Construction set to start on project to revamp Capitol Reef National Park’s Scenic Drive
WAYNE COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) — Cracking pavement, erosion and overcrowded parking lots. These are all reasons why the Scenic Drive in Capitol Reef National Park is getting revamped over the next several months.
The National Park Service said the first phase of the construction project was slated to begin Monday morning, when the Scenic Drive will be closed from south of Grand Wash Road to Capitol Gorge Road.
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During this time, visitors will still be able to access Grand Wash Road and trailhead parking for Cassidy Arch and Grand Wash. However, this access will only last for two weeks. On May 13, Scenic Drive will close south of the fee station, near the Fruita Campground, park officials say.
During this time, there won’t be access to Pleasant Creek/South Draw Road. This second closure will last through the fall, when the Scenic Drive construction project is set to be complete.
Still, park officials note that most of the park will be open, “with access to the Fruita area, including the campground, Gifford House, visitor center, and trails along SR 24.”
The project, which is being done in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, aims to address wear-and-tear on the Scenic Drive and improve parking lots. The project is necessary, officials say, because the park is growing increasingly popular.
“Many of the park’s parking lots were originally designed and built in the 1960s when the park received about 160,000 visitors per year,” officials said. “Currently, more than 1.2 million visitors experience Capitol Reef National Park annually and improvements are needed for park infrastructure to accommodate the increased visitation.”
Currently, the project timeline calls for the Fruita Campground to be closed between June 3 – June 14 for repaving. During that same month, Scenic Drive is set to be repaved from the junction to SR 24.
The Chimney Rock parking lot is scheduled to be closed in the late summer. Partial closures of the visitor center are expected in the fall and early winter.
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