3rd National Park - Capitol Reef

Our 3rd and final National Park on this trip was Capitol Reef. 

Probably the least known of the Utah National Parks but certainly just as stunningly beautiful. 

I learned that Capitol Reef encompasses the Waterpocket Fold, a warp in the earth's crust that is 65 million years old. It is the largest exposed monocline in North America. Monocline is a new word for me.  It means  a step-like fold in rock strata consisting of a zone of steeper dip within an otherwise horizontal or gently-dipping sequence.  Does that describe this?  I think so! The park is filled with brilliantly colored sandstone cliffs, gleaming white domes, and contrasting layers of stone and earth.

The area was named for a line of white domes and cliffs of Navajo Sandstone, each of which looks somewhat like the United States Capitol building.  See that dome under the arch? 

Early settlers referred to parallel, impassable ridges as "reefs", from which the park gets the second half of its name. The first paved road was constructed through the area in 1962. Today, State Route 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.

We hiked by what is called the 'Pioneer Registry'.  Early pioneers of the LDS Church were called to settle here.  Their names are immortalized on the sandstone. I think they did take President Young's words to heart  as he sent settlers to remote corners of Utah "… make gardens, orchards, and vineyards, and render the earth so pleasant that when you look upon your labors you may do so with pleasure, and that angels may delight to come and visit your beautiful locations." When the area became a National Park, the orchards were preserved and today you can buy delicious fruit pies made from that fruit.

Just so happened that today was our anniversary so we were excited to see this heart rock placed carefully just for us!  Do you see it? 

Spectacular canyons! 

And yes we did carry water!  Supposedly the outlaw Butch Cassidy had a hide out in this canyon. 

We hiked up on one of the ridges with some people from Boston.  So fun to listen to them talk about the Wild West!  Right in the middle of the photo you can see a hiker on the canyon bottom.  It was quite a scramble to the top. 

The purpose of the climb up was to see these natural water tanks.  Important natural resource in this desert country! We wondered how the pioneers found them.  I assume the Indians knew about them and shared their knowledge. 

Another fantastic day in Utah....I think instead of 'greatest snow on earth' as a state slogan, they should say something about 'greatest rocks on earth'.