Tourists visiting Capitol Reef National Park this year found the park’s historic orchard barren after an unusually early warm spell prompted trees to bloom and subsequent freezing nights destroyed the crop, park officials said.
The orchard, first planted by pioneers in the 1880s and home to roughly 2,000 apricot, apple, cherry, peach and pear trees sometimes called the “Eden of Wayne County,” produced almost no fruit this season, according to a statement on the National Park Service website. The park, which receives more than 1 million visitors annually, normally allows guests to pick fruit for free and to purchase larger quantities at self-pay stations. "Due to an abnormally early spring bloom, followed by a hard freeze, this year’s crop was lost. There is no fruit available to pick this year," the statement said.
A recorded message on the park’s orchard hotline has informed callers since June that there is no harvest to pick. Park ranger B. Shafer told National Parks Traveler, "We've been left with nothing," and the park said an unusual warm spell triggered the earliest bloom in two decades before two nights of below-freezing temperatures struck, causing the loss of more than 80% of the expected harvest.
Meteorologists and park officials described the pattern as a “false spring,” where warmer-than-usual temperatures cause trees to leaf and bloom earlier than normal, leaving blossoms exposed when temperatures drop again. The National Park Service said the temperature whiplash froze even the hardier blossoms and warned that climate change threatens the orchard’s future productivity.
Climate data cited by the park and researchers indicate such seasonal volatility is increasing. A Climate Central analysis found that, compared with the 1970s, four out of five U.S. cities now experience at least seven more warm spring days and the average spring season in U.S. cities has warmed by about 2.4 degrees Fahrenheit. The Southwest, where Capitol Reef is located, has seen an average spring temperature rise of about 3 degrees Fahrenheit and roughly 19 more warmer-than-usual days.
Locally recorded weather underscored the early warmth: the National Weather Service logged a record daily high of 71 F at the park on Feb. 3. The National Park Service reports that temperatures at Capitol Reef have risen at a pace of about 6 degrees Fahrenheit per century since 1970, and that average temperatures at the park are projected to increase between 2.4 and 8.9 degrees Fahrenheit by 2050.
The fruitless season affected visitor experience and park operations. Self-pay stations that typically allow visitors to take larger quantities of fruit home went unused, and park staff updated online guidance and recorded messages to discourage visitors from making trips to pick fruit that was not available.
Park officials and scientists emphasized that single-year events can reflect broader trends when coupled with long-term data. They pointed to the vulnerability of blossoms and the timing mismatch with pollinators as mechanisms by which warmer early springs can reduce fruit set. The National Park Service noted that past harvests have varied with weather, but said this year’s near-total loss was unusually widespread across the orchard.
Park managers did not provide specific plans for changing orchard management in response to the loss but highlighted the orchard’s historical and cultural value and the potential consequences of continued climatic shifts. Visitors planning future trips are advised to check the park’s website or hotline for updated information on orchard conditions before traveling.