Where the Fremont River comes from
About 95 miles from the plateaus around Fish Lake, through Rabbit Valley and Capitol Reef, to Muddy Creek at Hanksville; from there, as the Dirty Devil, about 80 more to Lake Powell.
Boulder MountainThousand Lake MountainWaterpocket FoldFremont RiverDirty Devil RiverLoaLymanBicknellTeasdaleFruitaCainevilleHanksvilleMuddy CreekSandy CreekPleasant Creek10 milesHeadwaters
Fish Lake country
The Fremont begins at Johnson Valley Reservoir, near Fish Lake, fed by Sevenmile Creek and Lake Creek on the high plateau.1,2
Rabbit Valley
It runs south and then east through Rabbit Valley, past Loa, Lyman, Bicknell and Torrey, where its water irrigates the valley's farms.1
Capitol Reef and the desert
The river cuts through the Waterpocket Fold in Capitol Reef National Park. Sulphur Creek joins it at Fruita, the old orchard town. Below the park it runs past Caineville and meets Muddy Creek near Hanksville; together they form the Dirty Devil, which flows on to Lake Powell.3,4,5
The river, top to bottom
- Johnson Valley ReservoirNear Fish Lake; the river begins.
- Rabbit ValleyLoa, Lyman, Bicknell and Torrey.
- Capitol ReefThrough the Waterpocket Fold; Sulphur Creek joins at Fruita.
- CainevilleOpen desert below the park; Pleasant Creek comes in.
- HanksvilleMeets Muddy Creek: the Dirty Devil begins.
- Dirty Devil canyonAbout 80 miles through its own canyon, past Robbers Roost, to Lake Powell near Hite.
Main tributaries
| Stream | Joins | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sevenmile Creek & Lake Creek | Johnson Valley Reservoir | The river's highest water. |
| Sulphur Creek | Fruita | A narrow canyon of pools and waterfalls. |
| Pleasant Creek | Below Capitol Reef | Drains the park's south side. |
| Muddy Creek | Hanksville | Forms the Dirty Devil with the Fremont. |
Floods
Thunderstorms over the bare rock of Capitol Reef can raise the river fast: on August 23, 2003, a storm took the Fremont, normally about 15 inches deep and 25 feet wide there, to about 17 feet deep and 400 feet wide near the park's east boundary. A big flood moved the river's course at Fruita in 1941, and a Sulphur Creek flood forced evacuations there in 2023.6,4,7 The live map watches the gauges along the way.
The Fremont River and its Tributaries
Sources
- Fremont River (Wikipedia)
- NPS Capitol Reef: Water in the Desert
- Sulphur Creek (Fremont River) (Wikipedia)
- NPS: Capitol Reef Cultural Landscape Report (Fruita)
- Dirty Devil River (Wikipedia)
- NPS Morning Report: Capitol Reef flood, September 2, 2003
- KUTV: Flash flood forces evacuations, closures at Capitol Reef National Park (2023)