| Capitol Reef National Park | |
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IUCN Category II (National Park)
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| Location | Wayne, Garfield, Sevier, and Emery counties, Utah, USA |
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| Nearest city | Torrey |
| Coordinates | 38°12′0″N 111°10′0″W / 38.2°N 111.166667°WCoordinates: 38°12′0″N 111°10′0″W / 38.2°N 111.166667°W |
| Area | 241,904.26 acres (978.9518 km2) 241,233.87 acres (976.24 km2) federal |
| Established | December 18, 1971 |
| Visitors | 511,511 (in 2006) |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
Capitol Reef National Park is a United States National Park, in south-central Utah. It is 100 miles (160 km) long but fairly narrow. The park, established in 1971, preserves 378 mi² (979 km²) and is open all year, although May through September are the most popular months.
"Called 'Wayne Wonderland' in the 1920s by local boosters Ephraim P. Pectol and Joseph S. Hickman, Capitol Reef National Park protects colorful canyons, ridges, buttes, and monoliths. About 75 miles (120 km) of the long up-thrust called the Waterpocket Fold, extending like a rugged spine from Thousand Lake Mountain southward to Lake Powell, is preserved within the park boundary. Capitol Reef is the name of an especially rugged and spectacular part of the Waterpocket Fold near the Fremont River."[1] 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, that run from the Fremont River to Pleasant Creek on the Waterpocket Fold. The local word reef referred to any rocky barrier to travel.[2]
"Only a few decades ago, Capitol Reef and the Waterpocket Fold country comprised one of the most remote corners of the lower 48 U.S. states. Easy road access came only with the construction of a paved State Route 24 through the Fremont River Canyon in 1962."[1]
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Capitol Reef encompasses the Waterpocket Fold, a wrinkle in the earth's crust that is 65 million years old. In this fold, newer and older layers of earth folded over each other in an S-shape. This wrinkle, probably caused by the same colliding continental plates that created the Rocky Mountains, has weathered and eroded over millennia to expose layers of rock and fossils. 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, that run from the Fremont River to Pleasant Creek on the Waterpocket Fold.
The fold forms a north-to-south barrier that even today has barely been breached by roads. 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.
The park is filled with canyons, cliffs, towers, domes, and arches. The Fremont River has cut canyons through parts of the Waterpocket Fold, but most of the park is arid desert country. A scenic drive shows park visitors some of the highlights, but it runs only a few miles from the main highway. Hundreds of miles of trails and unpaved roads lead the more adventurous into the equally scenic backcountry.
Fremont culture Native Americans lived near the perennial Fremont River in the northern part of the Capitol Reef Waterpocket Fold around 1000 CE. They irrigated crops of lentils, maize, and squash and stored their grain in stone granaries (in part made from the numerous black basalt boulders that litter the area). In the 13th century, all of the Native American cultures in this area underwent sudden change, likely due to a long drought[citation needed]. The Fremont settlements and fields were abandoned.
Many years after the Fremont left, Paiutes moved into the area. These Numic speaking people named the Fremont granaries moki huts and thought they were the homes of a race of tiny people or moki.
In 1872 Alan H. Thompson, a surveyor attached to United States Army Major John Wesely Powell's expedition, crossed the Waterpocket Fold while exploring the area. Geologist Clarence Dutton later spent several summers studying the area's geology. None of these expeditions explored the Waterpocket Fold to any great extent, however. It was, as now, incredibly rugged and forbidding.
"Following the American Civil War, officials of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City sought to establish "missions" in the remotest niches of the Intermountain West. In 1866, a quasi-military expedition of Mormons in pursuit of marauding natives penetrated the high valleys to the west. In the 1870s, settlers moved into these valleys, eventually establishing Loa, Fremont, Lyman, Bicknell, and Torrey."[1]
"Mormons settled the Fremont River valley in the 1880s and established Junction (later renamed Fruita), Caineville and Aldridge. Fruita prospered, Caineville barely survived, and Aldridge died."[1] In addition to farming, lime was extracted from local limestone and uranium was extracted early in the 20th century. In 1904 the first claim to a uranium mine in the area was staked. The resulting Olyer Mine in Grand Wash produced uranium ore.
