we did in a day. Entered the park, checked out the Visitor's Center. Caught the tail end of a ranger speech. Sadly, Ranger talks are few and far between these days. It's not like it used to be that if you missed one it was a short wait until the next. Walked around the orchard area, Fruitville, and then went to the Gifford Farm, it's right there, and ate a pie. We then took a walk (which starts somewhere near the farm) back the river until it got too steep for my travelling companion. Got back in the car and drove along until we got to this wash (Grand Wash?) that you could walk back. Parking is right there, the parking and trail are on the left traveling into the park. A VERY interesting walk back into the landscape. It was flat for as long as we walked. I would heartily recommend it. You can walk as long as you want and there's something new around every corner. Back in the car and continued into the park until Capital Gorge, also on the left. This is a dirt road, but perfectly OK for a rental car. It used to be the actual road for driving across the park. Again, highly recommend. The road eventually comes to a natural end where you can't take the car any further because it won't fit. You COULD start walking at that point, but we did not. By then our day was pretty shot, we did a lot of walking, stopping and looking. We drove the rest of the way back the paved road in the park and then turned around and drove back out of the park. We did stop and see some of the sites on the main road (number escapes me) after that, there's a schoolhouse, some cliff drawings and I think a major rock formation out there, but I was on overload by then. If you see one thing along there check out the drawings.
If I had another day I would have driven down the east side of the uplift, because I can only imagine it must be spectacular. Unfortunately, there just wasn't time. I enjoyed ever moment in that park and we purposely did not rush. If I could see one and only one park again I would go back to Capital Reef.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
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