Tom’s Experience hiking Canaan Mountain:

Canaan Mountain is an interesting mountain to climb. You gain most of your elevation near the beginning of the hike and then the trail is practically level all the way to the summit.

The summit is surrounded by steep cliffs on all sides so you must hike up one of the few canyons. You can approach the summit from either Water Canyon or Squirrel Canyon.

When we climbed to the summit we combined it with the Squirrel Canyon and Water Canyon Loop.

Once you arrive at the top of the giant mesa there are a lot of interesting rock formations. The trails aren’t very easy to follow so a good map and GPS are necessary.

Once you reach the white domes you will leave the loop trail and start heading towards the summit. This is a long hike and seems to take forever since you are hiking along a mesa, you never feel like you are climbing towards a summit.

Once you reach the summit you return back to the white domes and exit through water canyon. After hiking to the summit, we decided the loop itself was worth doing, but the summit wasn’t worth all the time it took to get there. If you are looking for a neat hike, I would suggest only hiking the loop and not heading off towards the summit. Dogs are allowed on this trail.

Tom’s Rating:

Trail Info: From Hildale, Utah, turn north onto Utah Drive and reset your odometer. Follow this road 1.8 miles until you reach a stop sign. Continue straight through the intersection. At 2.8 miles there will be two dirt roads on the right. Take the second dirt road called Water Canyon Road. The road will be come very sandy so 4 wheel drive is recommended. At 3.5 you come to an intersection but continue left on the main road. A short distance further there is another intersection, stay right this time. After that just a little further and you will arrive at another intersection, take a right and the parking lot is right there next to an old fence.

GPS:

Lower Parking Lot: 37.026332,-112.952918

Squirrel Canyon Entrance: 37.040688,-112.940891

White Domes: 37.062793,-112.983897

Canaan Mountain Summit: 37.082481,-113.010477

Water Canyon Exit: 37.037905,-112.954967

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Tom’s Experience visiting the Fruita Schoolhouse:

The Fruita Schoolhouse is a popular stop in Capitol Reef National Park near the Fruita Petroglyphs. It is just off the highway 24. It was built in 1896 but has been refurbished over the years.

It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There is a small recorded message you can play as you look through the windows into the old school. Dogs are allowed at the schoolhouse on leash.

Tom’s Rating:

Fruita Schoolhouse Location: The school is just off of highway 24 about a mile past the Capitol Reef Visitor Center.

GPS:

Fruita Schoolhouse: 38.288033,-111.248267

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