Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

Capitol Reef is a park that protects a giant buckle in the Earth's crust, (called the Waterpocket Fold) 100 miles long that was created by the same forces that lifted the Colorado Plateau. Like the other formations in area, sediments deposited over the ages created the rock layers. Regional mountain building bent, or flexed, the rock layers into a huge fold. Many of the upper layers of the fold eroded away. Water continues to erode these rock layers today.  Same old story, different place, different results and another National Park. 

The most visible layer of the fold is Navajo sandstone, which has a high lime content and forms domes when the water that wears the rock dries and the lime precipitates out of it.  The early Mormon settlers in the area were reminded of state capitol buildings by these domes and hence the “capitol” part of the name.  Some of these settlers were also sea-faring folk and recognized the geological feature as an obstacle to avoid, much like coral reefs are at sea, and hence the “reef” part of the name.  Apparently.  Seems like a pretty long bow to string.    

Those Mormon pioneers found a perennial river and rich soils on the western side of the Waterpocket Fold.  They planted fruit trees that are still there today, maintained by the park rangers.  It must be beautiful to camp there in summer, surrounded by the ripening fruit and cool waters.  Because of this water source, the area was quite heavily used by pioneers heading through the Utah badlands.  Many of these pioneers carved their names into a part of the Capitol Gorge, which cuts through the north-south orientation of the Waterpocket Fold.  This rock is known as the Pioneer Register and is one of the features of the park, and has names from as far back as 1871.

The main feature of this park, like many of the southwestern parks, are sandstone cliffs – these ones forming the western edge of the fold.  A person can really never get enough sandstone cliffs.  They are always exciting to look at and present a different shape than any you’ve seen before.  

The Tanks with Navajo Sandstone domes in background