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North Fruita Overlook in Capitol Reef National Park

Sight · Capitol Reef National Park

North Fruita Overlook

A steep climb pays off in a sweeping canyon view.

Type
Sight
Nearest trail
0.3 mi
Audio stories
12 nearby
  • Scenic viewpoint
DirectionsMap

Hear the audio tour

Cohab Canyon

Overview

About North Fruita Overlook

Why stop

  • A clear view of Fremont River Canyon, Walker Peak and pale sandstone

Heads up

  • Steep switchbacks make it a hike, not a quick pullout
North Fruita Overlook is a rocky viewpoint on a spur of Cohab Canyon Trail, above the Fremont River Canyon. The payoff is a wide look across the canyon, Highway 24, Walker Peak and the pale sandstone formations beyond. Of the two Fruita overlooks, this north branch gives the more dramatic view of the rock formations.
Parkwolf’s verdictA canyon view worth the climb

Map

Where it is

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Full map
SightNorth Fruita Overlook38.28714, -111.23731
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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 North Fruita 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

Cohab Canyon
0:00 / 0:26
“You're nearing the Fruita trailhead for Cohab Canyon, where a steep climb leads into a sandy canyon with pocketed sandstone walls. You'll climb about four hundred feet in the first quarter-mile before the grade eases.”

Plays as you drive up to North Fruita Overlook in the Parkwolf Capitol Reef Tour Guide.

More stories near here in the app

  • Fremont Petroglyphs
  • Hickman Bridge
  • Gifford Homestead and Fruita Orchards
  • Fruita Schoolhouse
  • 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 North Fruita Overlook

The climb and the choiceFrom Fruita, allow roughly 3 miles round trip to reach the North Overlook and back, with about…

From Fruita, allow roughly 3 miles round trip to reach the North Overlook and back, with about 540 feet of climbing. The first switchbacks are steep; the North branch lies about 0.4 mile one way from the overlook junction. Continue to South Fruita Overlook for a second perspective on Fruita and the Waterpocket Fold; a route visiting both is commonly described as about 3.4 miles round trip with 800 feet of gain.

The stone along the routeCohab Canyon cuts through Wingate Sandstone.

Cohab Canyon cuts through Wingate Sandstone. Its walls hold rounded solution pockets, or tafoni, where water has dissolved the mineral cement between sand grains. Look for them along the canyon section before the overlook spur.

Frame the viewFor a photo, include Highway 24 as it winds below the cliffs.

For a photo, include Highway 24 as it winds below the cliffs. The road gives the pale sandstone wall scale, and the rocky rim makes a useful foreground.

viewpointcanyonhikinggeology

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 North Fruita Overlook

See it all on the map

Trails nearby

EasyFremont Petroglyph Boardwalks0.4 mi · 20 min · 0.3 mi awayTwo wooden boardwalks reveal Fremont rock art.ModerateHickman Bridge Trail1.8 mi · 1.5 hr · 0.5 mi awayA moderate climb to a 133-foot bridge and a loop beneath it.ChallengingRim Overlook Trail4.6 mi · 3.5 hr · 0.5 mi awayFruita and the Waterpocket Fold spread below this steep rim climb.ChallengingNavajo Knobs Trail9.4 mi · 7 hr · 0.5 mi awayA strenuous rim hike to a tiny summit and a huge panorama.ChallengingFrying Pan Trail4.4 mi · 4 hr · 0.5 mi awayA tough mesa crossing with its best views behind you.ModerateCohab Canyon Trail1.7 mi · 1.5 hr · 0.6 mi awayA steep Fruita climb opens into a sculpted sandstone canyon.ChallengingFremont Gorge Overlook Trail4.6 mi · 3 hr · 0.6 mi awayA mesa climb ends above the Fremont River, 800 feet below.ModerateFremont River Trail2 mi · 1.5 hr · 0.8 mi awayRiver walk, a steep climb, and broad views over Fruita.

More stops nearby

Sight · 0.2 mi awaySouth Fruita OverlookThe layers of the Waterpocket Fold make sense from above Fruita.Sight · 0.3 mi awayFremont PetroglyphsFind tall human figures and geometric bighorns across the red wall.Sight · 0.3 mi awayHickman BridgeA 133-foot bridge rewards a rocky climb past Fremont remains.Picnic area · 0.5 mi awayFruita Picnic AreaA shaded lawn makes a welcome pause in Fruita's red-rock valley.Sight · 0.5 mi awayCapitol DomeSee the sandstone formation that helped give Capitol Reef its name.Sight · 0.6 mi awayFruita SchoolhouseA restored classroom, seen through its windows, tells a small-town story.Sight · 0.6 mi awayGifford HomesteadFruita's pioneer farmhouse shares its history with the fruit-pie shop.Sight · 0.6 mi awayRipple Rock Nature CenterA shaded Fruita stop; check for seasonal outdoor programs

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.

4.7 from 8,600+ ratings

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