We have seen fossils that range from massive dinosaurs to tiny seashells. When we saw the name Capitol Reef, we had thoughts of a massive fossilized reef. We discovered after that the Reef part of the name was given to it by former mariners who saw the rock formations as a barrier to travel, just like an underwater reef.
With our expectation lowered we did see some petroglyphs on a boardwalk near the road.
Chimney Rock was also easy to see from the road.
The beginning of the scenic road has one of our favorite stops here, The Gifford House. There is a shop in the house that sells locally baked pies. Mr Ram had thought each of us could have our own pie. Mrs Ram decided splitting a small pie and getting an ice cream too was what he really wanted. Both were very good.
Before going into the store, Mrs Ram saw the sign that listed a low limit on the number people in the store. As she waited for people to exist, others just went right in. When we did go in it seemed there was no real enforcement of the limitations. As we were finishing paying one of the clerks called out, “There are to many people in here, some of you need to leave.” Few seemed to hear her. We helped out by taking our pie and ice cream and heading out the door.
Driving to the end of the scenic road put right in the deep Capitol Gorge.
We would note that you really do need high clearance on the unpaved part of the road. We saw a Dodge Charger dent its lower side panels and a small car leaving a trail of oil that ended with it being towed out.
Hiking up the Grand Wash Trail provided enough shade so that it was not too unbearable. With highs reaching over 100F we were glad we hiked early in the day.
As we rested in one the shady spots, we met Keith and Julie. We chatted for a while about the heat and crazy use of water in some parts of the west.
If you are in the area it’s easy to drop by this park for a day and move on. However if you are pressed for time, I would skip this park and spend time at Bryce, Zion and Arches