After my detours I headed into the one park in Utah I had yet to visit - Capitol Reef NP. This park had a slightly different vibe than the other ones I had been to. In the center of the park was the historic Mormon frontier town of Fruita, and due to the NPS mandate to protect stuff of historic value, the old orchards, schoolhouse, and cabins are preserved and available to explore.
There were two hikes in particular that I enjoyed in Capitol Reef. The first was the hike to Cassidy Arch, named for Butch Cassidy, who supposedly hid out in a gorge nearby. When I got to the top of the arch, I met some people who were planning on rappelling off the arch! I was definitely jealous.
The second hike was the Capitol Gorge hike, which follows what used to be the old pioneer route through the Gorge. There are ancient petroglyphs carved by the Fremont people still in the walls, and much more recent carvings from the turn of the century by pioneers that made their way through the gorge as they settled the west.
All that hiking meant that I felt like I earned the peach pie a la mode that I picked up in Fruita at the end of my trip.
I was lucky enough to find some BLM land right outside the park and camped up on a cliff with a fantastic view of the sunset both nights I stayed at Capitol Reef.
