Canyon Hikes & Fruit Pies: Camping and Exploring Capitol Reef National Park

I don’t really know what I expected from Capitol Reef National Park beyond red desert landscape and the promise of a legendary fruit pie. This quick visit was park two of our Mighty Five quest and what was meant to be a quiet bridge between two of the most popular destinations; Zion and Arches, it became an unexpected favorite for me. Not only was it significantly larger than I had imagined, the hiking and solitude of the park won me over.

Often referred to as Utah’s "forgotten" National Park, Capitol Reef is a more remote location in Torrey, Utah that sees smaller crowd sizes compared to the other Utah parks. Located in the heart of Utah’s red rock country, Capitol Reef lies in what is called the Waterpocket Fold. This geologic monocline is a wrinkle in the Earth’s crust that makes a step-like fold in rock layers, and extends almost 100 miles. The Waterpocket Fold of Capitol Reef was formed between 50 and 70 million years ago during the same mountain-building event that created the Rocky Mountains. As deep-seated fault lines pushed upward to create the Rockies, the overlying sedimentary layers draped over the fault creating the fold. Over millions of years, erosion has carved and shaped these tilted layers, revealing a reef-like display of sandstone.

Due to its proximity to the visitor center, my first priority when we arrived was hitting the historic Gifford House.

This historic homestead located in the Fruita Rural Historic District of Capitol Reef National Park. Was built in 1908 and serves as a cultural demonstration site for the history of the Mormon pioneers who settled the valley. The Giffords, whom the house is named after, were the last residents of Fruita and lived there for 41 years before selling the property to the National Park Service in 1969. While the homestead is part of a 200-acre district it’s the hub of the areas famous orchards. The former kitchen has been converted into a seasonal shop and starting on Pi Day, March 14, through late November they sell a variety of locally baked fruit pies, homemade ice cream, breads, jellies and other handmade items like quilts and reproduction pioneer tools.

Being only an hour past opening, I was optimistic for a sweet treat, but as we approached the front steps of the building, that hope vanished and was replaced with a sign that shared they were already sold out of all baked goods. The mystery was quickly solved when I realized that the woman I saw when we pulled into the parking lot who was loading a giant cooler with what must have been the remainder of the day’s entire inventory. The rush of guests filling the parking lot and the lawn picnic tables had effectively wiped them out before we even pulled into the lot.

Lesson learned: If you want a Gifford House pie, treat it like Disney and be there at rope drop.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t say I wasn’t a bit disappointed, however pies were not the main attraction for us and we quickly made our way over to the Hickman Bridge trailhead for what I researched was a must-do hike and scenic view.

Hiking to Hickman Natural Bridge

The trail to Hickman Bridge is short and moderate less than two miles round trip along a lollipop trail route. I was exceptionally aware of the signage along the first level portion of the trail that runs along the river and steep cliff walls warning to not stop moving along this portion of the trail due to falling rock.

The trail itself, made up of remnants of the early 1940s work by the Civilian Conservation Corps, had some steep portions up rock and dirt formed stair cases, and wound  through a landscape intertwined with red rock and white Navajo sandstone before reaching the impressive 133-foot natural bridge. Standing in front of it, and taking in the full scale was beautiful, but it’s when you climb the slope underneath it that you really feel the scale of the bridge and the Waterpocket Fold. Plus, it’s a great spot to just sit for a second, catch your breath and take in the natural landscape.

Hickman Bridge Trail Logistics:

Distance: 1.85 miles, round-trip lollipop trail

Elevation Gain: Approximately 400 feet

Difficulty Ranking: Moderate (a mix of level and steep grades, especially in the loop portion under the bridge itself)

One thing about this hike however, it’s popular. While the hike up was enjoyable with no issues, it seemed like once people had ‘checked the box’ for seeing the bridge their goal shifted and it was suddenly time to race back to their cars. We found ourselves pulling over on the trail to let people pass just so we could maintain a normal pace and actually enjoy the views around us, rather than being swept up in the retreat or stuck bumping elbows on the decent. I’m always amazed by the 'Nature Sprint’ people seem to have. The eagerness to reach a landmark, see the sight or do the activity. But the second they’re done? It’s like a switch flips and suddenly, people can’t get out of nature fast enough.

