Capitol Reef- the forgotten National Park
We left the Bryce area and headed up Scenic Highway 12. The road had many curves and blind hills which made me a bit nervous. It is a beautiful ride. We left the hills and mesas, driving through barren, slick rock sections. Capitol Reef is not always the first thought when people talk about the parks in Utah. Is is part of a Waterpocket Fold-the largest in North America. It is over 100 miles long. Some of the Rocky walls remind me of Zion, but they are more colorful and are only on one side. You can see how they were trusted upward when the earth shifted. Early settlers had water and a fertile valley to grow fruit trees. The orchards are still in use today.
We took the 10 mile scenic drive. It was beautiful. So far, each park has had a unique feature. At the bottom of these massive formations, you can see the piles of eroded rock forming pyramid like shapes. In time, all of this will disappear. There are formations with names like "The Castle", "The Eygptian Tower". They do look like their namesake.
As we started to leave the park, there was a section with more Petroglyphs. They were fascinating.
We continued on Scenic 24 for awhile. We climbed in elevation over 900 feet. Had great views and drove in tunnels of Aspen groves. Then we made a left turn. The highway becomes a barren, straight road cutting through nothing but thousands and thousands of acres of sagebrush and red colored dirt. Free- range cattle speckle the land. But once we went south again toward Moab, there was desert on one side, snow covered mountains on the other. This is a unique town with so many options for outdoor activities. This will be a fun week. The place we rented is within walking distance to the brewery, movie theater, many restaurants and more. Lots to explore.
We took the 10 mile scenic drive. It was beautiful. So far, each park has had a unique feature. At the bottom of these massive formations, you can see the piles of eroded rock forming pyramid like shapes. In time, all of this will disappear. There are formations with names like "The Castle", "The Eygptian Tower". They do look like their namesake.
As we started to leave the park, there was a section with more Petroglyphs. They were fascinating.
We continued on Scenic 24 for awhile. We climbed in elevation over 900 feet. Had great views and drove in tunnels of Aspen groves. Then we made a left turn. The highway becomes a barren, straight road cutting through nothing but thousands and thousands of acres of sagebrush and red colored dirt. Free- range cattle speckle the land. But once we went south again toward Moab, there was desert on one side, snow covered mountains on the other. This is a unique town with so many options for outdoor activities. This will be a fun week. The place we rented is within walking distance to the brewery, movie theater, many restaurants and more. Lots to explore.
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