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Capitol Reef National Park

Utah · Established December 18, 1971

A hundred-mile wrinkle in the Earth, with orchards hidden in its folds

Area: 241,904 acres
Established: December 18, 1971
Recreation visits: 1,388,476 / yr
State: Utah
Highest point: Thousand Lake Mountain, 8,960 ft (2,731 m), in the northwest
Lowest point: Halls Creek, 3,880 ft (1,183 m), at the southern tip

Capitol Reef Weather Forecast

Loading the National Weather Service forecast for Capitol Reef…

Seven-day outlook at the park's reference point (38.282, -111.247). Elevation changes everything in the mountains — expect colder, windier and wetter conditions on high ground.

Map of Capitol Reef National Park

The Park

Capitol Reef National Park follows the Waterpocket Fold, a nearly 100-mile-long buckle in the Earth's crust in south-central Utah. Along this great wrinkle, rock layers that lie flat elsewhere tilt steeply skyward, exposing a rainbow of cliffs, white sandstone domes, twisting canyons, arches and monoliths.

The name combines two early impressions: the rounded white domes of Navajo Sandstone that reminded settlers of capitol buildings, and the rugged cliffs that blocked travel like a reef at sea. Protected as a national monument in 1937 and established as a national park on December 18, 1971, the park covers about 241,905 acres (979 sq km) and draws roughly 1.4 million visits a year. At its heart, the Fremont River nourishes the historic orchards of Fruita, a green oasis in a cold, dry desert of big storms and bigger skies.

Geography

The park is long and narrow, stretching from Thousand Lake Mountain in the northwest toward Lake Powell in the south. It falls naturally into three districts. The Fruita area in the center, crossed by Utah Highway 24 and the Fremont River, holds the visitor center, orchards, Capitol Dome, Hickman Bridge and the Scenic Drive to Capitol Gorge.

To the north, Cathedral Valley is a remote, arid basin of towering sandstone monoliths such as the Temple of the Sun and Temple of the Moon, reached by rough dirt roads. To the south, the Waterpocket Fold runs for dozens of miles as a sawtooth of tilted rock beside long strike valleys, crossed by the Burr Trail and explored via Upper and Lower Muley Twist canyons and Halls Creek.

Elevations range from about 3,880 feet in Halls Creek at the southern tip to 8,960 feet on Thousand Lake Mountain in the northwest. West-to-east canyons, the largest carved by the Fremont River, slice through the fold between undulating domes and slickrock.

Landmarks

Waterpocket FoldAreaA nearly 100-mile monocline where rock layers bend sharply, the defining feature of the park.
Capitol DomePeakA white dome of Navajo Sandstone that gave the park the first half of its name.
Hickman BridgeArchA natural bridge spanning 133 feet, carved from the Kayenta Formation above the Fremont River.
FruitaValleyA historic Mormon settlement where orchards of apples, peaches and apricots still grow beside the Fremont River.
Chimney RockPeakA dark red spire of Moenkopi rock capped by harder sandstone, near the park's western entrance.
The CastlePeakA turreted formation of Wingate Sandstone towering above the visitor center area.
Goosenecks OverlookCanyonA viewpoint above the tight meanders of Sulphur Creek's canyon.
Navajo KnobsPeakRounded sandstone knobs at the end of a strenuous rim trail with panoramic views.
Cassidy ArchArchAn arch above Grand Wash named for the outlaw Butch Cassidy, said to have used the area as a hideout.
Golden ThronePeakA massive yellow monolith capped with sandstone, rising above Capitol Gorge.
Egyptian TemplePeakA striking banded butte along the Scenic Drive.
Temple of the SunPeakA towering monolith of Entrada Sandstone rising from the floor of Lower Cathedral Valley.
Temple of the MoonPeakThe smaller companion to the Temple of the Sun, glowing at sunrise.
Upper Cathedral Valley OverlookValleyA viewpoint over the cathedral-like sandstone fins and spires of Upper Cathedral Valley.
Strike Valley OverlookValleyA southern viewpoint looking along the tilted spine of the Waterpocket Fold and its parallel strike valley.
Halls Creek OverlookCanyonA remote overlook above Halls Creek, near the park's lowest elevations and the Halls Creek Narrows.

Geology

The geology of Capitol Reef unfolds in three acts: deposition, uplift and erosion. Nearly 10,000 feet of sedimentary rock accumulated here between about 270 and 80 million years ago, when the region lay near sea level. Shallow Permian seas left the White Rim Sandstone and Kaibab Limestone; Triassic tidal flats and rivers laid down the reddish Moenkopi Formation and the colorful, ash-rich Chinle Formation.

