Parking
Start at Fruita’s blacksmith shop and historic implement shed area off Capitol Reef Scenic Drive. The campground approach adds about a mile round trip.
Overview
About Fremont Gorge Overlook Trail
Why go
- The gorge view gives the Fremont River real depth from above.
- The mesa’s basalt boulders break up the long open traverse.
Heads up
- Two steep climbs and almost no shade make this a strenuous outing.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Capitol Reef map
Full mapElevation5,499–6,486 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
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
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Capitol Reef Tour Guide
Your drive to Fremont Gorge Overlook Trail, 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 tourRecorded for this trailhead
Fruita Blacksmith Shop0:00 / 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 this trailhead in the Parkwolf Capitol Reef Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Gifford Homestead and Fruita Orchards
- Cohab Canyon
- Fruita Schoolhouse
- Fruita Campground and Fremont River
- 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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Fremont Gorge Overlook Trail
The whole hikeFremont Gorge Overlook Trail is a 4.
Fremont Gorge Overlook Trail is a 4.6-mile out-and-back from Fruita’s blacksmith shop area to a high rim above the Fremont River Gorge. Plan on about 1,090 feet of climbing. The listed distance is 2.3 miles each way; the mapped trail line measures 2.04 miles one way, so the published mileage and map line do not quite match. Allow about three hours. This is a strenuous hike, not a quick roadside viewpoint: you climb twice, cross a long open mesa and get little shade. The gorge view is the payoff.
Climb up Johnson MesaFrom the blacksmith shop and historic implement shed area, a short service road leads to a…
From the blacksmith shop and historic implement shed area, a short service road leads to a footpath that climbs the mesa spine in steep switchbacks. The first steep 0.3 mile gains roughly 300 feet over two short stair-step sections. The grade eases across the broad mesa top. Yellow grass and sagebrush grow among black basalt boulders, with Miners Mountain ahead and Capitol Reef’s cliffs behind. Pinyon and juniper become more common farther west.
Save energy for the second climbAfter the mesa, the trail climbs again beside a red-brown rock thumb, then follows crumbly rock…
After the mesa, the trail climbs again beside a red-brown rock thumb, then follows crumbly rock and limestone toward the gorge. You get closer canyon views before the final uphill stretch to a large cairn at the rim. The open middle section is easier; don’t spend all your energy there.
The strange black stonesThe basalt boulders on Johnson Mesa look out of place among Capitol Reef’s red sandstone.
The basalt boulders on Johnson Mesa look out of place among Capitol Reef’s red sandstone. One interpretation is that ice-age glaciers carried volcanic rock down from Thousand Lake and Boulder mountains about 10,000 years ago. Near the rim, red Moenkopi rock sits beside yellow-brown Sinbad Limestone; the gorge walls show much older layers, including White Rim Sandstone.
From the gorge rimThe Fremont River winds roughly 800 feet below between steep walls.
The Fremont River winds roughly 800 feet below between steep walls. From the rim, the view also opens across the Waterpocket Fold toward Boulder Mountain. Turn around to take in the mesa you just crossed. For a photo, include the river below the opposite wall so the frame shows the drop. Early light helps reveal gorge detail; afternoon brings out the wider Fold panorama.
Make the exposure workThis is a strenuous hike.
This is a strenuous hike. There is little to no shade and no water along the route, so summer heat makes the two climbs harder; an early start on a hot day helps. Stay well back from the high gorge edge. Pets are prohibited on the park’s hiking trails. Start at the blacksmith shop area off Capitol Reef Scenic Drive; beginning at the campground adds about a mile round trip.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Capitol Reef
50 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
322 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
70 sightingsMarmotMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
13 sightingsCottontail RabbitMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
33 sightingsTurkeyMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
14 sightingsRavenMost seen around 9 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Capitol Reef. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