"By 1920 the work was hard but the life in Fruita was good. No more than ten families at one time were sustained by the fertile flood plain of the Fremont River and the land changed ownership over the years. The area remained isolated."[1] The community was later abandoned and later still some buildings were restored by the National Park Service. Kilns once used to produce lime can still be seen in Sulphur Creek and near the campgrounds on Scenic Drive.
Local Ephraim Portman Pectol organized a "Boosters Club" in Torrey in 1921. Pectol pressed a promotional campaign, furnishing stories to be sent to periodicals and newspapers. In his efforts, he was increasingly aided by his brother-in-law, Joseph S. Hickman, who was Wayne County High School principal. In 1924, Hickman extended community involvement in the promotional effort by organizing a Wayne County-wide Wayne Wonderland Club. That same year, the educator was elected to the Utah State Legislature.[3]
"In 1933, Pectol was elected to the presidency of the Associated Civics Club of Southern Utah, successor to the Wayne Wonderland Club. The club raised U.S. $150.00 to interest a Salt Lake City photographer in taking a series of promotional photographs. For several years, the photographer - J.E. Broaddus - traveled and lectured on 'Wayne Wonderland'."[3]
"In 1933, Pectol himself was elected to the legislature and almost immediately contacted President Franklin D. Roosevelt and asked for the creation of "Wayne Wonderland National Monument" out of the federal lands comprising the bulk of the Capitol Reef area. Federal agencies began a feasibility study and boundary assessment. Meanwhile, Pectol not only guided the government investigators on numerous trips, but escorted an increasing number of visitors. The lectures of Broaddus were having an effect."[3]
President Roosevelt signed a proclamation creating Capitol Reef National Monument on August 2, 1937. In Proclamation 2246, President Roosevelt set aside 37,711 acres (152 km²) of the Capitol Reef area. "This comprised an area extending about two miles (3 km) north of present State Route 24 and about 10 miles (16 km) south, just past Capitol Gorge. The Great Depression years were lean ones for the National Park Service (NPS), the new administering agency. Funds for the administration of Capitol Reef were nonexistent; it would be a long time before the first rangers would arrive."[1]
Administration of the new monument was placed under the control of Zion National Park.[3] "However, a stone ranger cabin and the Sulphur Creek bridge were built and some road work was performed by the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration. Historian and printer Charles Kelly came to know NPS officials at Zion well and volunteered to 'watchdog' the park for the NPS. In 1943, he was officially appointed 'custodian-without-pay'."[3] He was to work without pay as a volunteer until 1950 when the NPS offered him a civil service appointment as the first superintendent.[3]
"During the 1950s Kelly was deeply troubled by NPS management acceding to demands of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission that Capitol Reef National Monument be opened to uranium prospecting. He felt that the decision had been a mistake and destructive of the long term national interest. As it turned out, there was not enough ore to be worth mining in the monument."[3]
"It was not until 1958 that Kelly got additional permanent help in protecting the monument and enforcing regulations; Park Ranger Grant Clark transferred from Zion. The year Clark arrived, fifty-six thousand visitors came to the park and 'Charlie' Kelly retired for the last time, full of years and experiences."[3]
"During the 1960s (under the program name Mission 66), NPS areas nationwide received new facilities to meet the demand of mushrooming park visitation. At Capitol Reef, a 53-site campground at Fruita, staff rental housing, and a new visitor center were built, the latter opening in 1966."[1]
"Visitation climbed dramatically after the paved, all-weather State Route 24 was built in 1962 through the Fremont River canyon near Fruita. State Route 24 replaced the narrow Capitol Gorge wagon road about 10 miles (16 km) to the south that frequently washed out. The old road has since only been open to foot traffic. In 1967, 146,598 persons visited the park. The staff was also growing."[1]
"During the 1960s, the NPS proceeded to purchase private land parcels at Fruita and Pleasant Creek. Almost all private property passed into public ownership on a "willing buyer-willing seller" basis."[1]
"Preservationists successfully convinced President Lyndon B. Johnson to set aside an enormous area of public lands in 1968, just before he left office. In Presidential Proclamation 3888, an additional 215,056 acres (870 km²) were placed under NPS control. By 1970, Capitol Reef National Monument comprised 254,251 acres (1,028 km²) and sprawled southeast from Thousand Lake Mountain almost to the Colorado River. The action was very controversial locally, and NPS staffing at the monument was inadequate to properly manage the additional land."[1]
