Ep. 204: Capitol Reef National Park | Utah RV camping travel hiking boondocking
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 24. 07. 2024
- This episode of Grand Adventure is sponsored by The Dyrt! Find the campsite that's right from you from over 44,000 listings, either on the web or in their #1-ranked mobile apps. Get extra features and functionality, like downloadable offline maps and discounts of 10% to 40% off at over 400 campgrounds nationwide, with an annual membership to The Dyrt PRO! Try it all out for FREE for 90 days by clicking thedyrt.com/promo/grandadventu... !
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Capitol Reef is the least visited of Utah's "Mighty Five" National Parks, and that's a good thing even though the scenery is no less spectacular. It's easy to leave the masses behind and find total solitude just by leaving the paved road. While boondocking on BLM land at Beas Lewis Flat just outside of both the town of Torrey and the border of the National Park, we explore Capitol Reef including the Fruita Historic District, the Fruita Campground, the park's Scenic Drive along the Waterpocket Fold, a hike to Hickman Natural Bridge, and a drive along the entire 60 unpaved miles of the Cathedral Valley Loop to see the Bentonite Hills, South Desert, Gypsum Sinkhole, Glass Mountain and of course, the spectacular Cathedral Valley itself.
Filmed: May 17-22, 2021
CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
1:26 Camping at Beas Lewis Flat
5:12 Capitol Reef National Park/Fruita Historic District
7:28 Fruita Campground
7:54 Capitol Reef Scenic Drive
9:17 Hike to Hickman Natural Bridge
13:34 Cathedral Valley Loop
15:45 Bentonite Hills
17:00 South Desert
17:50 Cathedral Valley
19:19 Gypsum Sinkhole
20:23 Glass Mountain/Temple of the Sun/Temple of the Moon
21:35 Camping Discounts with The Dyrt
22:21 Wrap-up and What's Next
FOR MORE INFORMATION
* Our Campsite: goo.gl/maps/6aoW331rKsgRhYCL6
* Beas Lewis Flat camping on The Dyrt: thedyrt.com/camping/utah/beas...
* Capitol Reef National Park: nps.gov/care
* The Dyrt PRO 90-day free trial: thedyrt.com/promo/grandadventu... (promo code GrandAdventure90)
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Welcome to Grand Adventure, a CZcams channel that focuses on RV-centric outdoor activities including not only of course camping, but also mountain biking, hiking, kayaking, skiing and more, always filmed in stunning 4K.
We're based in Salt Lake City, Utah during the winter months, and invite you to come along as we travel all around the U.S. My wife Patricia and I, and dog Zoe are avid boondockers, so while you'll occasionally find us in RV parks or even dry campgrounds, we're usually camped in some of the most remote and beautiful spots that you could ever pull a travel trailer into. We've now transitioned from "long-timing" for six months a year, to living and traveling in our RV full-time.
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#CapitolReef #nationalpark #Utah #RV #camping #boondocking #hiking #freecamping #freecampsite #BLM #lifeelevated #kzrv #getoutside #goexplore
Thanks again for a wonderful video. My wife and I enjoy viewing your videos of places that we have visited in the past. You always show us a lot more of the park that we visited ourselves.
Thank you Wayne! We're very happy that both of you are enjoying these. That's what keeps us doing what we do.
Yea Jackie finally made it to friend status!!!
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Mark, I truly enjoy your content and commentary paired with the beautiful scenes. Your content is truly valuable. The dirty camera sensor was a bit distracting in this video, but it is still worth watching. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Tom! Every now and then dust gets on that sensor and I have no idea how it's reaching there. Of course, we don't know it's there until we pull the footage and see it on a larger screen. We've been keeping wet sensor swabs and cleaning fluid in our RV at all times.
Hello GA and GA fans
Always good to see you J.
@@GrandAdventure really good show tonight . Classic GA
@@SevenBears1 thank you my friend.
Nice episode! Loved the hike to the Natural bridge! Great footage as always Marc!
Thank YOU as always Tom! Come on out!
It's amazing CR doesn't get more attention. It was one of my favorite.
Agreed, Spell Madam. Still, we're happy that it doesn't.
Very beautiful area. Gotta get the kids back out west and spend some real time exploring! Thanks for sharing the tour. Very cool videography as well.
Thank you, and thanks for watching!
