Capitol Reef National Park

Some of the many white sandstone domes.

Contrasting layers of stone types, textures, and colors exposed by erosion

In this fold, newer and older layers of earth folded over each other in an S-shape, the only place in the continental USA where this occurs. This wrinkle, probably caused by the same colliding continental plates that lifted the Colorado Plate and created the Rocky Mountains, has weathered and eroded over millenia to expose sometimes stunningly beautiful or bizarre layers of rock and fossils. The park is filled with brilliantly colored sandstone cliffs, gleaming white domes, and fascinating contrasting layers of stone and earth.

The huge white domes in the Navajo sandstone layer evoked images of the rotunda of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., giving the park its name.

The fold forms a north-to-south barrier that even today has barely been breached by roads. Early settlers referred to the parallel, impassable ridges as a "reef". The first paved road was constructed through the area in 1962. Today, Utah Highway 24 cuts through the park traveling east and west between Canyonlands National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park, but few other paved roads invade the rugged landscape.

The park is filled with canyons, cliffs, towers, domes, and arches. The Fremont River has cut canyons through parts of the Waterpocket Fold, but most of the park is arid desert country. A scenic drive shows park visitors some of the highlights, but it runs only a few miles from the main highway. Hundreds of miles of trails and unpaved roads lead the more adventurous into the equally scenic backcountry.

The park, established in 1971, preserves 241,904 acres and is open all year, although May through September are the most popular months.

Bibliography

• Explore Ameria: National Parks, Reader's Digest Association, 1993
• Capitol Reef Official Map and Guide, National Park Service, 1989

External Links

• National Park Service site

Referenced By