Our latest camping trip took us to Capitol
Reef National Park
in southern Utah. When most
people think about the beautiful national parks in Utah,
they usually think of the red-rock wonders of Zion, Arches
and Bryce Canyon.
Also a red-rock gallery, but a true oasis in the desert, Capitol Reef is home
to century-old orchards and fertile soils, fed year round from the flows of the
Fremont River
running through the heart of the canyon.
Capitol Reef is a geologic anomaly; an
immense exposed fold in the earth’s surface called the Waterpocket Fold
captures water from the high plateaus surrounding the low-lying desert giving
the small canyon ample water despite the dry climate.
Visiting Capitol Reef in October is about as good as it
gets for nice weather and awesome scenery. The many Quaking Aspen and Cottonwood
trees throughout the park wore their fall colors with pride, making for
picturesque views from the edge of a cliff, or along the riverbed.
Our first
night was spent 30 miles into the backcountry of the park in Cathedral
Valley. While the drive to the
campground was slow and arduous because of the rough desert road, the
campground itself was almost deserted except for two other campers. With no
sizeable town or major light-source within 50 miles, the star-gazing was
spectacular and offered one student his first views of a shooting star. Around
5:30 in the morning we were awakened by the yips and howls of a pack of coyotes
near our campsite communicating with another pack farther off in the distance.
With that pleasant awakening we began the day early and completed the
circumnavigation of Cathedral Valley
with stops at Gypsum Sinkhole, Temple of the Sun and Temple
of the Moon.
After setting up camp at the Fruita campground, we hiked the Hickman
Bridge trail and perused the
petroglyph boardwalk learning about the people and cultures who originally
settled the area. Our evening hike took us on top of the bluffs overlooking the
Fremont River
and the Grand Wash, both basked in a warm rose light from the setting sun
projected through the high cirrus clouds.
Our stroll back to camp took us
directly through a herd of Mule Deer happily eating apples at the bases of the
hundreds of apple trees in the orchard. Temperatures throughout our stay never
exceeded 75º nor dipped below 40º at night making for perfect camping and
exploring weather.
Mike Bodrero, Adventure Learning Coordinator
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