“Loop the Fold” drive around Capitol Reef National Park

As a fun day trip, we did the “Loop the Fold” scenic drive, using a guide booklet we purchased at the Capitol Reef visitor center.

This 125 mile driving loop goes around the Waterpocket Fold, through the Capitol Reef park, along Burr Trail Road in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and through Dixie and Fishlake National Forests.

Here’s the “Loop the Fold” road guide:

The included map, with stop markers:

We started from the RV park in Torrey, and continued clockwise, through Capitol Reef:

Chimney Rock, stop number 37 in the guide (see the map above):

Panorama Point (stop 38):

The guide is numbered from the Visitor Center, with total miles given from that point, so the Fruta schoolhouse is stop number 1 at mile 0.8:

At the petroglyphs (stop 2, mile 1.1), Jenn took a survey:

Petroglyphs:

Hickman Bridge Trailhead (stop 3, mile 1.9):

Navajo Dome view (stop 4, mile 2.3):

Historic cabin (stop 6, mile 6.0):

Rocks:

We left the Capitol Reef park at the east entrance (stop 7, mile 9.1):

A historical marker for the settlement of Notom (stop 8, mile 14.0):

View:

Hoodoos (stop 10, mile 17.6):

We had a picnic lunch in our truck at that stop:

Views:

The pavement ends at mile 19.3:

Driving across a wash:

Washboarded road:

Rough road:

The Summerville Formation (stop 15, mile 28.1):

Re-entering the park (mile 28.4):

Ridge:

Our truck parked on the side of the road:

Oyster Shell Reef (stop 17, mile 32.3):

Oyster fossils:

View:

Selfie:

Dirt road:

The road changes color:

Spike:

Morrison Formation (stop 18, mile 39); 150-million-year-old Brushy Basin layer of soft claystone on the left, and Salt Wash layer of coarse sandstone on the right:

Rocks:

Junction (stop 20, mile 42.1):

We took a detour off the route:

Driving across a wash:

The post horse corral:

Back across the wash:

The Burr Trail Switchbacks (stop 22, mile 42.9):

Don’t look down:

At the top:

We stopped for a pie snack:

Pavement resumes when leaving the park (stop 24, mile 45.3):

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument:

Views:

Singing Canyon (stop 26, mile 66.9):

Long Canyon viewpoint (stop 28, mile 68.7):

Navajo sandstone (stop 29, mile 76.5):

Sub-alpine trees:

Homestead Overlook (stop 32, mile 90.4):

Larb Hollow Overlook (stop 34, mile 101.4):

A fun day trip.