What a treat this place was. I stumbled onto it during my road trip and was a very nice campsite. Lots of space, grass, grill, water and near great hiking/scenery. Literally an oasis in the desert along the gorgeous drive from Bryce to Arches. The park is not to be missed either. The "grand Wash" was a really cool hike. I could have stayed here longer and explored more, but only spent one night. It was an unplanned stop. We had a park ranger with a telescope at night. The skys are so clear here its amazing (being from the east coast). You get a real sense of isolation on the hikes and wonder at what it was like for Butch & Sundance hiding out or the pioneers who lived in this place was like, not to mention the incredible natural forces that carved out the washes.

Its otherwise quiet here (see below) and peaceful. I had a picnic near the orchard (you can pick fruit in the season) and a few deer (mom and baby) were hanging around close by, not bothered at all by the presence of people. This place was heaven sent. A total surprise and exceeded my expectations.

Now my rant, which has nothing to do with the park itself.

There were many LOUD obnoxious kids screaming and crying babies here though. They were 50 ft or more away but you could hear throughout the campsite and parents did nothing to quite them down. They just whined and cried for hours on end. Never have I heard babies this loud. Then there was some foreign family blasting a radio at dinner time. I had to have the ranger tell them to turn it off. Totally inconsiderate to the rest of the people in the park. These are probably the same morons who kept turning on flashlights at the astronomy show, when told NOT to use flashlights. The park was at full capacity...so rude. I would definitely return. Nobody to blame for that other than incosiderate parents.

Photos and blog below

http://seekingthewesternpassage.blogspot.com/2009/06/grand-wash.html

The campground is located in an oasis amidst spectacular views. Imagine an orchard where fruit lies on the ground for anyone to pick, with bubbling of a brook nearby, green meadows, shady trees and discreet, efficient and well-organized administration: that's Fruita campground. We did the combined Grand Wash-Cassidy Arch-Frying Pan-Cohab canyon trails, about 12 miles of the most spectacular terrain on the planet. Do not forget to go into the Capitol Gorge, I'd recommend staying there to experience the nightfall... the stars & the Milky Way are simply amazing. The visibility in the Capitol Reef is 235 km (or miles, i forget), the best in the country, perfect for astronomers.

We were caught by a storm, so had to evacuate from the gorges, just escaped flash floods.

I totally recommend this place. You can have good coffee at the Gifford House, advice from the rangers, and spectacular hiking. Can't go wrong here.

Had planned on just driving through Capitol Reef but decided to stay a night in Fruita Campground and so glad we did!! Loop C was quiet and shaded. If the campground was full, privacy would be an issue but lucky for us, it was not. Deer are grazing in the campgound all the time and will walk right past you. There are no hook ups or showers. There are orchards all around and they will let you eat whatever fruit is in season, all you can eat for free! Don't miss The Historic Gifford House right outside the campground, they sell the most amazing home made pie and ice cream!! They sell all kinds, apple, mixed berry, cherry, peach. The pies are small, can be shared by two and we sat under some lovely trees in the shade eating pie and ice cream with the deer grazing right next two us. Truly enjoyed our stay here!

One of the best campgrounds of the Southwest. After spending a day hiking in the Waterpocket fold, the green grass and large trees are a welcome shock. This campground has mostly level sites with restrooms with flush toilets on each loop. There are no shower facilities at this park. The shade of the trees also allows for much cooler temperatures than the rest of the park. It is also within walking distance of the historic homestead where you can buy yummy homemade mini pies and homemade ice cream. Also there are a few trails that are accessible right from the campground. I suggest the Cohab canyon trail. It's strenous at first but allows for great vistas of the Fruita valley and also takes you up into the monocline.

The campgrounds will fill during peak times usually in the late afternoon so arrive early to get a good spot. The only negative about this campground is there is no privacy from your neighbors. But most of them are RVs. It would also be worthwhile to check the nps website to see when their fruit seasons are because fruit you pick and consume in the orchard is free! They have peaches, pears, cherries, apples, and apricots.