I did not think I could be surprised and delighted any more when I visited Capitol Reef National Park in Utah. After all, I had already been to the state's star redrock attractions: Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce and Zion, and had hiked extensively through them. And yet, Capitol Reef more than measured up to its expectations, and showered me with spectacular panoramas of red rock country, hikes through stunning slot canyons, vistas of red Navajo sandstone formations, and the star of the show, the nearly 100 mile long water-pocket fold, a wrinkle in the earths crust that stretched along the rugged terrain of the park.
While most of the park is easily accessible, the features of the the centerpiece, the water-pocket fold, are mostly in the back-country, and requires braving miles of traveling on dusty gravel roads that wind through the parks hinterlands. However, the rewards that await the tenacious bac-kcountry explorer are many, and even the single day I had spent exploring the washes and slot canyons in the fold left me wanting for more. Hopefully I will get to return back and explore more of this spectacular park once the crowds thronging the park this summer subsides.
Capitol Reef National Park
UT USA
The Long Open Road
The housebound nature of life over the last few months has created a yearning for the long open road, traversing along mountains and through valleys, over deserts and across rivers. In moments like these, I look back to memories of past travels, including this vista of the rugged red sandstone hills of Capitol Reef National Park. By juxtaposing a lone campervan speeding away from where I was, helped add a sense of scale to the vastness of the landscape all around.
Capitol Reef National Park
UT USA
The Waterpocket Fold
There are not a lot of places on this planet where one can see the earth's surface folded up like a crumpled piece of paper. The Waterpocket fold that dominates the heart of Capitol Reef National Park in southern Utah is one of those other-worldly places where smooth red sandstone lies next to and above strata stretching back hundreds of millions of years.
And while I had only 36 hours to explore the nooks and crannies of this beautiful National Park, the sheer diversity of landscapes revealed by the Fremont river eroding away at the Waterpocket fold was mind-boggling. I hope I return some day to explore more of this unique corner of Utah.
Capitol Reef National Park
UT USA
The Southwest Story
Nowhere else was the gnarled twisted earth presented as bare and as convoluted as possible. Red sandstone cliffs stretched towards the horizon, while hoodoos stood guard along the slopes next to me. A maze of slot canyons cut through the hard rock, evidence of the eroding power of water. And amidst it all lay the feat of geology, the grand waterpocket fold, exposing knots and folds of sandstone layers stretching back millenia.
This was Capitol Reef National Park, an explosion of colors (of the red hue) in the heart of Utah. Hiking through the various trails, and exploring the park's various hotspots gave me a true appreciation of the grand scale of this geological wonder. The park beckons visitors with its visual spectacle and lessons in geologic history, and with so many trails and hidden gems to explore, there is something for everybody.
Here is one such vista capturing a slice of the beauty of the park
Capitol Reef National Park
UT USA