After a visit to Capitol Reef’s rocky wilderness, the green groves and fruit orchards around the intersection of UT Highway 24 and the park scenic drive are a cool and welcome sight. Just after the turn of the century, the Mormon community of Fruita, nestled in the shaded canyon formed by the Fremont River, was a lively, vibrant town of nearly 50. Though most of Fruita’s residents gradually moved away after Capitol Reef’s establishment as a national monument, the fields and orchards (and an abundance of wildlife) remain for your enjoyment. Visitors may even pick small quantities of fruit in season: cherries in June, apricots in July, pears in August, and apples in September. Look for U-Pick signs and be prepared to pay a small donation for any fruit you take with you (there is no charge for fruit you eat on-site). The money, collected on an honor system, goes to maintain the orchards—a very worthy cause.
While in the Fruita area, make sure you check out other historic attractions such as the Fruita Schoolhouse, old Blacksmith Shop, the Fremont petroglyphs and the Gifford Homestead, which in addition to offering a snapshot of pioneer life, bakes the harvest of the season into incredible pies.
The Fruita picnic area is a great place to take a time-out. With the Fremont River gushing on one side, a big grassy area in the middle, and towering red rock cliffs on the other side, this picnic area is an incredibly picturesque place to eat your lunch. The picnic area is one of the few places in the Park with trees that are substantial enough to provide some shade. No running water is available here so stop at the Visitor Center on your way in to fill up your bottles with any water you may need.
From Torrey, travel 11 miles east on Highway 24. Turn right toward the Visitor Center and continue along that road for another mile until you reach the picnic area on your left.
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