Capitol Reef National Park

Where Is It: 220 miles south of Salt Lake City or 350 miles northeast of Las Vegas.

The Birth: After years as an under-developed National Monument, President Nixon finally singed legislation in 1971 to declare Capitol Reef a National Park.

It Happened Here: The early Mormon pioneers who settled in a colony they called Junction (later known as Fruita) planted fruit trees that still stand today in the shadow of Capitol Reef National Park’s towering cliffs.

Size: 241,904 acres

# Visitors: 663,670 in 2013. Peak attendance in May; low attendance was in December.

Fees: $5 per vehicle, good for 7 days.

Staying There: There are 3 campgrounds, 80 spaces, available on a first come, first served basis.

Contact Info:

HC 70 Box 15
Torrey, UT 84775

(435) 425-3791 ext. 4111

The Castle and Sulphur Creek. From the Park’s website.

Goosenecks Overlook. From the Park’s website.

The Castle. From the Park’s website.

Fruita and Wingate Cliffs. From the Park’s website.

Utah Penstemon (Penstemon utahensis) is found in sandy soils on canyon bottoms, hills, or benches in mixed desert scrub, blackbrush, and pinyon juniper woodlands. It is common in the central and southern parts of the park. From the Park’s website.

Harriman’s Yucca (Yucca harrimaniae) has bell-shaped cream colored flowers that grow 14-30 inches above the leaves. American Indians used the plant fibers to make rope. From the Park’s website.

Claretcup Cactus (Echinocereus triglochidiatus) is found throughout the park in sandy to clay soils on upland benches and occasionally in canyon bottoms. It is associated with mixed desert scrub and pinyon juniper woodland communities. From the Park’s website.

Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja chromosa) are common in the central and southern portions of the park. Indian paintbrushes are root parasitic, meaning they attach their roots to the roots of other plants and take nutrients. From the Park’s website.

Yellow Eye Catspaw (Cryptantha flavoculata) is found in saltbrush scrub, mixed desert scrub, pinyon juniper woodland, and ponderosa pine communities. It is common throughout the park and typically found on hillsides and uplands. From the Park’s website.

Silvery Townsendia (Townsendia incana) is associated with dry, sandy or clay soils on hills and benches in desert scrub, saltbrush, sagebrush, and pinyon juniper woodland communities. From the Park’s website.

Mountain Pepperplant (Lepidium montanum) is found in dry, sandy to rocky soils on hills and benches in desert scrub, sagebrush, and pinyon juniper woodland communities. It is common throughout the park and has seeds that taste like black pepper. From the Park’s website.

Pinyon (Pinus edulis) has yellowish brown bark that grays with age. American Indians used the sticky resin as a glue and waterproofing agent. From the Park’s website.

Naked Stem Sunrays (Enceliopsis nudicaulis) grow in clay soils, mixed desert scrub, and pinyon juniper communities. It is common along Highway 24 east of the visitor center and the scenic drive. From the Park’s website.

Ferron Milkvetch (Astragalus musiniensis) is a common endemic species found in the Colorado Plateau. It is found at low elevations in the park, in mixed desert scrub, salt desert, and pinyon juniper woodlands. From the Park’s website.

Central Pricklypear (Opuntia polyacantha) is associated with mixed desert scrub, sagebrush, pinyon juniper woodland, and ponderosa pine communities. It is common in sandy to rocky soils, especially along the Cohab Canyon Trail. From the Park’s website.

Showy Four O’Clock (Mirabilis multiflora) is found in mixed desert scrub and pinyon juniper woodland communities throughout the park. It was commonly used for medicinal purposes by American Indians. From the Park’s website.

Common Globemallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea) is found in mixed desert scrub, sagebrush, pinyon juniper woodland, and ponderosa pine communities in wash bottoms and uplands. It was used by Navajo Indians to heal wounds, stop bleeding, and treat colds. From the Park’s website.

Utah Juniper (Juniperus osteosperma) is common throughout the park and has a fibrous bark that becomes shredded with age. From the Park’s website.

Roundleaf Buffaloberry (Shepherdia rotundifolia) is an evergreen shrub endemic to the Colorado Plateau. Settlers cooked the berries to make a sauce for buffalo steaks, giving the plant the name. From the Park’s website.