Capitol Reef National Park, located in south-central Utah, is known for its geological formations, including colorful canyons, monolithic domes, and twisting gorges.
The park is defined by the Waterpocket Fold, a nearly 100-mile-long wrinkle in the Earth's crust. This unique geological feature presents a varied landscape from desert plains to towering cliffs and hidden canyons, adorned with layers of red, white and golden sandstone, greenish-gray marine deposits, and volcanic boulders. Historically, this area was a significant barrier to travel, known by the early settlers as 'Capitol Reef,' named for the white domes of Navajo Sandstone that resembled the domes of capitol buildings, and the rocky ridges that presented as impassable reefs.
Today the park is easy to explore by car or on the hiking trails. One short trail leads to ancient petroglyphs left by the Fremont Culture. They share a hint at the daily life of Native Americans who lived in the region over a thousand years ago. Visitors can walk amidst to a tiny house built by an early Mormon early settler or the orchards of Fruita, a Mormon settlement dating back to the 1880s where you can still pick fruit today.
Often overshadowed by its neighbors Zion, Bryce, Canyonlands, and Arches a visit to Capitol Reef is worth the trip just to experience one of Utah's great National Parks with history and nature but without the crowds.
