More Fall Fun

We just talked about all the fall colors you can see on a Southern Utah roadtrip. But let’s talk about a couple other awesome fall activities that you can do this month, right here in Capitol Reef National Park – let’s go apple picking and star gazing!

Photo by Diane Helentjaris via unsplash.com.

Apple Picking

Today is September 17, 2024 and it’s one of our favorite days of the year. Because today is the first day of the apple picking season! Is there anything more autumnal than a crisp, tree-ripened apple? We don’t think so. And it tastes so much better when you pick it yourself!

So if you’re looking for a truly fall-inspired activity, head to the orchards located near the visitor center entrance to the park. You’ll see the “U-Pick Fruit” signs posted outside of the orchards. There will also be a sign telling you what fruit is available to be picked. This time of year, September through to October, apples are the showstopper. (They do also have pears, if that’s you’re thing.) You can eat as many apples as you like inside the orchard – for free – but for any that you take back with you, please use the scale to weigh your fruit and deposit the required cash in the lockbox nearby. (It’s very inexpensive.)

Avoid climbing any of the trees, and no dogs or other pets allowed inside the orchards. But if you’re lucky, you’ll get to spot some of the local deer also perusing the orchards for a sweet snack.

Photo by Joseph Corl via unsplash.com.

Heritage StarFest 2024

It’s StarFest again! Capitol Reef is putting on a week of stargazing workshops and lectures to educate and entertain. Starting Wednesday, September 25 and running through Monday, September 29 you can participate in this fantastic opportunity to learn more about the night sky and our place in the cosmos. There are also classes on how to take pictures of the milky way, so if your an amateur nighttime photographer this might be for you.

Note from the Park: you need to register to attend these photography classes. It’s free but spaces are limited. Email care_information@nps.gov or by call 435–425–4112. If no answer, please leave a voice message. In your email or voice message, please include your name, phone number, email address, which day you would like to attend and how many people you are signing up.

Here’s the schedule of events for StarFest 2024, pulled straight from this page here on the official website. We hope you get the chance to attend this year, it’s always a blast!

Monday, September 23rd – Thursday, September 26th

Nightly at the Fruita Campground amphitheater. Programs begin near dusk.

Join park rangers to learn about a variety of night-related topics including astronomy and nocturnal creatures.

Friday, September 27th

Programs will take place in Capitol Reef National Park.

Guest Speaker Series
3pm at the visitor center theater: Dr. Qicheng Zhang, Lowell Observatory, Anatomy of a Great Comet. Comets occasionally produce spectacular visual displays with ghostly tails stretching many degrees across the night sky, and one such bright comet may only be a week away.

5pm at the visitor center theater: Dr. Anil Seth, University of Utah, The Nearest Massive Black Hole. Focusing on the recent detection of a black hole in the Milky Way’s most massive cluster, Omega Centauri, and why this black hole is unique and interesting.

7pm at the Fruita Campground amphitheater: Dr. Kyle Dawson, University of Utah, Mapping the Universe: 5,000 Galaxies at a Time. The cosmos hold a wealth of information about the earliest times in the universe and the fundamental laws of Physics.

Telescope Program
8:30pm – 11pm at the Fruita Campground amphitheater parking lot. Join park rangers and volunteers, and guest amateur astronomers as the Milky Way and other celestial wonders are brought to your eye with various telescopes.

Saturday, September 28

Events will take place at the Torrey Park (100 N. 75 East in Torrey, UT) and at the Entrada Institute’s Robber’s Roost (185 W. Main St. in Torrey, UT).

Special Speakers and Presentations
Throughout the afternoon and early evening at the Robber’s Roost in Torrey. Please see our community partner’s website at https://www.entradainstitute.org/ for more information and to register for a particular program at the Robber’s Roost.

Solar Viewing and Junior Astronomy Programming
4pm to 6pm at the Torrey Park. Join park staff and volunteers, and guest amateur astronomers to safely view our closest star with solar telescopes and participate in fun, child-focused astronomy activities.

Torrey Park Telescope Program
8:30pm – 11pm at the Torrey Park. Join park staff and volunteers, community partners and guest amateur astronomers to view the Milky Way and other celestial wonders through many different telescopes.