"The vast enlargement of the monument and diversification of the scenic resources soon raised another issue: Whether Capitol Reef should be a national park, rather than a monument. Two bills were introduced into the United States Congress."[1]
"A House bill (H.R. 17152) introduced by Utah Congressman Laurence J. Burton called for a 180,000 acre (728 km²) national park and an adjunct 48,000 acre (194 km²) national recreation area where multiple use (including grazing) could continue indefinitely. In the United States Senate, meanwhile, Senate bill S. 531 had already passed on July 1, 1970, and provided for a 230,000 acre (930 km²) national park alone. The bill called for a 25-year phase-out of grazing."[1]
"In September 1970, United States Department of Interior officials told a house subcommittee session that they preferred that about 254 thousand acres (1,027 km²) be set aside as a national park. They also recommended that the grazing phase-out period be 10 years, rather than 25. They did not favor the adjunct recreation area."[1]
"It was not until late 1971 that Congressional action was completed. By then, the 92nd United States Congress was in session and S. 531 had languished. A new bill, S. 29, was introduced in the Senate by Senator Frank E. Moss of Utah and was essentially the same as the defunct S. 531 except that it called for an additional 10,834 acres (42 km²) of public lands for a Capitol Reef National Park. In the House, Utah Representative K. Gunn McKay (with Representative Lloyd) had introduced H.R. 9053 to replace the dead H.R. 17152. This time around, the House bill dropped the concept of an adjunct Capitol Reef National Recreation Area and adopted the Senate concept of a 25-year limit on continued grazing. The Department of Interior was still recommending a national park of 254,368 acres (1,029 km²) and a 10-year limit for grazing phase-out."[1]
"S. 29 passed the Senate in June and was sent to the House. The House subsequently dropped its own bill and passed the Senate version with an amendment. Because the Senate was not in agreement with the House amendment, differences were worked out in Conference Committee. The Conference Committee issued their agreeing report on November 30, 1971. The legislation—'An Act to Establish The Capitol Reef National Park in the State of Utah'—became Public Law 92-207 when it was signed by President Richard Nixon on December 18, 1971."[1]
The area including the park was once the edge of an ancient shallow sea that invaded the land in the Permian, creating the Cutler Formation. Only the sandstone of the youngest member of the Cutler Formation, the White Rim, is exposed in the park. The deepening sea left Carbonate deposits, forming the limestone of the Kaibab Limestone, the same formation that rims the Grand Canyon to the southwest.
During the Triassic, streams deposited reddish-brown silt, which later became the siltstone of the Moenkopi Formation. Uplift and erosion followed. Conglomerate, itself followed by logs, sand, mud, and wind-transported volcanic ash, then formed the uranium-containing Chinle Formation.
The members of the Glen Canyon Group were all laid down in the middle to late Triassic during a time of increasing aridity. They include:
The San Rafael Group consists of four Triassic-era formations, from oldest to youngest:
Streams once again laid down mud and sand in their channels, on lakebeds, and in swampy plains, creating the Morrison Formation. Early in the Cretaceous, similar nonmarine sediments were laid down and became the Dakota Sandstone. Eventually, the Cretaceous Seaway covered the Dakota, depositing the Mancos Shale.
Only small remnants of the Mesaverde Group are found, capping a few mesas in the park's eastern section (see Geology of the Mesa Verde area).
Near the end of the Cretaceous period, a mountain-building event called the Laramide orogeny started to compact and uplift the region, forming the Rocky Mountains and creating monoclines such as the Waterpocket Fold in the park. Ten to fifteen million years ago, the entire region was uplifted much further by the creation of the Colorado Plateaus. Remarkably, this uplift was very even. Igneous activity in the form of volcanism and dike and sill intrusion also occurred during this time.
The drainage system in the area was rearranged and steepened, causing streams to downcut faster and sometimes change course. Wetter times during the ice ages of the Pleistocene increased the rate of erosion.
The town nearest Capitol Reef is Torrey, Utah, which lies eight miles (13 km) west of the visitor's center on Highway 24. Torrey is very small, but has several motels and restaurants. The park itself has a large campground, but it often fills by early afternoon during busy summer weekends. The Burr Trail Scenic Backway provides access from the west through the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and the town of Boulder. Overnight camping within the park requires a permit from the rangers at the visitor's center.
