This hike is close to the Visitor Center, offers a great view and an off trail flavor on a short extension to a Park Service trail. Fruita is a 1950s land survey point and the highest hill in the vicinity.
| TIME: | 4-5 hours round trip from the Blacksmith Shop |
| ELEVATION GAIN: | 1800 Feet. |
| DIFFICULTY: | Easy route finding. Easy walking. |
| MAP: | Twin Rocks, Fruita |
| GEOLOGY: | Good view of the oldest rocks in the Park. |
| CIRCLE TRIP: | No |
| ACCESS: | From the Visitor Center drive south toward the campground 1.2 miles. Park at the (A) Blacksmith Shop. Walk up the road behind the Blacksmith Shop to the (B) trail head (.2 miles) then follow the Fremont River Gorge Trail two miles to its (C) end. |
From the end of the trail follow the rim of the canyon almost all the way to the top. From the (C) cairn walk north (right) on the Sinbad Limestone through the trees and then west (left) up the hill.
Much of the way the river can he heard as it tumbles through the gorge and at anytime an eagle or vulture may be seen riding the drafts off the cliffs. From the top of the most vertical walls swifts or swallows may be seen.
A bit of history crops up in the form of old power poles that have been cut down. In the 1940s the line was built from Torrey to the Park (a National Monument at that time) Headquarters and for some reason ran very close to the canyon rim for quite a distance.
(D) One quarter mile or so from the top, the rim swings north (right) around a side canyon and a higher point becomes visible. (F) "Fruita" is at the highest part of the smooth red-brown-rim on the west skyline. Skirt around north (right) of the side canyon then pick a way through the trees and up the slope to that ridge.
The view from the top is rewarding. Looking to the east the colors and shapes of the Waterpocket Fold come first. Closest is the light brown of the Sinbad Limestone, then the red-brown of the Wingate Sandstone, followed by the tan of the Navajo Sandstone. East of Capitol Reef National Park the stark, carved gray slopes of the Mancos Shale are topped by the flat lying Mesa Verde Sandstone. The feature due east is South Cainville Mesa, north of that is North Cainville Mesa and north of that, Factory Butte. On a clear day the LaSal Mountains east of Moab are visible directly over South Cainville Mesa.
To the south, the Henry Mountains dominate the skyline. To the west is Boulder Mountain with the light colored rocks of Teasdale and the Cockscomb Ridge in the foreground. The low pass over the town of Torrey affords a view of part of the Aquarious Plateau. The next mountain to the right is Thousand Lake Mountain.
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23June2017
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