Capitol Reef Scenic Drive Construction
Effective May 2024, sections of the Scenic Drive in Capitol Reef National Park will be closed for improvements. Most of the park remains accessible via other routes.
Learn more.
You can scour over the beautiful renderings yourself, and take your best guess at a mixture of forms, including pictures that appear to be anthropomorphs (human figures), wildlife, birds, tools, and more esoteric, abstract things. The Fremont people, more than other neighboring Native American cultures, were prolific with their rock art output.
Archaelogical artifacts from the Fremont were first found along the Fremont River, which flows through the park. These people lived in pit-style houses and they lived in bands of several families. They were hunter-gatherers, but also adopted agricultural practices to supplement their diets. The Fremont have left their markings throughout the park in petroglyphs on big rocks.
The most pristine example of Capitol Reef petroglyphs can be seen 1.5 miles east of the visitor center on Highway 24. The parking turnout is well-marked. It’s just a short walk along the boardwalk to get to the impressive petroglyph panel. You’ll note animals they hunted, as well as human-like figures with elaborate horned headdresses. Additionally, there is another rock art panel in Capitol Gorge, as well as smaller petroglyphs in more remote destinations within the park.
It’s worth mentioning that you should refrain from touching the panels, because the oils in your hands can severely damage and erode these precious and ancient artforms. If you see anyone damaging rock art or any archeological site, report it to a ranger immediately.
The Fremont culture navigated this very landscape that you are exploring, searching for food, documenting the patterns of nature and time, potentially passing on information about medicine, and trying to communicate and translate the divine with petroglyphs. The real question is, what do you think the Capitol Reef petroglyphs mean? Start making plans to visit this mystical attraction on your next trip to Utah!
GPS Coordinates:
Capitol Reef Visitor Center: 38.25619, -111.232858
Archaelogical artifacts from the Fremont were first found along the Fremont River, which flows through the park. These people lived in pit-style houses and they lived in bands of several families. They were hunter-gatherers, but also adopted agricultural practices to supplement their diets. The Fremont have left their markings throughout the park in petroglyphs on big rocks.
The most pristine example of Capitol Reef petroglyphs can be seen 1.5 miles east of the visitor center on Highway 24. The parking turnout is well-marked. It’s just a short walk along the boardwalk to get to the impressive petroglyph panel. You’ll note animals they hunted, as well as human-like figures with elaborate horned headdresses. Additionally, there is another rock art panel in Capitol Gorge, as well as smaller petroglyphs in more remote destinations within the park.
It’s worth mentioning that you should refrain from touching the panels, because the oils in your hands can severely damage and erode these precious and ancient artforms. If you see anyone damaging rock art or any archeological site, report it to a ranger immediately.
The Fremont culture navigated this very landscape that you are exploring, searching for food, documenting the patterns of nature and time, potentially passing on information about medicine, and trying to communicate and translate the divine with petroglyphs. The real question is, what do you think the Capitol Reef petroglyphs mean? Start making plans to visit this mystical attraction on your next trip to Utah!
GPS Coordinates:
Capitol Reef Visitor Center: 38.25619, -111.232858