Activities in the park include hiking, horseback riding, and a driving tour. Mountain biking is prohibited in the park, but many trails just outside the park exist.
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Capitol Reef National Park is a United States National Park, in Utah's Canyon Country.
Capitol Reef is a National Park comprising 378 square miles of sandstone canyons, ridges, buttes, and monoliths. The Park is defined by the Waterpocket Fold, a 100-mile long wrinkle in the earth's crust known as a monocline. The Fold extends from nearby Thousand Lakes Mountain to the Colorado River (now Lake Powell). Capitol Reef National Park was established to protect this grand and colorful geologic feature, as well as the unique natural and cultural history found in the area. The name was derived from the rounded sandstone buttes which resemble capitol domes and from the long line of rocky cliffs which are a barrier to travel, like a coral reef.
From the 9th to 15th centuries, Native Americans of the Fremont Culture lived in and near the Waterpocket Fold. They seem to have left the region around 1500 for unknown reasons. Later, nomadic Ute and Southern Paiute tribes inhabited the area. Explorer John C. Fremont passed throught the northern part of what is now Capitol Reef in 1854. The Fremont River that runs through the park is named after him.
White settlement came late to the area, in the 1870's, Latter Day Saints (Mormon) settlers moved into the high plateau lands west of Capitol Reef and established communities based on short-season farming and grazing. In the 1880's Mormon settlers moved into Capitol Reef and established the community of Fruita along the banks of the Fremont River. These settlers planted the fruit orchards along the river that still exist today. No more than 10 families at any one time lived in the Fruita area.
The area was called "Wayne Wonderland" in the 1920s by local boosters Ephraim P. Pectol and Joseph S. Hickman, and in 1937, President Roosevelt set aside a portion of Wayne Wonderland as a National Monument. Funds for the park were scarce, however, and it would be a long time before the first rangers would arrive. During the 1960's, a campground, visitor center and staff housing were built and a road through the park was paved. During this period, most of the farmers in the area left and sold their land to the Park Service. In 1968, a large amount of land was added to the park, increasing it's size by almost 600%, and in 1971 the National Monumnent officially became Capitol Reef National Park.
Travellers to the park experience a dazzling landscape of rock formations. From colorful domes, high cliffs, and towering spires of sandstone to arches, natural bridges, and narrow slot canyons. The desert streams, such as the Fremont, wind through the Park, carving deep canyons and meandering through floodplains surrounded by narrow ribbons of greenery.
The Waterpocket Fold defines the Park. A 100-mile long warp in the Earth's crust, the Waterpocket Fold is a classic monocline: a regional fold with one very steep side in an area of otherwise nearly horizontal layers. A monocline is a "step-up" in the rock layers. The layers on the west side of the Fold have been lifted more than 7000 feet higher than those on the east. The park was established primarily to preserve the geologic features of the waterpocket fold, such as the scenic rock domes and narrow canyons. Capitol Reef is a geologist's paradise, with nearly 10,000 feet of sedimentary layers ranging from 270 million to 80 million years old. The Waterpocket Fold has tilted this geologic layer cake down to the east, with older rocks in the west and younger ones in the east. Rock layers in Capitol Reef reveal ancient environments as varied as rivers and swamps (Chinle Formation), Sahara-like deserts (Navajo Sandstone), and shallow oceans (Mancos Shale). These layers have been eroded by wind and especially water over the last 20 million years. The landforms are a result of different responses of various rock layers to these forces of erosion. Hard sandstone layers form cliffs, while softer shale layers form slopes and low hills. Black boulders found scattered throughout the park are volcanic rocks from the 20 to 30 million year old lava flows which cap the nearby mountains.