Then came the deserts. The towering red cliffs of Wingate Sandstone, the ledgy stream deposits of the Kayenta Formation and the white fossil dunes of the Navajo Sandstone record a vast, Sahara-like sand sea. Jurassic tidal flats and coastlines added the Carmel, Entrada, Curtis and Summerville formations, rivers brought the Morrison Formation, and finally the Cretaceous seaway buried everything under the Dakota Sandstone and Mancos Shale.

Between about 70 and 50 million years ago, the Laramide mountain-building event reactivated an ancient buried fault beneath the area. The rocks west of the fault rose more than 7,000 feet relative to those on the east, and the overlying layers draped across the break like a rug over a step, forming the Waterpocket Fold. Because the fold tilts down to the east, the oldest rocks are exposed on the park's west side and the youngest near its eastern boundary.

Later uplift of the entire Colorado Plateau, within roughly the last 15 to 20 million years, exposed the fold to erosion, and most major canyon cutting probably occurred in the last one to six million years. Hard sandstones form cliffs and domes, soft mudstones form slopes and badlands, and rainwater collecting in countless small depressions, the waterpockets, gives the fold its name. Near the end of the last ice age, debris flows from glaciated Boulder and Thousand Lake mountains carried black volcanic boulders into the Fremont River valley, where they still lie scattered among the red rock.

Deep time

About 270 million years agoPermian seas and coastal sands deposit the White Rim Sandstone and Kaibab Limestone, the oldest rocks exposed in the park.
TriassicTidal flats and rivers lay down the Moenkopi and Chinle formations.
Late Triassic to Early JurassicVast dune fields and streams deposit the Wingate Sandstone, Kayenta Formation and Navajo Sandstone.
JurassicTidal flats, coastal sands and rivers form the Carmel, Entrada, Curtis, Summerville and Morrison formations.
Cretaceous, to about 80 million years agoAn inland seaway deposits the Dakota Sandstone and Mancos Shale, the youngest major layers.
About 70 to 50 million years agoLaramide compression reactivates a buried fault and bends the rock layers into the Waterpocket Fold.
About 20 to 30 million years agoLava flows cap nearby Boulder and Thousand Lake mountains.
Last 15 to 20 million yearsColorado Plateau uplift exposes the fold, and rivers cut most major canyons within the last one to six million years.

The rocks

Kaibab LimestonePermian
A marine limestone, the same formation that rims the Grand Canyon, exposed on the park's west side.
Moenkopi FormationEarly Triassic
Reddish-brown siltstones and mudstones from tidal flats, forming Chimney Rock's base.
Chinle FormationLate Triassic
Colorful, uranium-bearing mudstones with volcanic ash that erode into barren slopes.
Wingate SandstoneLate Triassic
Massive red cliffs of ancient dunes, often weathered into honeycomb-like hollows.
Kayenta FormationEarly Jurassic
Thin-bedded stream sandstones in which Hickman Bridge was carved.
Navajo SandstoneEarly Jurassic
White, cross-bedded fossil dunes that form the capitol-like domes.
Carmel FormationMiddle Jurassic
Gypsum, sand and limy silt deposited in a periodically flooded basin.
Entrada SandstoneMiddle Jurassic
The soft reddish sandstone sculpted into the monoliths of Cathedral Valley.
Morrison FormationLate Jurassic
Colorful river and lakebed mudstones and sandstones in the eastern park.
Mancos ShaleLate Cretaceous
Gray marine shale forming bleak badlands along the eastern boundary.

Trees, Plants & Ecosystems

843vascular plant species recorded

Riparian corridors and orchardsFremont River, Sulphur Creek, Pleasant Creek
Cottonwoods, willows and historic fruit orchards create lush oases that attract deer, marmots and songbirds.
Pinyon-juniper woodlandMid elevations across the fold
Utah juniper and pinyon pine grow on rocky benches and slickrock, the most widespread woodland in the park.
Desert shrubland and badlandsLow eastern and southern areas, down to about 3,880 ft
Blackbrush, saltbush and Mormon tea dot sandy flats, while bentonite clays of the Chinle and Morrison create nearly barren hills.
Slickrock and waterpocketsSandstone domes and benches
Rain-filled potholes host short-lived aquatic life, and rare cacti and wildflowers cling to specific rock formations.
High forestNorthwest toward Thousand Lake Mountain, up to 8,960 ft
Ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, aspen and spruce grow on cooler, wetter slopes at the park's high northern edge.

