We left Escalante, UT and one of our favorite campgrounds, Yonder Escalante. We headed up Highway 12 to Torrey, UT just outside of Capitol Reef National Park. Our 1st night we stayed at a Harvest Host, Etta Place Cider. Of course we had to do a tasting and what an interesting experience! We tried a variety of hard ciders ranging from Rhubarb Peach Wine to Etta Place Gingered! We also had Reserve Fig Mead a desert cider….We left with Rhubarb Peach and the Reserve Fig Mead! See the link below:
We have been wanting to do some “real” boondocking on BLM land (Bureau of Land Management) and had researched an area right on edge of the national park…We found the perfect site and stay 2 nights.
We then explored Cathedral Valley…one of our favorite activities, a dirt road! We traveled about 20 miles through beautiful banded hills in varying hues of brown, red, purple, gray and green. Our destination…The Temples of the Moon and Sun! We were barley able to stand outside of the truck because of the wind and blowing sand! Then just around the bend was “Glass Mountain”. Glass Mountain is a large exposed mound of gypsum crystals. Glass Mountain formed as a result of groundwater flowing through the Estrada Sanstone. This water carried dissolved gypsum, which started to crystallize, forming what has been called a gypsum plug. This plug is now being exposed as a soft Estrada Sandstone erodes away.
Next stop, homemade pie!
Another area in Capitol Reef NP is the Fruita Historic District that includes a schoolhouse, blacksmith shop and the Gifford House store. This area is known for its orchards of apples, peach, cherry, pear, plum, apricot and almond trees. Each day pies are baked with local fruit and sold at Gifford House! YUM!
Enjoy the Video!
That boondocking spot was awesome! Know how you love those off road adventures! Wish I could have had a bite of that pie, maybe a couple
bites…of each!