Waterpocket Fold, Monoclinal fold in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, US.

Waterpocket Fold is a monoclinal fold, a south-southeast-trending step in which the east side dropped relative to the west, running nearly 100 miles through Wayne, Garfield and Kane counties. Its tilted layers rise as a long ridge: dark gray and greenish lower slopes cut by gullies, and an upper face of reddish orange, tan and pale gray bands that narrows and bends into a rounded fold.

The fold formed 50 to 70 million years ago during the Laramide orogeny. A pre-existing fault meant only the layers west of it were raised, by up to 2,000 metres. