Touring Capitol Reef National Park in Utah

Eric & I with the

 Capitol Reef  National Park

 sign.

Over 200 million years ago Southcentral Uth was underwater.  Oceans, swamps, and riverbeds deposited many feet of silt, plant, and animal matter.  As the climate changed these bodies of water dried up and about 10,000 feet of Sedimentary rock was formed.  

Over millennia - 50 and 70 million years ago and again 20 million years ago, tectonic pressures lifted layers on the western side of the fault over 7,000 feet above the eastern side of the fault.  This area is called the Waterpocket Fold.

What we see today is the result of millions of years of powerful rains, flash flooding, and freeze-thaw cycles that have cracked, loosened, and worn away stone creating canyons, cliffs, domes, and bridges.

I am fascinated by the

spiral erosion in the Park.

The "tower" reminds me of a ramped Parking Garage Eric and I saw in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 2022.  

The light is perfect for

landscape photos.

Rock ledges line the 

side of the road.

Ripple Rock is enormous!

This tower dominates the

Scenic Drive.

Our selfies

 have beautiful

vistas.

Eric drives in Grand Wash.

No one drives this section

of the road when it's raining.

We have driven in washes and know that activity depends on the weather.

We continue into

 Capitol Gorge.

It's time to retrace our drive and appreciate Capitol Reef National Park from different perspectives.

Looking up at this massive

landforms, I feel tiny.

This is my favorite

view.

Capitol Reef National Park is the third of the "Big Five" that Eric and I are visiting in Utah.  So far each of the Parks- Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef is stunningly different from each of the others.