The most visible plant life in the park is found in the riparian corridors near Fruita. Along the rivers, you may see cottonwoods and willows as well as the invasive tamarisk. Pioneer orchards along the Fremont River sport apple, apricot, pear, peach, and cherry trees. In the dryer areas of the park, you may see sagebrush, Utah Juniper, various prickly pear cacti, and higher elevations may feature pinyon pine. The cacti, along with some desert wildflowers, bloom briefly in the early spring. Like many parts of the Utah desert, the nearly barren ground is covered with a biological soil crust, also known as cryptobiotic soil. This collection of bacteria, moss and lichen helps to stabilize loose desert soils and retain precious moisture. These crusts are very fragile, however, and should never be walked or driven on as they may take centuries to regenerate. Do not leave established hiking trails, but if you must, walk in washes or on bare rock. There are many animals in the park, but, like many desert creatures, they are far more active at night. The park is home to many species of lizards, and a number of snakes. Listen for the sound of Canyon Wrens in the narrow washes; they and many other birds make their home here. Vultures, hawks and the introduced Chukar are common sights in the park. You may be lucky enough to see some of the numerous bat species flying around Fruita in the evening. Deer are an extremely common sight in the orchards and picnic area. Though they may look tame, they are not. Do not feed them or any other animal. Other common large mammals include the Gray Fox, Raccoon, Ringtail, Badger, and Porcupine. The once common Desert Bighorn Sheep were reintroduced in the late 1990's and are thriving. Mountain Lions have also been reported in the park, but are rarely seen by visitors. If you do see one, do not approach it.
Summer temperatures often climb into the upper 90s(F), but nights cool down into the 50s(F) and 60s(F). The thunderstorm season from July through September brings cloudbursts, flash floods and lightning. Spring and fall are milder with highs generally in the 50s(F) and 60s(F). Daytime winter highs average less than 50(F). Snowfall is usually light, especially at lower elevations. Humidity is low all year.
Traveling westbound on Interstate 70 - Take Utah State Highway 24 west towards Hanksville (exit 149). Stay on Highway 24 for 95 miles to reach the park Visitor Center.
Traveling on Interstate 15 - Take US Highway 50 east at Scipio (exit 188) towards Salina for 30 miles. At the junction with Utah State Highway 89/259, turn right (south) and travel 8 miles. Turn left (east) onto Utah State Highway 24 towards Sigurd. Continue on Highway 24 for 82 miles to reach the park Visitor Center.
The park and campgrounds are open year round. The Visitor Center is open daily (except for some major holidays) from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with extended hours during the summer season.
Ripple Rock Nature Center is open from Memorial Day through Labor Day from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, closed Sundays and Mondays.
The following Entrance Fees are charged for traveling the park’s Scenic Drive beyond the Fruita Campground.
Entrance Fee Waivers: Fee waivers are available for groups traveling the Scenic Drive for educational purposes. Fee waiver requests must be submitted two weeks prior to your visit.
Sites at the Fruita Campground are $10 per night. Senior and Access pass holders receive a 50% discount on their campsite.
Flash floods can occur in the park without warning. The danger is especially high when walking in narrow slot canyons such as Grand Wash. Although rainstorms in the park are beautiful, it's not a safe time to be on the trails. Flood waters originate upstream, so a flood may occur from a storm that is miles away. If you are in a narrow canyon and the water begins to rise even slightly or the wash begins to get muddy, begin looking for higher ground.
Heading west out of the park and about 40 miles south on the incredibly scenic Highway 12 will take you to the town of Boulder, Utah, home of Anasazi State Park which details the historic Native American tribes of Southern Utah. Travelling another 60 miles south on Hwy 12 will bring you to Bryce Canyon National Park.
Heading East on Hwy 24 and South on Hwy 95, (about 80 miles) will bring you to Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Alternately, the adventurous can reach Bullfrog marina in Glen Canyon NRA by driving south on the unimproved Notom Road, but check road conditions at the Visitor Center.
Travelling east on Hwy 24 and North on Hwy 95 about 55 miles will bring you to the turn off to Goblin Valley State Park.
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Category: Outline articles
   | Capitol Reef National Park - Capitol Reef National Park (U.S. National Park Service) |
| | "Legislation and Establishment of Capital Reef National Park" - Capitol Reef - Development and Administration |
| | Capitol Reef National Park | Utah.com - Capitol Reef National Park | Utah.com |
| | Capitol Reef Country - Capitol Reef National Park Travel Information |
| | Wonderland Inn at Capitol Reef - Sandstone Inn at Capitol Reef - Torrey Utah > Home |
| | Capitol Reef Natural History Association - Capitol Reef Natural History Association - Home Page |
| | Photos of Capitol Reef National Park - Terra Galleria - Capitol Reef National Park Pictures - US National Parks stock photos, fine art prints by QTL |
| | Photographic virtual tour of Capitol Reef National Park. - Capitol Reef National Park in 502 Images |
| | Capitol Reef National Park - Capitol Reef National Park - National Parks Gallery |
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