Regardless, we appreciated the desert views and once back to the truck, made the short drive to the breezy roadside boardwalk to view Petroglyph panels carved into the rock. These etched stories are left behind by the Fremont Culture, who lived in this area between roughly 600 and 1300 A.D. Looking up at the dark "desert varnish" on the cliffs, we took in the depictions of bighorn sheep, human figures and intricate geometric patterns. No matter how many times I’ve seen a petroglyph in stone, it’s still always exciting to catch a glimpse of new ones.

After checking into our campsite and setting up our accommodations for the night, we bundled up in the sun to warm up from the cold wind that would intermittently rush through the campground before deciding to fit in one more hike into the remaining afternoon.

Exploring Cohab Canyon

Sitting just across the street from the campground entrance, the Cohab Canyon trailhead greeted us with a brief, but thrilling marmot sighting before we proceeded up the steep incline of switchbacks.

This hike was the moment Capitol Reef truly won me over. Even though the trail carries the 'canyon' title, I was still blindsided by the scale of it. From our previous hike and driving sights in the park I was expecting similar desert landscapes, but breaking over the ridge into this dramatic sculpted canyon felt like stumbling into a hidden world and was a pleasant surprise. The solitude and the unique allure of canyon walls pocketed with what is called tafoni, numerous holes and alcoves carved out from years of erosion made the canyon walls look almost like honeycomb or Swiss cheese.

Cohab Canyon Trail Logistics:

Distance: Approximately 3 miles, round-trip from the trailhead to North Overlook

Elevation Gain: 770 feet

Difficulty Ranking: Moderate (steep initial inclines and the need for hiking on rock surfaces in portions)

For the next three miles we hiked amongst shifting views between the canyon walls in the sandy canyon wash and along red and yellow sandstone rocks with accents of vibrant plant life. Ending at the North Overlook before making our return trek, we were gifted beautiful 360-views of the park and surrounding landscape. Taking in the surrounding desert and small clusters of orchards nestled in the landscape below put the distance of our hike in perspective. Watching the Fremont Valley River carve its way through the terrain and the contrast of the road against the vibrant rocks nothing short of mesmerizing.

On the return hike, the shadows and lights on the canyon shifted and somehow made the hike feel even more remote and secluded than on the way in. Once out of the canyon itself the last remaining portion of the trail provided incredible views paired with the steep switchback descent back to the campground.

We made it back to our campsite with time to enjoy a warm Mountain House camp dinner, a brief introductory visit with our camp neighbors before the sun dipped and the temperature dropped. One of the most unique parts about this campground is its proximity to the orchards that surround it and thus the wildlife visitors. After dinner we spent some time walking around the campground watching a large family of deer graze. Despite the remote location the stargazing was less impressive than I expected but between the cooler 30-degree evening weather and the quiet, it was the perfect night for a deep sleep.

Capitol Reef Views & Sweet Redemption

One thing about Utah, an early morning start is typically much later than we would prefer. So, finally at 7:30 when the had finally joined us for the day, we packed up camp, had a tailgate breakfast accompanied by more deer grazing views and set out to enjoy the park’s 7.9 mile out-and-back scenic drive, ending at the start of the Capitol Gorge dirt road which I hope to include on a future visit. The entire drive had beautiful landscapes, an imperative requirement for any scenic drive I suppose, but seeing the various rock bands of differing thickness, colors and textures stacked like cake layers jetting up at sloped angles was quintessential Utah desert landscape.

At the end of our scenic drive and now back toward the main portion of the park, I was determined for a second chance at a Gifford House pie. We pulled into a promising empty parking lot at the Gifford House shortly after opening… and success! We purchased an apple pie and one of their massive cinnamon rolls, which we packed away to enjoy later in Moab. As a sidenote, they were worth the hype and both were delicious! Next time, I’m eyeing the cherry or strawberry rhubarb pie and I might even pick up the pie cookbook so I can attempt to recreate them at home. There was a definite sense of triumph as we drove away, watching a literal caravan of cars streaming toward the lot behind us.

Our time in Capitol Reef, though brief, left me with a list of items I still want to see, trails I want to hike, and dirt roads I want to explore. Our single overnight was a high-energy sprint to discover how the park is filled with a combination of beautiful stone cliffs, canyons, domes and bridges. With all its naturally carved out wonders, the typical rugged desert setting is softened by the surprising greenery of the Fruita orchards, making the park feel vibrant, rugged, whimsical and it’s entirely its own thing.