Trees

Utah juniperJuniperus osteospermaThe most widespread tree in the park, tolerant of drought and poor soils.
Two-needle pinyonPinus edulisA nut pine paired with juniper on rocky slopes.
Fremont cottonwoodPopulus fremontiiShades the banks of the Fremont River and marks springs.
Netleaf hackberryCeltis reticulataA drought-hardy tree of canyon bottoms.
Singleleaf ashFraxinus anomalaA small ash of rocky canyons and slopes.
Gambel oakQuercus gambeliiForms thickets in moist canyons and higher areas.
Ponderosa pinePinus ponderosaFound at higher elevations and in cool, sheltered sites.
Douglas-firPseudotsuga menziesiiGrows in shaded, north-facing canyons and on the high northwest slopes.
Quaking aspenPopulus tremuloidesGroves on the park's highest ground turn gold in autumn.
Great Basin bristlecone pinePinus longaevaAn ancient, wind-twisted pine found in a few high, rocky places.
Common appleMalus pumilaPlanted by Fruita's pioneers, heirloom apple trees still bear fruit in the park's historic orchards.
ApricotPrunus armeniacaAmong the first orchard trees to bloom in Fruita each spring.

Wildflowers, shrubs & other plants

Winkler's pincushion cactusPediocactus winkleriA tiny, federally threatened cactus that grows on specific soils in the region.
Wright's fishhook cactusSclerocactus wrightiaeA rare, federally endangered small cactus of south-central Utah's desert benches.
Last Chance townsendiaTownsendia apricaA small, yellow-flowered daisy listed as threatened.
BlackbrushColeogyne ramosissimaA dark, spiny shrub dominating dry, sandy benches.
Mormon teaEphedra viridisA leafless, jointed shrub of desert slopes.
Claret cup cactusEchinocereus triglochidiatusScarlet spring flowers on low, mounded stems.
Harriman's yuccaYucca harrimaniaeA compact yucca with curling leaf fibers.
Sacred daturaDatura wrightiiNight-blooming white trumpets along roads and washes.
Eastwood's paintbrushCastilleja scabridaA brilliant red paintbrush of rocky sandstone slopes.
Eastwood's monkeyflowerMimulus eastwoodiaeA red-flowered monkeyflower that grows in hanging gardens and seeps.
Alcove columbineAquilegia micranthaA delicate columbine of shaded, dripping alcoves.
Southern maidenhair fernAdiantum capillus-venerisA lacy fern clinging to wet sandstone walls.
Indian ricegrassStipa hymenoidesA drought-tolerant bunchgrass of sandy soils.
Basin big sagebrushArtemisia tridentataThe aromatic gray shrub of deeper soils and higher benches.

Wildlife

58mammals
234birds
17reptiles
5amphibians
10fish

Mammals

Mule deerOdocoileus hemionusCommonly seen grazing in the Fruita orchards and fields.
Bighorn sheepOvis canadensisDesert bighorn roam the cliffs and canyons of the fold.
Mountain lionPuma concolorA rarely seen predator that follows mule deer.
CoyoteCanis latransCommon from river valleys to remote benches.
Gray foxUrocyon cinereoargenteusA nimble fox of rocky, brushy terrain.
RingtailBassariscus astutusA nocturnal climber of canyon walls.
American beaverCastor canadensisBuilds dams and bank dens along the Fremont River.
Yellow-bellied marmotMarmota flaviventrisOften seen sunning on rocks near the orchards and river.
Rock squirrelOtospermophilus variegatusA large, bushy-tailed ground squirrel of boulders and ledges.
White-tailed antelope squirrelAmmospermophilus leucurusScampers across hot desert flats.
Cliff chipmunkNeotamias dorsalisA gray chipmunk of rocky slopes and pinyon-juniper.
Bushy-tailed woodratNeotoma cinereaA packrat that builds large nests of sticks and debris in crevices.
Spotted batEuderma maculatumA rare bat with bold white spots and huge ears, roosting on high cliffs.
BobcatLynx rufusA secretive hunter of brushy canyons.

Birds

Peregrine falconFalco peregrinusNests on high cliffs of the Waterpocket Fold.
Golden eagleAquila chrysaetosSoars over benches hunting rabbits and squirrels.
Common ravenCorvus coraxEver-present, playful on updrafts along the cliffs.
Woodhouse's scrub-jayAphelocoma woodhouseiiA bold jay of the pinyon-juniper woodland.
Pinyon jayGymnorhinus cyanocephalusTravels in large, noisy flocks.
Canyon wrenCatherpes mexicanusIts descending song rings through canyons like Capitol Gorge.
White-throated swiftAeronautes saxatalisRaces around cliff faces in summer.
Say's phoebeSayornis sayaNests under ledges and old buildings in Fruita.
Juniper titmouseBaeolophus ridgwayiA small gray bird of juniper woodland.
American dipperCinclus mexicanusBobs and dives in the Fremont River and Sulphur Creek.
Wild turkeyMeleagris gallopavoFlocks roam the orchards and riverside meadows around Fruita.
ChukarAlectoris chukarA non-native partridge calling from rocky slopes.
Mexican spotted owlStrix occidentalisA threatened owl of deep, shaded canyons.
Bullock's orioleIcterus bullockiiA bright orange summer resident of riverside cottonwoods.

