The land of reefs and orchards

 Four of the Utah Five seemed enough for one trip. But once our path crossed with the fifth, it demanded exploration. 

Capitol Reef wasn’t on the agenda. With Arches and Canyonlands neighbors above Moab, then Zion and Bryce Canyon in Utah’s southwest corner, Capitol Reef seemed like the odd park out. 

The path across south-central Utah to Bryce Canyon and Zion would cover some of the less explored acreage in the lower 48. Green River felt like a metropolis compared to the towns yet to come. Utah Route 24 cuts through a seemingly barren landscaped peppered with curious geology, including Goblin Valley famed for its mushroom-shaped hoodoos. Some fantastic slabs of reddish-brown sandstone stood close to the road, previewing the road ahead. 

At tiny Hanksville, the Fremont River and Muddy Creek merge to form the Dirty Devil River. While the Dirty Devil heads south to meet the Colorado at Lake Powell, the state route sticks with the Fremont. The Colorado Plateau and Utah’s deserts boast a surprising number of robust creeks and river. The Fremont had a surprisingly rich riparian zone on either bank, with ghostly cottonwoods looming over its rapid currents. T

An unexpected sign

he mountains on either side shifted again. Gray sand dunes built up at their bases. The La Sal Mountains that stand above Moab continued to loom to the east. But these mountains stood in stark contrast to that geology. Nature’s palette had expanded the further down the Fremont valley we went. Reds, rusty greens and assorted colors sprang from the collection of mesas and hills.

Then the crags, spires and buttes took on surprising shapes, by which time we had entered Capitol Reef. Little did we know that the northern border would cross many of the celebrated features of the least-known Utah national park. Unknown is relative with Capitol Reef -it still draws 1.5 million visitors, less than the more popular stops, but far above equally isolated parks. 

The teardrop-shaped park run for almost 100 miles south of its northern border. The park protects the Waterpocket Fold, a giant warp in the earth’s crust, the largest such feature in the U.S. The Fold hides canyons, arches and more features deep in its backcountry. The park’s unpaved roads lead to Cathedral Valley, a group of red monoliths said to look like Gothic cathedrals. The scenic road gives a glimpse of the park geology, getting off the main road will earn some time with the Temple of the Sun and other naturally carved wonders. 

While Capitol Reef was a surprise, there was little time to head south and we had to stick to the stops and views close to Utah 24. Its rocky features deserve their protections. Best known is Capitol Dome, which gives the park its name and resembles the U.S. Capitol. It's hard to miss with its pale dome rising above the road. 

The rocky domes and jagged features line the road. The Navajo Knobs, a set of white-capped hoodoos, stand atop a distant mountain accessible by trail. They should not be confused with The Castle, a sandstone formation that towers 800 feet above the park visitor center and the Fremont valley. A box of maps sat in front of the closed visitor center, but the area around Fruita was rich for exploration.

The Fremont valley provided enough fertile land for Mormon settlers to call their town Fruita, as they maintained massive fruit orchards that the park service still tends. \With more than 2,000 trees including apricot, pear, cherry, plum and peach, it’s among the largest orchards under park service control. In summer, visitors can pick their own. In late November, the trees are bare, and one must imagine their lushness in the warmer months.

Roadside signs warned of marmot crossings. I had to laugh. There must be scores of cars hitting marmots to necessitate that sign. Then again, it was adjacent to the fruit orchards, and marmots probably know a good deal when they have one.

At this point, I had almost forgot about Thanksgiving. Other than the closed visitor centers, there was little indication of the holiday. But one park resident found a way to remind visitors of the holiday. 

The only turkey experienced this Thanksgiving came at the Fruita historic district. To the delight of this Capitol Reef visitor, a lone tom strolled through a parking lot near the dormant orchards. 

The Castle formation