We will be there in October, know what not to miss. Thanks again!
Our pleasure Deb! Happy that we could help, and thanks so much for watching.
I thought I've seen everything out there, then you come along and show us more! Good job!
Exactly!!!
Happy to keep that window open for you, Bert & JL!
He is very good at doing thatâs, all his videos are good
We were there last July. It was beautiful. It snowed. Heads up. All RV parks are on septic so no outside black water dumping. The park was closed last year when we were there. Glad to hear about the dump stations. We camped right where you did. We rode the e bikes from end to end. Visiter center was closed and park was wonderfully empty. Robert Woods
We bet that was wonderful Robert! True about the RV parks in Torrey, but if you're eastbound you can also dump for $5 at the RV park in Hanksville as we did. They're on septic.
Why you always have to make me jealous with canyons, deserts, and rock formations??
'Cuz that's my job. đ
You gave me a lot of great ideas of places to see this summer when we're out in Utah, thanks.
We're very happy to hear that Beata, thanks for watching!
Such a breathtaking area! ALL of Utah is amazing and unique, tbhđ
We love our home state, but now it's time to travel on.
@@GrandAdventure whereâs next on your agenda? Do you think youâll do Alaska some summer?
We will and we want to, but can't before we have Starlink for reliable signal to work. In the meantime we're in SW CO. We have next week figured out but nothing beyond that.
Signed up for The Dyrt. Iâm sure it will make a nice companion app.
Glad to hear it Rabbi!
Spot on about Bea Lewis camping area. I too was initially turned off by the number of campers and broken glass as you 1st enter and almost turned back out but I decided to turn down the dirt road to the right and ended up with a great campsite about 2 miles down the road. Wide open views and I had the area to myself. Overall the dispersed camping options off hwy 12 from the Torrey, Boulder, Escalante, Kodachrome Basin and Bryce Canyon areas are hard to beat.
We agree, Gene! And at Bea Lewis we were practically in the same spot as you.
Holy cow! Thank you for this! Just before my dad passed away he took is on a family trip here. That was the last time I was there I was only 4 but I have vivid memories of it. It was so hard not to divert off my path a couple weeks ago and take my daughter there on our road trip to Havasu. Next time we head south though it'll be a priority! Thanks again!
That's a truly heartwarming story, SS. It always amazes me how certain things from our childhood burn such an impression that the memories remain with us forever. I'm sorry to hear that you lost your father at such a young age, but this gives you the opportunity to pass that memory along to your daughter.
Thanks for all the time and effort in the videos. Love them. Great content. Keep it up. đ
Much appreciated Lou, thanks for watching!
Hey Mark, we were camped out at Bea Lewis May 13th thru the 16th. Then it was off to Bryce Canyon. Utah is beautiful this time of year.
We missed you by only one day! Safe travels Kurt, and enjoy our home state.
I very much enjoyed your video. I've been through Capital Reef once but did not have time to explore. I see now with your very informative video, I must return and explore this great place. Thank you! Take Care!!
Glad you enjoyed it! That was the case for us -- we'd traveled through on UT-24 several times but never stopped to enjoy the area. This spring we decided to rectify that.
Beautiful. Canât wait to visit this area. Enjoy!
Thank you, it's a wonderful area that you will surely love. Thank you for watching!
thanks Marc.
Our pleasure Joe!
Pack it in people. The nearest Walmart is 72 miles away. Funny but true.
Yep, all the way to Richfield. However, the small supermarket in Loa is surprisingly complete and only 18 miles.
Missed the premier as I was lost in dream land looking at potential new tow vehicle. Great views of Capitol Reef.
Thanks John, hope that you found the truck you're looking for! The truck market -- especially diesels -- is really out of control right now, and that chip shortage hasn't helped matters any.
Sorry I missed it....doing Flaming Gorge for Memorial and yesterday was travel and set up day. Catching up now at camp...thanks for your great info and love new locations to camp at!
Thanks Michelle! Homie at Large& Jackie are at Jug Hollow, so keep your eye out. Enjoy your holiday weekend!
So beautiful out there! Thanks for sharing
It really is, thanks for watching!
@@GrandAdventure no problem! We really enjoy making outdoor videos also
Utah Jeff ..... here ....,well done informative videp
Thank you Jeff!
