Point of interest
West EntranceThe west entrance to Capitol Reef National Park is along Utah Hwy. 24.
Point of Interest, Capitol Reef National Park
Explore Point of Interest in Capitol Reef National Park with grouped stops, trails, and related park places collected under the same planning theme.
Point of Interest Stops and Trip Ideas
Use this Point of Interest guide to compare the stops that belong together in Capitol Reef National Park, then decide which ones deserve map time or a saved trip stop.
Point of interest
Orientation PulloutRead the interpretive sign here to orient yourself at the park entrance, and take a moment to view Twin Rocks, a prominent rock formation you can see from this pullout.
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Panorama PointDramatic views await at the aptly named Panorama Point: take your selfie stick photo here!
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Goosenecks PointMaybe this overlook gets its name from visitors craning their neck to take yet another amazing Capitol Reef view?
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Sunset PointYour view is of a desert river valley and, notably, more distant buttes striped with layer upon layer of eroded sedimentary rock.
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The Fluted WallThe Fluted Wall is a prominent rock formation striped with eroded vertical grooves.
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The CastleVisible on the north side of Hwy. 24 from outside the visitor center, the Castle is an impressive geological formation much resembling its name.
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Capitol Reef Scenic DriveCapitol Reef's main road is called Scenic Drive, and it certainly lives up to its name.
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Behunin CabinThe one-room Behunin Cabin was built in 1882 by Mormon settler Elijah Cutler Behunin and his family.
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Sculpting a Masterpiece Exhibit PulloutFrom this pullout on Highway 24 you are looking at Navajo Dome, formed by wind, water, gravity, and uplift of the land itself.
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Capitol DomeCapitol Reef gets its name in part from the Capitol Dome, is white sandstone formation on the north side of Hwy. 24.
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Fremont RiverThe small community of Fruita would not have existed without the irrigation possibilities provided by the Fremont River.
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PetroglyphsThe Fremont Culture people who inhabited the Waterpocket Fold region for hundreds of years left petroglyphs, or rock drawings, in many locations across what is now Capitol Reef National Park.
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Historic Fruita SchoolThe historic, one-room Fruita School was built in 1896 when local settler Elijah Cutler Behunin donated land for its construction; the town was still known as Junction.
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Ripple Rock Nature CenterThe Ripple Rock Nature Center, typically open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, offers families lots of hands-on activities to learn about the history and geology of Capitol Reef National Park.
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Merin Smith Implement Shed (Blacksmith Shop)The Merin Smith Implement Shed (Blacksmith Shop), constructed in 1925, is in the Fruita Historic District.
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Amasa Pierce OrchardThe many orchards, including Amasa Pierce, that lie within a mile or two of the visitor center are remnants of the pioneer community of Fruita, which was settled in 1880.
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The Mail TreeFrom the earliest days of settlement, this tree was a meeting point for mail delivery in Fruita.
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Nels Johnson Home Site (Chesnut Picnic Area)Mormon pioneer Nels Johnson was not only one of the first Europeans to settle in what later became the town of Fruita, he also planted the community's first orchards.
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Cassidy ArchCassidy Arch is named after the legendary outlaw Butch Cassidy (of Sundance Kid fame), who was reputed to have had a hideout nearby.
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Slickrock DivideA "divide" (the most famous being the Continental Divide) is the term for a place where water drains in two different directions.
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HoodoosThe mysterious, sometimes human-like rock formations called "hoodoos" found in Capitol Reef National Park (and, more famously, in Bryce Canyon) are the result of differential erosion.
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The Egyptian TempleThe rock formation known as the Egyptian Temple is composed of soft Moenkopi Sandstone protected harder Shinarump Sandstone.
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Capitol GorgeAt the south end of Scenic Drive, and at the further end of the unpaved 2.4-mile Capitol Gorge Road, is Capitol Gorge, a small, deep canyon carved out of the Waterpocket Fold.
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Waterpocket FoldThe Waterpocket Fold is the defining feature in Capitol Reef National Park.
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Chinese WisteriaFirst planted by settlers in the early 1900s, the famed Chinese Wisteria vine is now in a "rehab" of sorts.
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Twin RocksThe Twin Rocks are Shinarump sandstone boulders sitting on a base of Moenkopi sandstone and shale.
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Chimney RockAccessible via the Chimney Rock Trail, just inside the west entrance to Capitol Reef along Hwy. 24, Chimney Rock stands as an impressive sentinel over the desert below.
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Navajo DomeNavajo Dome is a massive rock that has been rounded and shaped by wind and water over the course of millions of years.
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Pectols PyramidA triangular rock formation that you can see from Capitol Reef's Hickman Bridge trail.
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Pioneer RegisterAbout a half mile into the Capitol Gorge hike, visitors will come upon the Pioneer Register, a spot on the sandstone wall where early Mormon pioneers carved their names.
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The TanksAt the end of the Capitol Gorge Trail, hikers will come to the Tanks, a series of large potholes in the sandstone where erosion has carved pockets into the rock, which sometimes hold rainwater.
Point of interest
Fruita Historic DistrictWithout the irrigation made possible by the Fremont River, the community that is now the Fruita Historic District would never have been settled.
