Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0Fremont River Falls
If you're passing
Is it plungeworthy?
A waterfall on Fremont River.
The details
- Watercourse
- Fremont River
- Coordinates
- 38.28891, -111.16334
About Fremont River Falls
Fremont River Falls is a waterfall in Utah, on Fremont River.
Fed largely by snowmelt, it runs hardest in late spring and early summer and can thin to a trickle by late season.
Plungeworthy rates Fremont River Falls 4/10 — if you're passing. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.
What you'll find
An accidental waterfall: highway engineers rerouted the Fremont River in 1962 and the desert got a falls beside the pavement at Capitol Reef's edge. Photogenic, five steps from the car — and strictly look-don't-touch.
The plunge pool is legally closed to entry — recirculating currents nearly drowned swimmers here, and the Park Service closed a 225-yard stretch outright. Third-party sites claiming it's a swimming hole are wrong.
Getting there
- Trailhead
- Highway 24 pullout at mile marker 85.9, ~6.6 miles east of the Capitol Reef visitor center
- Parking
- Big paved pullout
- Road
- Paved, year-round, no fee on this corridor
- Hike
- 0.05 mi round trip (easy)
- Heads up
- The falls sits beside the lot.
When to go
Any season; spring runoff gives it volume, monsoon storms give it drama (from the car).
Rules & fees
- Fee / pass
- Free — outside the park's paid Scenic Drive
- Camping
- Fruita Campground in the park
- Warnings
- Entering the water anywhere near the falls is prohibited AND dangerous — the closure exists because people nearly died.
Researched from NPS — Capitol Reef Superintendent's Compendium. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Fremont River Falls recently? Post a conditions report below.
Where it is
Before you go
The pin marks the feature, not a trailhead or a legal route in. Some sit on private land or need a real hike, and conditions change with season and rain. Check local access, don't trespass, and never enter water — hot or cold — where it isn't safe.
Common questions
Where is Fremont River Falls?
Fremont River Falls is a waterfall in Utah, at 38.28891, -111.16334.
Is Fremont River Falls worth visiting?
If you're passing — Plungeworthy rates it 4/10.
Gear for the trip
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