Archive for the ‘Capitol Reef’ Tag
Take the road less traveled to Capitol Reef National Park. For Michelle Olmstead, Capitol Reef is her favorite Utah national park because it’s possible to find solitude that can sometimes be lacking in other parks. “After hiking all day we were rewarded with this beautiful golden-hour light hitting the red rock as we were leaving. I feel very grateful to be able to experience these beautiful public lands with the ones I love.“ Photo courtesy of Michelle Olmstead. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 5/26/17.
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Capitol Reef National Park
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Nevada’s Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Photo by Bob Wicks. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 10/21/16.
Orange sandstone towers stand brightly against a stormy sky at Canyonlands National Park in Utah. The Needles – named for the sandstone spires – form the southeast corner of the park and offer long day hikes and overnight trips. Photo by Bryan Moore. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 11/15/16.
Capitol Reef National Park in Utah got its name from the white domes of Navajo Sandstone that resemble capitol building domes and the rocky cliffs – which act as a reef, creating a barrier to travel. The park is one of the best geological classrooms in the world. Rock layers in Capitol Reef reveal ancient environments as varied as rivers and swamps, Sahara-like deserts and shallow oceans, each marking an era through almost 200 million years of Earth’s history. Photo by David Long. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 11/10/16.
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The beauty of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Photo by Steve Lanctot. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 11/24/15.
Featuring a half-mile deep geologic amphitheater and bristlecone pines more than 1,000 years old, Cedar Breaks National Monument in Utah is worth a visit. Due to its high altitude, winters can be extreme, so services are limited. The Scenic Drive usually closes in mid-November after the first heavy snowfall, but there are great trails for cross-country skiers and snowmobiles. Photo by Jay Wanta. Posted on Tumblr 10/23/15.
Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park. Photo by Darren Barnes. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 11/3/15.
Autumn colors of cottonwood trees in front of the Castle in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah on November 3, 2011. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 11/13/15.
Follow in the footsteps of the Lewis & Clark expedition and explore the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument in Montana. The monument spans 149 miles and contains a spectacular array of biological, geological, and historical points of interest. You can float the river, hike a trail, drive for pleasure, find a little solitude in a remote setting or simply marvel at the variety of natural beauty. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 11/2/15.
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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.
Bighorn sheep. From the Park’s website.
Hickman Bridge. From the Park’s website.
From the Park’s website.
Hamburger Rocks. From the Park’s website.
Hall’s Creek Narrows. From the Park’s website.
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National Park Service: Capitol Reef National Park
TerraGalleria.com: Capitol Reef National Park
YouTube: Capitol Reef National Park
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