Parking
Use the parking area by the Fruita Campground amphitheater in Loop C. In busy seasons, aim for an early or late start; some trailhead lots fill between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Overview
About Fremont River Trail
Why go
- A riverside and orchard start leads to a broad view over Fruita.
- A short route combines an easy opening with a satisfying climb.
Heads up
- The upper climb is steep after an easy start.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Capitol Reef map
Full mapElevation5,449–5,909 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 River 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 Campground and Fremont River0:00 / 0:31
“Up ahead is Fruita Campground, with seventy-one sites under cottonwoods beside the Fremont River. It's a useful base for the Scenic Drive, though sites sit close together.”
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 Blacksmith Shop
- 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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Fremont River Trail
The routeFremont River Trail is a 2.
Fremont River Trail is a 2.0-mile round-trip out-and-back from Fruita Campground’s amphitheater parking to a panorama above the river. The path starts as an easy, hard-packed riverside walk through meadow and historic orchards, then climbs steeply away from the water to a canyon rim. Allow about 1.5 hours. It’s a short hike with a real uphill finish; the river stretch is only the warm-up.
By the riverThe lower path stays close to the Fremont River and passes a green pocket of meadow and orchard…
The lower path stays close to the Fremont River and passes a green pocket of meadow and orchard before a fence. The wheelchair-accessible portion near Gifford House and the campground is on this lower stretch; it doesn’t reach the overlook.
The climb and viewPast the fence, the route leaves the riparian ground for sagebrush and rabbitbrush.
Past the fence, the route leaves the riparian ground for sagebrush and rabbitbrush. The grade steepens as it climbs the hillside, wraps around a cliff, and follows the rim above a brown Moenkopi sandstone canyon. From the overlook, Fruita’s orchards and campground sit below red Wingate cliffs and pale Navajo sandstone domes. For a photo, include a bit of the trail or rim so the drop and layers of rock have scale.
Access, pets, and a nearby stopStart at the parking area by the Fruita Campground amphitheater in Loop C.
Start at the parking area by the Fruita Campground amphitheater in Loop C. In the busy season, aim for an early or late start; some trailhead lots fill from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Leashed pets are allowed only as far as the south end of Hattie’s Field, where a gate marks the limit; they can’t go on the upper climb. Gifford House is a separate nearby stop for fresh-baked pies and snacks during its operating season, not food along the trail.
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.
