CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL MONUMENT • UTAH CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL MONU MENT • UTAH rock along fractures. Erosion is thus, the sculptor of leads to the rim of spectacular Sulphur Creek Gorge. the innumerable towers, pinnacles, and great domes you If you enter from the east, you will travel 5.7 miles This great buttressed sandstone cliff stretches 20 miles across the heart of a vast wonderland. Carved see in Capitol Reef today. from the entrance to the visitor center along the narrow by water and wind into fantastic towers, domes, and pinnacles, it rises imposingly above the desert Roads in the monument lie principally upon the Fremont River Canyon. Parking areas offer oppor­ floor. Early geologists called such cliffs "reefs" because of their resemblance to coral formations. Moenkopi formation. This dark-red or brown, ripple- tunities for taking pictures and for following a trail marked shale shows unusual erosional forms along the that leads into Grand Wash and another trail that leads The monument includes a section of the Waterpocket Because of its peculiar geographical isolation, the cliff base and contains fossil footprints of reptiles and to Hickman Natural Bridge and Cohab Canyon. Fold, a great doubling up of the earth's crust. The Fremont River drainage was the last section of Utah to amphibians in many places. Stranded on the Moenkopi The self-guiding trail to the bridge is an easy 2-mile western edge of this fold (of which Capitol Reef is a be explored and settled. In January 1854, Col. John beds are large volcanic boulders washed down from the hike. The bridge, carved by the forces of nature from part) is exposed as a great cliff, or escarpment, of bril­ C. Fremont and members of his expedition looked down high plateaus by melting glacial ice 10,000 years ago. the rock, is 72 feet high and has a 133-foot span. liantly colored rock layers. It extends from Thousand from Thousand Lake Mountain into the present monu­ Above the Moenkopi is a thick exposure of Chinle shale From the visitor center, a road leads south to Lake Mountain southeastward about ISO miles to the ment. In 1866 a semimilitary expedition of Mormons, in various colors, with the gray-green band at its base Pleasant Creek, 11 miles. Along this route are road Colorado River. The fantastically eroded fold, or reef, under the leadership of Capt. James Andrus, came in a prominent feature. Above the Chinle, 600 feet of red spurs leading into Grand Wash and Capitol Gorge. was a barrier to the pioneer traveler. It can be crossed from the south over Boulder Mountain. Prof. A. PL Wingate sandstone forms the sheer, high pinnacle cliffs Grand Wash is one of the finest attractions in the in only three places on horseback. One of these pas­ Thompson, geographer of the Powell survey, made the that dominate the landscape. monument. From the end of the road in the canyon, sages, following the Fremont River, allows automobiles first geographic and geologic reconnaissance of the area Finally, as a cap rock, the gray or white Navajo sand­ you can hike less than a mile and find yourself in the to cross. in 1875, applying many names still in use. stone rests on top. Its cones, arches, and rounded narrows, where 1,000-foot walls are only 16 feet apart. The Fremont River and its tributaries, Sulphur The first permanent settler was Neils Johnson, who domes resemble the domes of many capitol buildings. And before reaching the narrows, you will find the l)i and Pleasant Creeks, are the only perennial streams. located a homestead near the junction of Fremont River mile trail to Cassidy Arch. The trail through the Many of the water pockets (large potholes in rocky and Sulphur Creek in 1880. The pioneers found so Plants and Animals narrows ends at Utah 24 in the Fremont River Canyon. gorges) retain runoff water for long periods. The vege­ many difficulties to overcome in cultivating the tillable Capitol Gorge, until recently, was used as the only The vegetation, mammals, and birds of the monu­ tation is sparse and desertlike. Pinyons and junipers land that the area until recently could not support more route through the reef. About 2% miles into the gorge ment are typical of the pinyon-juniper belt of the Colo­ grow on the talus slopes, and cottonwoods along streams. than 8 or 10 families. Impassable roads discouraged you will come upon a trail that leads to the top of the rado Plateau. Sagebrush, saltbush, and squawbush visitors, and the area remained practically unknown to reef near Golden Throne. A short distance beyond the form much of the shrubby ground cover. Deer, foxes, the outside world until the 1930's. foot of this trail, you may see on the north wall petro­ Prehistory and History bobcats, and porcupines and other smaller rodents make glyphs that are estimated to be 