Southern Utah is known for its National and State Parks collection, all highlighting fantastic rock formations, domes, and arches. So it was a bit of a surprise to take a short drive up the canyon from the visitor center and find ourselves entering a lush shady valley full of fruit trees.
This area of the park is the Fruita Rural Historic District. Fruita was settled by Mormon pioneers in the late 1880s and is located along the Fremont River and Sulphur Creek banks. As we explored this historical area, we photographed several subjects that captivated us.
This is a photograph of the Gifford House Barn. The golden patina of the barn boards contrasting against the red rocks of the mesa behind it and the green grass of the pasture in the front made this an incredible view.
The Gifford Homestead was built in 1908 and operated until 1969, when it was sold to the National Park Service. Keith Peters
