General Information
Our plans were to drive from Horseshoe Canyon to Capital Reef National Park and camp for the night. The drive was a long and very unattractive one. Looking back, I would recommend that the park be approached from the west side instead of from the east. The bland scenery on the east side dampened our moods.
Our visit to Capital Reef National Park was late in the season. If we had been one month earlier in the fall, we would have been able to pick fruit from the trees near the old schoolhouse in the park. The orchards in November are a bit stark. This not so surprising fact, seemed to dampen my spirits more. We decided to look at the petroglyphs, drive the scenic drive and then continue on to Bryce Canyon.
The petroglyps, which are located on the side of the park near the schoolhouse, were roped off to discourage further destruction by people who feel the need to add their names or pictures to the wall. The small walk along the wall was a nice short walk, and the petroglyphs were very interesting.
As we drove towards the exit to the park on the west side, the scenery was gorgeous! I wished that we had entered the park from this side! I hope to go back to the park in spring or early fall when the trees are in bloom - the scenery must be fantastic that time of year.
The Weather
We got this information from the Capital Reef National Park web site.
Monthly Historical Averages
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High (F) | 41 | 48 | 56 | 66 | 76 | 87 | 92 | 89 | 81 | 68 | 53 | 42 |
| Low (F) | 18 | 24 | 30 | 38 | 47 | 55 | 62 | 61 | 53 | 42 | 30 | 21 |
| Precipitation (in) | .34 | .23 | .52 | .48 | .65 | .45 | 1.04 | 1.16 | .72 | .79 | .54 | .29 |
| Snow (range in) | 0-12.5 | 0-10 | 0-14 | 0-6.5 | 0-2.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-10 | 0-13 | 0-8 |
Useful Links
Max Bertola's southern Utah page - Capital Reef National Park