Photo by: Jacob Lips
How could anything so hard make anyone feel so soft? Soft is exactly how visitors would feel walking around the great natural rock formations of the Capitol Reef National Park. This 241,904-acre desert landscape in Utah was visited by 1,227,627 people in 2018.
The park features colorful canyons, rugged ridges, unique buttes, and grand monoliths.
History
Capitol Reef used to be the edge of a shallow sea over 250 million years ago and helped create the Cutler Formation, the rock formations spread across parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado. Currently, only the sandstone is visible in the park. Since then, various geological activities changed the landscape of the area, and over a hundred years ago, natural mountain-building activities formed the Rocky Mountains, Colorado Plateau, and the park’s Waterpocket Fold.
By the year 1000 AD, Native Americans, known as the Freemont, started settling near the Waterpocket Fold. The community, though, abandoned the area in the 13th century due to drought. The area got the attention of the American government in 1872, when a surveyor from the U.S. Army crossed the Waterpocket Fold.
As soon as Americans noted the natural significance of the Capitol Reef, campaigns to have it protected started. On Aug. 2, 1937, the area was declared a national monument. The designation as a national park didn’t come until Dec. 18, 1971.
Photo by: Jacob Lips
Places to go
People who may not be interested in geology will find themselves itching to learn more about the earth’s processes, leading to the scenic formations evident at the Capitol Reef National Park.
Waterpocket Fold
This is an expansive geological landform that traverses the counties of Wayne and Garfield. The entire stretch is gorgeous, but visitors can see it in sections at the park. The strike-and-dip fold of this landform is striking and just beautiful. Three scenic routes give marvelous viewpoints of the Waterpocket Fold. Every route also has its tourist spots.
One route leads to the Golden Throne, a rock formation that glows like gold from the stained Navajo Sandstone it is made of. Another route also traverses the Fruita, which was a popular Mormon settlement in 1880. While on this route, one may also drop by the historic Fruita schoolhouse and a house and barn. The area also has an orchard preserved as a historic landscape. There are several hiking trails at the Fruita area as well as some campsites.
The most popular spot out of the whole Waterpocket Fold is the Capitol Reef, exactly where it got its name. It is located near the Fremont River. It features white domes made of Navajo Sandstone that look like capitol building domes and rocky cliffs.
Cathedral Valley
The valley contains some free-standing monoliths, which are products of deep erosion. These are reddish-orange because they are made of Entrada Sandstone. Some of the monoliths lie on greenish-gray sandstones from the Curtis Formation.
Visitors can drive through the valley as long as their vehicles have high ground clearance. But there are also ample hiking opportunities at the valley.
Burro Wash, Cottonwood Wash & Sheets Gulch Slot canyons
These are areas for serious backpackers and rock climbers. These canyons feature deep and narrow crevices that will give adventure-seekers the climb of their life.
Pleasant Creek
This is certainly a pleasant water form amid hard rock forms. It is located at the heart of Capitol Reef. The water is shallow but it flows all-year-round. This is also a viable place to hike. Camping is also allowed but campers are advised to stay away from the river if it rains hard, since the area is known to have some flash floods.
Sulphur Creek
This waterbody cuts through a deep canyon among the oldest rocks at Capitol Reef. There are also three small waterfalls along this area. Some trails pass through this creek, which means hikers or backpackers will have to do some wading in the water.
Upper Muley Twist Canyon
This canyon also features some unique rock formations including the Saddle Arch. It cuts through the Waterpocket Fold resulting in a colorful canyon.
Stay the night
Has anyone ever heard the saying: Half the park after dark? Well, that is exactly what is to be expected at the Capitol Reef National Park. Yes, there are many activities during the day and so many places to visit but when the night comes, the sky lights up and the park is just as beautiful as it was hours earlier. The open skies, desert landforms and the lack of artificial light make sky/stargazing at the park very enjoyable. Astronomers who visit the park, make the activity more educational during summer.
Photo by: Jacob Lips