1,200 years old. These up the bulk of the mammal population. Lizards are Prehistoric Indians known as the Fremont Basket- ancient rock carvings are believed to have been made Geological Significance numerous, but snakes are rarely encountered. Hawks, makers raised corn on flat ground near the streams. by the Basketmaker Indians. owls, ravens, and other birds are common. Smooth cliff walls are covered with many petroglyphs Like other parts of the Colorado River basin, the The precise end ot the road in Capitol Gorge may Capitol Reef region was once a low-lying country, con­ of unusual size and style. The Indians colored these Places of Special Interest reflect the effects of recent storms; but from the end ancient engravings in various tints; some of their pig­ sisting of swamps, shallow lagoons, and wide, sluggish of the road, a walk of little more than a mile will bring ments still adhere to the rocks. The Basketmakers streams, inhabited by giant reptiles and amphibians. All along the road through the monument you will see you to the narrows, where pioneers carved their names lived in open caves but built small stone structures for For millions of years, streams carried silt, sand, and highly colored, grotesquely eroded cliffs. Colors appear and the dates of passage. corn storage. Artifacts and relics from some of these mud into the swampy lowland. As these sediments strongest in early morning or late afternoon. Trails into the wild upper sections of the monument structures are on display at the monument visitor were buried, they gradually hardened to become sand­ If you travel from the west on Utah 24 you come to should not be attempted without back-country infor­ center. stone and shale. a viewpoint near Twin Rocks soon after passing the mation from the monument office. Do not take short­ When the Rocky Mountains began to form about 60 entrance marker. Two miles beyond, on the right, is cuts or wander off the regular trails. Hikers and million years ago, the rocks of this area were buckled the Motorman, and just beyond that is Chimney Rock, Among the many impressive formations at Capitol Reef are The Great mountain climbers planning trips into the back country Organ {upper left), sandstone cliffs at the base of the Aquarius Plateau and folded. Water and wind removed the softer upper on the left. About 1 mile beyond Chimney Rock, a should notify the superintendent before and after each {upper right), and domed pinnacles along the Fremont River {bottom). formations and cut deep gorges in the more resistant dirt road turns right. At its terminus, a short trail trip. CAPITOL REEF CAPITOL REEF About Your Visit Administration CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL MONUMENT • UTAH NATIONAL MONUMENT • UTAH NATIONAL MONUMENT • UTAH Approaches to Capitol Reef are by way of Utah 24. Capitol Reef National Monument, established on The monument is 68 miles east of Richfield and Sigurd August 2, 1937, and containing 61 square miles, is ad­ which are on U.S. 89, and 90 miles west of the junction ministered by the National Park Service, U.S. Depart­ of U.S. 50-6 and Utah 24. ment of the Interior. Monument roads are open all year except for oc­ The National Park System, of which this area is a casional short periods following heavy rain or snow. unit, is dedicated to conserving the scenic, scientific, An unusually scenic approach is through Escalante and historic heritage of the United States for the bene­ and Boulder and over Boulder Mountain, connecting fit and inspiration of its people. with Utah 24 one mile east of Torrey. This graded The development of this park is part of MISSION road runs through spectacular red-rock country and 66, a 10-year conservation program to unfold the full forests of pine and aspen. It is usually free of snow potential of the National Park System for the use and from June 15 to October 15, but local inquiry should enjoyment of both present and future generations. be made before attempting this route. A superintendent, whose address is Torrey, Utah, is The visitor center presents exhibits and illustrated in immediate charge. He can usually be reached either orientation programs. at the visitor center or at his residence, Vfi miles east. Midsummer daytime temperatures are in the 80° to 90° range, and the nights are normally cool. Spring America's Natural Resources and autumn are generally mild. From the latter part of December through January it is usually cold. Created in 1849, the Department of the Interior— Capitol Reef Lodge offers sleeping accommodations, America's Department of Natural Resources—is con­ tours, and meals for a limited number of guests. Gif- cerned with the management, conservation, and devel­ ford Motel also offers accommodations, including two opment of the Nation's water, wildlife, mineral, forest, housekeeping apartments.