Reptiles & amphibians

Great Basin collared lizardCrotaphytus bicinctoresA big-headed lizard of rocky slopes that runs on its hind legs.
Side-blotched lizardUta stansburianaOne of the most common lizards along trails.
Desert spiny lizardSceloporus magisterA large, rough-scaled lizard of rocks and trees.
Greater short-horned lizardPhrynosoma hernandesiA cryptic, flat-bodied lizard of higher elevations.
Midget faded rattlesnakeCrotalus oreganusA small, pale rattlesnake of the canyon country.
Common kingsnakeLampropeltis getulaA banded constrictor that even eats rattlesnakes.
Canyon treefrogDryophytes arenicolorA small, rock-colored frog of pools in canyon streams.
Great Basin spadefootSpea intermontanaBreeds quickly in rain-filled waterpockets.

Fish

Bluehead suckerPantosteus discobolusA native sucker that grazes algae in the Fremont River.
Flannelmouth suckerCatostomus latipinnisA native fish of the Colorado River basin.
Speckled daceRhinichthys osculusA small native minnow of streams and springs.
Leatherside chubLepidomeda copeiA small native chub with fine, leathery-looking scales.
Mottled sculpinCottus bairdiiA bottom-dwelling fish of cold, clear water.
Brown troutSalmo truttaA non-native trout in the cooler reaches of the Fremont River.

Species totals are the park's certified NPSpecies checklist (occurrence: present).

Climate & When to Visit

Capitol Reef is a high, cold desert on the northern Colorado Plateau. Because elevations climb from under 4,000 feet in the south to nearly 9,000 feet in the northwest, annual precipitation increases from south to north, and conditions at Fruita, near 5,400 feet, can differ sharply from those in Cathedral Valley or Halls Creek.

Spring and fall bring warm days and cool nights. Summers are hot, especially in the lower southern and eastern districts, and from July through September monsoon thunderstorms can drop heavy rain on bare rock, sending flash floods through narrow canyons like Capitol Gorge and Grand Wash. Winters are cold, with freezing nights and occasional snow that dusts the red cliffs; rain and snow can quickly make the park's many dirt roads impassable.

Spring
Mild and breezy, with orchards blooming in Fruita and wildflowers in the desert; late cold snaps remain possible.
Summer
Hot days, especially at lower elevations, with afternoon monsoon storms from July into September and flash flood risk.
Autumn
Pleasant temperatures, golden cottonwoods along the Fremont River and fruit harvest in the orchards.
Winter
Cold and quiet, with freezing nights, occasional snow and muddy or icy backcountry roads.

Weather hazards

Flash floods: Do not enter narrow canyons if rain threatens or has been falling nearby; storms miles away can send water racing downstream.
Impassable dirt roads: Rain or snow can turn roads in Cathedral Valley and along the Notom-Bullfrog Road into slick, impassable clay.
Heat: Summer temperatures in the southern and eastern districts can be extreme; carry plenty of water and avoid midday hikes.
Lightning: Exposed rims such as Navajo Knobs and Rim Overlook are dangerous during thunderstorms.
Remoteness: Much of the park lacks water, services and cell coverage; tell someone your plans before heading into the backcountry.

Capitol Reef Questions

When is the best time to visit Capitol Reef National Park?

Spring and fall offer the most comfortable temperatures, with orchard blossoms in spring and fruit harvest and golden cottonwoods in autumn. May through September is the busiest period, while summer afternoons bring heat and flash flood risk.

What is the weather like at Capitol Reef?

It is a high desert with warm to hot summers, cold winters and big daily temperature swings. Monsoon thunderstorms from July through September can cause flash floods, and the park staff post daily weather at the visitor center.

What is the Waterpocket Fold?

It is a nearly 100-mile-long monocline, a step-like bend in the Earth's crust formed between about 70 and 50 million years ago when an ancient fault was reactivated. Rock layers on its west side were lifted more than 7,000 feet higher than those on the east.

Can you pick fruit in the Capitol Reef orchards?

Yes, when orchards are posted as open during the harvest season, visitors may pick and eat fruit in the orchards and pay for any they take away. Seasons vary from cherries and apricots in early summer to apples in fall.

Why is it called Capitol Reef?

Early travelers thought the white Navajo Sandstone domes resembled capitol building domes, and the cliffs of the fold formed a barrier to travel, like a reef to sailors. Together they gave the park its name.

What wildlife can I see at Capitol Reef?

Mule deer, marmots and wild turkeys are commonly seen around Fruita, while bighorn sheep occasionally appear on cliffs. Ravens, canyon wrens and lizards are frequent companions on trails.

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Sources: www.nps.gov · www.nps.gov · www.nps.gov · www.nps.gov · irmaservices.nps.gov · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · Official NPS site