Well done, Guito - great scenery and frustrating not be be able to freely fly your drone, yet you still got some fantastic footage. Cheers, Michael
Thanks as always Michael! Yep, it's frustrating as a drone pilot that National Parks are off-limits, but we also understand the motivation behind that rule.
Great video. Thank you so much for sharing your adventure. Keep going brother.
Thank you, and thanks for watching!
that place looks awesome! thanks for the tour đ€
Our pleasure Mickey, thanks for watching!
We just left there 2 week a ago. Boondocked longer than we've ever done in one stretch, 14 days and could've gone longer. Capitol Reef is so relaxed. That boondocking area is amazing. Only thing was a big dip in the road that grabbed my spare tire and bent the frame that holds it. Still, it was so worth it!
Oh wow! Yep, that deep but small wash caught Jackie's sewer hose holder, which Keystone inexplicably stuck below the rear bumper -- the worst possible spot, decreasing her trailer's departure angle. For most folks, however, that dip is relatively trivial. Glad that you enjoyed the area as well!
Wow! Great video as always!! Way to go đ€©
Thank you so much Jodi đ! And thanks for watching.
Thank you for sharing. Great video.
Thank you Alan, glad you enjoyed it and thanks for watching!
That Glass Mountain was beautiful! We drove through there years ago, never got to stay or see it to this extent, now we need to go back! Great stuff as always, hope to catch up to you on the road some day soon!
We hope so too! Glass Mountain is such an anomaly out there in the middle of a sandstone desert. We've driven through CRNP several times on UT-24 but never stopped to visit; this season we decided to fix that, and we're very glad that we did.
Hello Marc!
This was a super good video!!!
Of course it looks like you got the best spot for your trailer - between two piles of rocks!
Love the scenery of Capital Reef and the Cathedral Loop.
Glass mountain was very unique!!
Doesnât seem like the fifth wheel is slowing you folks down at all. I was hoping it wasnât going to trap you into only RV parks!
Ram
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P.S. It looks like you are fighting the dust in the lenses again. We have the same issue in our good camera, but are going to have to send it back East for servicing. đ
Thank you as always! Yep, a dirty sensor bit me in the butt again. It's worth learning how to clean the sensor, I carry with me 24 mm swabs and cleaning solution. It's much better than sending the camera out for service that you can do yourself. The next video will be immaculate!
Great video as always!
Thank you Michael, glad you enjoyed it!
Love your videos, thank you so much. Very informative. And yes, I smashed that subscribe button.đ
Thrilled to have you aboard, Lenora! Thank you very much.
Great video as always
Thank you as always Norm! Great to see you at the Premiere tonight.
Such a pretty part of the country! Really insightful video with some neat places to see! Great job!
Thank you! It's a spectacular area.
Another good episode; I look forward to each one. I missed Glass Mountain when I was there (it was January and snowy, with...limited access) so that clip was much appreciated.
Thank you OC! Glad that you enjoyed it, and January must've been a magical time to have been there.
Another very informative video. Wow, no matter what national park you show us, its just never ending beauty. Thanks Don
Thanks Don! Glad that you enjoyed it, we appreciate your viewership.
Thanks for sharing. Great content.
Thank you, and thanks for watching!
That area is just amazing, capitol reef is a beautiful place, the glass mountain was stunning never seen anything like that before, the views you show Marc are just amazing. Thanks for sharing your adventures, travel safe.
Thank you was always Gary! We sincerely appreciate your viewership.
Left there this morning, in Bryce now.
Fantastic! Enjoy Bryce.
Thanks for the great video hope to get their soon
Thanks as always Lee!
Nice video Marc.
Thanks JT!
You go to the most amazing & beautiful places. We love watching your channel.
Thank you! We love that you love watching.
Another professional quality show.. Thanks for taking us along.. Hopefully one day well be able to fallow in your foot steps.
Thank you Steven!
Beautiful job Marc.Really enjoyed thisđ
Thank you Brooke! We're so happy to hear that you did.
So good to see your adventures on video again! As always, great footage, research & narration. Thanks for all history & geology information.
Thank you Steph, and thanks for watching!
Good evening Marc!! Another home run of incredible scenery and history! Wow....there is just so much to see in UT, let alone everywhere else! Since our travel trailer won't be ready until October now, it looks like we will be heading out to UT for our maiden voyage since the SW part of CO will be closing down by then.
