest town of any size at all is Torrey, about 10 miles from the park entrance. It's a last chance for a bed and a shower. You can also pick up any last-minute supplies there. As there are no stores, lodging, or gas inside the park, please fill up first. You can look for a list of motels in Torrey online.

You will be driving through beautiful country with lots of things to see before and after our trip, including: Glen Canyon, Natural Bridges, Escalante, Monument Valley, Arches, and Canyonlands national parks.

Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

We plan to meet at Fruita Campground on Sunday at 12:00 noon for lunch. Please remember that Utah is on Mountain Time. (Directions will be included in a later bulletin.) Please note: we have applied for a group site at Fruita, the only campground inside the park. (Bathrooms and potable water, but no showers.) We’ll let you know if we need to make any changes.

All meals are included, from lunch on day one through lunch on day seven. We provide all cooking equipment, including stoves and fuel. Melinda puts in many hours of planning and preparation to turn out marvelous meals for us. We do not serve red meat, but we do offer fish and chicken dishes. Vegetarians can be accommodated, but if you avoid dairy products as well, this trip is not for you. Please let us know as soon as possible if you have any food allergies.

Trip Difficulty

Most of our hiking will be moderate, over distances of less than 10 miles; some on trail, others cross-country. We will negotiate sandy, rocky, sometimes brushy terrain, with frequent (shallow) stream crossings or wading. There are occasional easy rock scrambles and squeezes through slot canyons. We won’t have to deal with extreme changes in elevation. Keep in mind that cross-country travel is more strenuous than strolling along maintained trails, and that physical fitness and good boots are necessary. We will be hiking at an approximate pace of 2 mph, taking breaks to hydrate, snack and take in our stunning environment. You will enjoy this trip most if you are in shape to maintain our 2 mph hiking pace on an average 4% grade with a 12 pound daypack for 45 consecutive minutes.

Equipment and Clothing

A detailed equipment list will be sent to all registered participants. You will need to furnish your own sleeping bag, tent, and personal gear. Your sleeping bag should be rated to 30 degrees. Good rain gear is essential, just in case. Good boots with lug soles that are well broken in are needed to negotiate slickrock and rough terrain. You can expect to get them wet, so will also want to bring camp shoes. Make sure you try out all new equipment in advance to make sure it is adequate and it fits properly, and you know how to use it.

References

Books:

• Stinchfield, Rick, Capitol Reef National Park: The Complete Hiking and Touring Guide.
• Clark, Deborah J., Wildflowers, Capitol Reef.

Maps:

• National Geographic Trails Illustrated, “Central Capitol Reef Fishlake”

Conservation

Capitol Reef National Park was established in 1971 to protect this beautiful and complex region from further development (after having already been designated as a national monument in 1937). The desert has too often been seen as wasteland to be exploited and abused. Over-grazing, off-road vehicles, development, and exploitation of energy have been seen as permissible in desert “wasteland.” Our visit will help us experience firsthand how nothing here is wasted; how the health and survival of every living thing in this fragile ecosystem depends on the well-being of every other. We plan to travel lightly over the land ourselves, always practicing Leave No Trace principles. Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and will operate under a permit from Capitol Reef National Park.