Parking
Use the Petroglyph Panel parking area on UT-24, about 1.1 miles east of the visitor center. Both boardwalks branch from the parking-area walkway.
Overview
About Fremont Petroglyph Boardwalks
Why go
- Two distinct boardwalks show a bold main panel and subtler cliffside carvings.
- Stationary binoculars help visitors inspect the harder-to-see figures.
Heads up
- Some carvings are difficult to distinguish beneath the dark patina.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Capitol Reef map
Full mapElevation5,390–5,404 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Capitol Reef alerts
- 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
- CautionE. coli advisory for Fremont River and Sulphur CreekDo 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
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Capitol Reef Tour Guide
Your drive to Fremont Petroglyph Boardwalks, 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
Fremont Petroglyphs0:00 / 0:31
“The Fremont Petroglyphs are coming up beside Highway 24. This is a stop I'd keep even on a short visit: allow about twenty minutes for the two boardwalks.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Capitol Reef Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Fruita Schoolhouse
- Fruita Blacksmith Shop
- Gifford Homestead and Fruita Orchards
- Cohab Canyon
- 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 Petroglyph Boardwalks
What the walk coversFremont Petroglyph Boardwalks make a quick, mostly level roadside stop from the Petroglyph…
Fremont Petroglyph Boardwalks make a quick, mostly level roadside stop from the Petroglyph Panel parking area. Walk both boardwalks and return along the shared walkway for about 0.4 mile total; the route connects the short main-panel spur to a longer cliffside boardwalk. The park suggests 5–30 minutes, with about 20 minutes a fair middle ground if you want to look carefully. This is a close look at rock art, not a strenuous hike.
Start with the bold panelThe shorter western boardwalk faces the larger humanlike figures and bighorn sheep panel.
The shorter western boardwalk faces the larger humanlike figures and bighorn sheep panel. It is the easiest place to start: take your time and use the two stationary binoculars at the site, since the carvings sit back from the walking surface.
Keep going to the cliffside boardwalkFollow the connecting path east to the longer boardwalk along the cliff base.
Follow the connecting path east to the longer boardwalk along the cliff base. Its carvings are physically closer but harder to distinguish beneath a dark patina, so do not expect every mark to jump out. The two stops complement each other: prominent shapes first, weathered details second.
What the figures can tell youThe panels include trapezoid-bodied human figures, animals and geometric designs.
The panels include trapezoid-bodied human figures, animals and geometric designs. Their intended meanings are not known, so the best visit is a patient look rather than a guess at one fixed story. “Fremont Culture” is a modern archaeological label for communities in Utah around 300–1300 CE, not a known name those people used for themselves.
Access and careFind the Petroglyph Panel parking area on UT-24, about 1.1 miles east of the visitor center.
Find the Petroglyph Panel parking area on UT-24, about 1.1 miles east of the visitor center. The site is listed as open year-round; no reservation is required, and the park recreation fee applies. Leashed pets are allowed on the boardwalks. The park identifies boardwalk access as accessible but does not publish a wheelchair specification for the path. Stay on the boardwalks and do not touch or mark the rock art.
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.