Bon Journee' Homie Ed and Ann!! You too, Jackie!
Whooaaaa.....SW CO next, eh? Can't wait to see that one!
Safe travels!
Thanks as always Alan. We're practically in your back yard now. We know that the wait for that new trailer must be agonizing, but hang in there.
@@GrandAdventure Yes!! That is awesome to have you here!
For sure.....we're anxiously waiting; but it is what it is. I still have my fingers and toes, so not much to complain about. And....I still have my backpack tent, car camping tent, and the back of my truck!
đđđšđŠđŸđ„âšđ 160 million years makes me feel so young!
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Looking forward to next weekâs show
We look forward to seeing you then, Tim. Thank you!
Be there tomorrow
Have fun, here's wishing you a wonderful trip!
Was just out that way!
Hope that you enjoyed it as much as we did!
Capitol Reef is my favorite NP in Utah. So many interesting things to see in and around Torrey. Next time you're down there you need to go the the Sunglow Inn in Bicknell and try their pickle pie and pinto bean pie (if you haven't already been there). Awesome video!
Great tips, thanks for that and thanks for watching!
Very beautiful area - love the views! We are so looking forward to getting out west and seeing all the beauty!! đ
Thank you. Come on out!
@@GrandAdventure We are chompin' at the bit! We are down to 21 months having started at five years!! ;-) Thanks!
@@TerryX2Explore now THAT's some advance planning!
@@GrandAdventure LOL! We are trying to plan everything out - hopefully it goes as planned. ;-)
Good
Beautiful views of Capital Reef Mark but please clean your camera lenses! Getting a little crusty! Looking forward to next week as we travel to Durango ourselves then on up to Yellowstone the following week. Safe travels.
Yep Gene, we had issues this trip. It's actually dust on the sensor, and I didn't notice it until we were on the Cathedral Valley Loop. I tried to do something about it out there in the field, and probably did some things that I shouldn't in trying to clean it, but the sensor is about to get a good deep wet cleaning.
Hey Marc, another great video! I love the dessert. Question: the link to your friend Don's video didn't appear on the screen and I don't find it in the description. Do you have it? I always like to follow fellow Texan's channels. Thanks always for your beautiful videos.
Thanks! I thought that I fixed that but here ya go: czcams.com/users/CowboyBikerAdventures
Hey Mark! Amazing video!! Are you coming near us next?
Right now we're down near Cortez, Kim. It looks like next week we'll be in Pagosa Springs, but after that...who knows? We sure don't.
Could you do a towing video with your 5th wheel? I also have a Tundra double cab and am interested in getting a 5th wheel like yours but there is very little info on the internet or CZcams.
Perhaps we will Caleb, thanks for the suggestion.
Please camp and park in designated areas. Capitol Reef is beautiful and should not be marred by campers and huge RVs.
Finally hick man bridge 18 miles best short hikes along Fremont river grand wash 4 8 miles similar to Zion narrows hike through wide canyon cohab canyon 34 miles short strenuous hiking stunning view chimney rock trail rim over look Navajo knobs cathedral trail. Headquarter canyon butto wash cotton wood wash sheet gluch sulphur creek several great back country routes in Capitol reef scenic drive starts in fruita ends in Capitol gorge road gravel road leads to pleasant creek south boulder mountain is very pretty scenic drive poineer register is area in 19 th century and late 18 th century when Mormon settlers scrawled their names on canyon walls cathedral Valley there are sand stone monolith colorful Bentonite. Hil vast desert scenery few people travel there loop fold notom bullfrog road burr trail burr trails. Switch backs grand staircase Escalate National monument strike valley overlook one of edges of water pocket fold nearly 150 million years of Navajo entrade sand stone macOS shale caramel formations. Numerous others layers of sedimentary rock iam so sorry to be little long thank you for your cultural documentary channel iwish for your channel more success and progress stay safe blessed good luck to you your dearest ones
Right on point as always.
Great video ! You mention high clearance vehicle use in several of your videos. What qualifies as high clearance? For example, what is the clearance on your vehicle?
