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Lookout · Capitol Reef Country Scenic Byway

Rim Overlook

OpenStreetMap
Looking south-east from Rim Overlook. Terrain and imagery at true elevation.
Overview · Assembled from verified data

Rim Overlook sits at 6,387 feet along the Capitol Reef Country Scenic Byway, at mile 29 of 65, facing 150 degrees toward the south-southeast. The terrain drops 986 feet within 600 meters of the viewpoint. From this position, the Historic Gifford House is visible to the south-southeast at a distance of 0.5 miles, sitting at 5,440 feet. Pectols Pyramid rises to the east-southeast at 1.3 miles and 6,173 feet, while Danish Hill lies to the south at 1.7 miles and 5,845 feet. Ferns Nipple, at 7,018 feet, appears to the south-southeast at a distance of 3.6 miles. The towns of Bicknell and Loa lie to the west-northwest at 16.4 and 22.7 miles respectively, and Escalante is 40.8 miles to the south-southwest. Navajo Knobs is the previous stop on the byway, with South Fruita Overlook next. Sunrise and sunset times vary through the year, ranging from a 06:03 sunrise at the June solstice to a 07:39 sunrise at the December solstice, with sunsets spanning from 17:09 in December to 20:53 in June.

Position
Mile ~29 of 65
Access
On the byway
Elevation
6,387 ft
View
Southeast · 150°
Relief
986 ft drop
In view
4 named features
Photos · Real imagery only
Hike to Navaho Knobs, Capitol Reef National Park gc 125
brewbooks from near Seattle, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Let's say it was just an awesome view- as you can see in our faces Hike to Navaho Knobs, Capitol Reef National Park gc 068
brewbooks from near Seattle, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Hike to Navaho Knobs, Capitol Reef National Park gc 066
brewbooks from near Seattle, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Hike to Navaho Knobs, Capitol Reef National Park gc 066
brewbooks from near Seattle, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Panoramic view from the Rim Overlook Trail in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah. The image shows the Waterpocket Fold, surrounding canyon terrain, and the Fruita area below. Photo taken on May 16, 2026.
Jtwag55 · CC BY 4.0 · source
The Fruita School house in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, USA
Caddymob · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
In view · Named features

What you’re looking at

Named terrain inside the view from this overlook, nearest first.

  • Historic Gifford House5,440 ftsouth-southeast · 0.5 mi
  • Pectols Pyramid6,173 fteast-southeast · 1.3 mi
  • Danish Hill5,845 ftsouth · 1.7 mi
  • Ferns Nipple7,018 ftsouth-southeast · 3.6 mi
When to look · Sun at this latitude

Light

DateSunriseSunsetGolden hour
March equinox07:2919:3719:02
June solstice06:0320:5320:13
September equinox07:1319:2418:49
December solstice07:3917:0916:27

Local time (America/Denver). Computed for this exact position.

Getting there · Position and access

Where it is

Mile 29 of 65 along Capitol Reef Country Scenic Byway.

  • Bicknell16.4 mi west-northwest
  • Loa22.7 mi west-northwest
  • Escalante40.8 mi south-southwest
← Before it: Navajo KnobsAfter it: South Fruita Overlook →
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From the source · Verbatim

Pectols Pyramid · WikipediaCC BY-SA

Pectols Pyramid is a 6,211-foot (1,893-meter) elevation summit located in Capitol Reef National Park, in Wayne County of Utah, United States. This iconic landmark is situated two miles (3.2 km) southeast of the park's visitor center, one mile (1.6 km) south of Navajo Dome, and 0.5 mi (0.80 km) southwest of Capitol Dome. Precipitation runoff from this feature is drained by the Fremont River, which in turn is within the Colorado River drainage basin. This geological feature's name honors Ephraim Portman Pectol (1875–1947), booster and founder of what would become Capitol Reef National Monument in 1937.

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Ferns Nipple · WikipediaCC BY-SA

Ferns Nipple is a 7,065-foot (2,153-meter) elevation summit located in Capitol Reef National Park, in Wayne County of Utah, United States. This iconic landmark is situated four miles (6.4 km) southeast of the park's visitor center. Precipitation runoff from this feature is drained by tributaries of the Fremont River, which in turn is within the Colorado River drainage basin. Folklore attributes this geological feature's naming to outlaw Butch Cassidy and his favored girlfriend named Fern.

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Common questions

How high is Rim Overlook?

Rim Overlook sits at about 6,387 feet (1,947 m).

What can you see from Rim Overlook?

From Rim Overlook: Historic Gifford House (SSE, 0.5 mi); Pectols Pyramid (ESE, 1.3 mi); Danish Hill (S, 1.7 mi); Ferns Nipple (SSE, 3.6 mi).

What is the nearest town to Rim Overlook?

Bicknell, 16 miles WNW of Rim Overlook.

What is the next lookout after Rim Overlook?

South Fruita Overlook is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Rim Overlook.

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Rim Overlook — confirmed, rated, and photographed by people who actually pulled over. A local confirmation is what upgrades a lookout from Discovered to Verified. Zero hallucinations.

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