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Fremont Gorge Overlook in Capitol Reef National Park

Sight · Capitol Reef National Park

Fremont Gorge Overlook

A tough mesa climb ends above Fremont River Gorge.

Photo: National Park Service
Type
Sight
Nearest trail
1.4 mi
Audio stories
8 nearby
  • Trailhead
  • Parking
  • Scenic viewpoint
DirectionsMap

Hear the audio tour

Fruita Blacksmith Shop

Overview

About Fremont Gorge Overlook

Why stop

  • Direct view into the deep Fremont River Gorge
  • Open-mesa views toward the Waterpocket Fold

Heads up

  • A strenuous 4.6-mile round trip with little shade
Fremont Gorge Overlook is a high viewpoint on the rim of Fremont River Gorge, reached by a strenuous Fruita-area hike. It is a real hike rather than a roadside stop: the trail is 2.3 miles each way, or about 4.6 miles out and back, with roughly 1,090 feet of climbing. Go for a close look into the gorge and the broad views from the mesa; skip it if you only have time for a quick pullout.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs the climb for you?

Map

Where it is

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Full map
SightFremont Gorge Overlook38.27601, -111.27959
Keep this map with you offline in the Parkwolf app

Plan your stop

Before you go

2 active Capitol Reef alerts

  • CautionE. coli advisory for Fremont River and Sulphur CreekMentions Fremont River, referenced in this guideDo not swim in the Fremont River or Sulphur Creek or get water in your mouth: NPS reports elevated E. coli in both waterways, and Utah DEQ has issued a warning advisory. - DEQ reports Sulphur Creek E.Official details
  • CautionFlash-flood hazard in canyons and washesHeavy rains can cause sudden flooding in Capitol Reef’s canyons and washes; do not hike or drive through floodwater.Official details
Capitol Reef alerts
A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone
Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Capitol Reef Tour Guide

Your drive to Fremont Gorge Overlook, narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Capitol Reef National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.

See the Capitol Reef audio tour

Recorded for this place

Fruita Blacksmith Shop
0:00 / 0:29
“You're approaching Fruita's old blacksmith shop, also called the Merin Smith Implement Shed. Built in nineteen twenty-five as a workshop and garage, it's a quick stop for a look at the old farm machinery.”

Plays as you drive up to Fremont Gorge Overlook in the Parkwolf Capitol Reef Tour Guide.

More stories near here in the app

  • Visitor Center and Lower Sulphur Creek
  • The Castle Viewpoint
  • Fruita Campground and Fremont River
  • Gifford Homestead and Fruita Orchards
  • 116 audio storiesacross Capitol Reef’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
  • Wildlife heatmapsfor Bighorn Sheep, Mule Deer, Marmot, and 13 more
  • Works offlinemaps, 48 trails, 52 places, and audio download before you lose signal
  • CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
★★★★★
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
JMJamesApp Store review
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4.7 from 8,600+ ratings

Guide

More about Fremont Gorge Overlook

The route to the rimThe trail climbs a boulder-strewn slope onto an open mesa, crosses it, then climbs again to the…

The trail climbs a boulder-strewn slope onto an open mesa, crosses it, then climbs again to the gorge rim. Expect steep, uneven ground and a long steady effort. There is virtually no shade and no water on the route, so carry water from the start and aim for cooler conditions, especially in summer.

The trailhead is near the old Blacksmith Shop display along Scenic Drive, about 0.6 mile from the visitor center. Parking and a picnic area are nearby.

What opens up from the topAt the rim, the view drops into a narrow, deeply cut gorge with steep layered walls.

At the rim, the view drops into a narrow, deeply cut gorge with steep layered walls. The open mesa also gives you a wider look toward the Waterpocket Fold and Johnson Mesa; Boulder Mountain, the Henry Mountains and Ferns Nipple are among the landmarks visible from the route and overlook.

For a photo that shows the scale of the gorge, frame part of the near rim above the deep cut rather than filling the whole view with distant cliffs.

hikingviewpointgorgemesa

Wildlife

Wildlife in Capitol Reef

All Capitol Reef wildlife maps
Bighorn Sheep50 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapMule Deer322 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapMarmot70 sightingsMarmotMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapCottontail Rabbit13 sightingsCottontail RabbitMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapTurkey33 sightingsTurkeyMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapRaven14 sightingsRavenMost seen around 9 AMSighting map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Capitol Reef. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.

Keep exploring

Near Fremont Gorge Overlook

See it all on the map

Trails nearby

ModerateSulphur Creek Waterfall Hike1.4 mi · 1.5 hr · 1.4 mi awayFollow a desert creek upstream to a waterfall below red rock walls.ModerateFremont River Trail2 mi · 1.5 hr · 1.6 mi awayRiver walk, a steep climb, and broad views over Fruita.ChallengingFremont Gorge Overlook Trail4.6 mi · 3 hr · 1.8 mi awayA mesa climb ends above the Fremont River, 800 feet below.ModerateCohab Canyon Trail1.7 mi · 1.5 hr · 1.9 mi awayA steep Fruita climb opens into a sculpted sandstone canyon.EasySunset Point Trail0.8 mi · 45 min · 1.9 mi awayA short rim walk for sunset over the Waterpocket Fold.EasyGoosenecks Trail0.2 mi · 15 min · 1.9 mi awayA short walk to Sulphur Creek’s tight canyon bend.EasyFremont Petroglyph Boardwalks0.4 mi · 20 min · 2.2 mi awayTwo wooden boardwalks reveal Fremont rock art.ModerateHickman Bridge Trail1.8 mi · 1.5 hr · 3 mi awayA moderate climb to a 133-foot bridge and a loop beneath it.

More stops nearby

Sight · 1.1 mi awayLower Sulphur Creek WaterfallA short creek walk ends at a small waterfall.Sight · 1.3 mi awaySulphur Creek Lime KilnA small historic kiln adds Fruita history to a rough creek walk.Visitor center · 1.4 mi awayCapitol Reef National Park Visitor CenterMaps, ranger help, and an 18-minute film make a useful first stop.Sight · 1.5 mi awayFruita OrchardsAround 1,900 trees keep Fruita’s farming past alive.Sight · 1.6 mi awayThe Castle ViewpointA sandstone bluff cut free by erosion’s own moat.Sight · 1.7 mi awaySunset PointA short walk to sunset color on the Waterpocket Fold.Campground · 1.8 mi awayFruita CampgroundAn orchard campground under red cliffs beside the Fremont River.Sight · 1.8 mi awayMerin Smith Implement ShedPeek through the open doors at Fruita's old farm machinery.

Parkwolf’s Capitol Reef ranking

Top sights in Capitol Reef

All 52 places
  1. 1Hickman BridgeSight
  2. 2Gifford HomesteadSight
  3. 3Fremont PetroglyphsSight
  4. 4Cassidy ArchSight
  5. 5Temples of the Sun and MoonSight
  6. 6Fruita OrchardsSight

Take Parkwolf to Capitol Reef.

The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.

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