No Need To Make A Whole Day Of It

Late October can make a person think a Capitol Reef day needs to be hurried along before the light goes. But Fruita is pretty good at proving otherwise.

The park is still open around the clock. The Visitor Center is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through the fall schedule, and the Gifford House is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Gifford House closes for the season on November 22, so this is not the part of the year to keep saying you will stop in next time.

And you do not need a complicated route to make an afternoon of it. As of the park’s October 18 road update, the Scenic Drive, Grand Wash Road, and the road to Gooseneck are all open to standard two-wheel-drive vehicles. That is plenty of Capitol Reef for a few hours.

Fruita gives you plenty to do on a late-October afternoon. Photo by Galyna Andrushko via Shutterstock.

Start With The Small Stops

Drive through Fruita slowly. Stop at the old buildings. Look at the Fremont River from the bank. Go into the Gifford House if it is open when you pass it. These are not things that need a checklist.

There are still apples in the plan, too. The October 18 orchard update lists Krueger open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for mostly Yellow Delicious apples, with a limited number of Red Delicious still around. Jackson is open over the same hours for Red Delicious and Gibson Golden apples. Chesnut is open dawn to dusk for the remaining Red and Yellow Delicious apples.

Apples are $2.00 a pound, or $30 for a 50-pound bushel. That bushel is for people with a pie plan, a lot of friends, or a real commitment to applesauce (maybe all three).

There are still a few orchard stops left in the season. Photo by Wirestock Creators via Shutterstock.

Let The Day Stay Small

And that is what we like about this part of October. You can drive in, walk around Fruita, pick a few apples if the orchards are cooperating, and be on your way before the day gets too cold. Or stay longer. Either way, an afternoon works.

Before you head over, look at the park’s conditions page or call 435-425-3791. Press 1, then 4 for roads or 5 for orchard information. The website is updated weekly, and the recorded line is the better bet when weather has had a say.

But get over to Fruita while there are still apples on the trees and the Gifford House is open.