Thanks Paul! I'd have to go measure it, but I'd say around 20" or so should be about right for our Tundra. The point being that while it's negotiable by most passenger vehicles, driving the Cathedral Valley Loop in a low-slung BMW probably wouldn't be a good idea. đ
To bad you don't have a view.đ
I know Don, small world.
He's a good guy, and was fabulous company on that very long loop around the Cathedral Valley.
Maybe a dumb question but haven't found a definite answer on their website. Can a annual pass be purchased at the entrance of any national park? Leaving tomorrow and forgot to order one.
Yup, at any entrance gate or visitor center.
???? Do you air up/down when on trail adventrues
It depends on how rough the road is. If it's a really nasty Jeep trail I will air down to around 20 PSI. For this road I did not air down at all.
Thanks for the tour, Marc. Very interesting backyard you have. I noticed that you guys didn't do the campfire setting, as before.
Were you able to get internet out there, in order to do work, or not? Or do you now have StartLink satellite connection?
Gord
You're most welcome Gord! We did have a campfire two nights, but for the rest of our week we got slammed by the same windstorm that affected most of the West last week. 50+ mph gusts meant no fire. Internet data there was quite good, actually. Starlink has our deposit but we have yet to get the call-up to purchase the equipment.
@@GrandAdventure Roger that... Sorry about the wind.
Gord
@@gorrdd it's all part of the Grand Adventure.
@@GrandAdventure Marc,
Translation: Life happens!
Do you guys have washer and dryer in your new rig? If so, what's the overhead on water usage while boondocking?
Gord
@@gorrdd we don't, and didn't want one for that very reason. As we primarily boondock the water consumption would be unwelcome. Instead we just seek out a laundromat nearby, and do that every 2-3 weeks.
I have a question. We go full-time in a couple months and we drive a Class C. How does one overcome feeling uncomfortable with leaving their rig by itself- to go down fun outings down the road- without feeling like your going to come back to a rig that gets robbed? Any tips?
Honestly, we seldom think about it. We put a hitch lock on our fifth wheel, anything of value (generator, portable solar, etc.) gets locked up, but stuff like patio furniture just sits out. We haven't had anything walk away yet.
@@GrandAdventure thank you for replying. Your video is absolutely beautiful!â€ïž we hope to meet you someday down the road đâ€ïž
@@irresistible72 thank you! Hope to see you out there.
There are colorful canyon ridges buttes monoliths in 1950 the area opened to public roads access was improved in 1962 with construction of state route 24 through Fremont river canyon activities are available for tourists both ranger self guided auto touring hiking backpacking camping cycling on paved unpaved road not trails back riding canyoneering rock climbing orchards planted by Mormon pioneers maintained by national park service from March to mid October various fruits peaches pears apples cherries can by harvested by visitors for fee the park preserves water pocket fold 100 miles long wrinkle called mono line formed between 45 and. 70 million years ago park name from white domes of Navajo sandstone capitol building early settlers found large ridges of water pockets fold impassable similar to reefs in ocean very long skinny attractions there are high way 24 is very scenic starch of road East along Fremont rivet Panorama point offers beautiful views Sunset point continued down gravel acces road till end at small parking area goosenecks overlook where sulphur creek carved but canyon see petroglyphs itâs rock art figures created by native Americans explore historic fruita itâs district heart of Capitol reef national park there are several hikes campgrounds historical buildings in 1800s pioneers began setting in area first land holders was nels Johnson than members of Latter Day Saints school house. Gifford house barn orchards still maintainted by National park service have pie at Gifford home homestead itâs last remaining building in. Historic fruita sells handmade items by local crafts men open from 8 am to 10 pm daily from March 14 to 31of. October hiking center park near fruita 15 day hikes numerous hikes including cathedral valley along motom bull frog road Cassidy arch 34 miles most thrilling trail in park
How are you doing master Marc actually reading about history geography civilization is stunning how about visiting thank god internet and CZcams channels making us as tourists around world in24 hours or university students as always iam gathering main information about places you visited ilove to learn share which iknow with others here itâs capitol reef national park is located in south central Utah the park 97 km along north south axis just 6 miles wide on average itâs located Wayne Garfield sevier Emory counties nearest city Torrey established 1971 Wayne county Utah originally named Wayne wonderland in 1920s by local boosters Capitol reef national park was designated national monument in 1937 by President Franklin Roosevelt
Great job as always Khatoon! It's always good to hear from you.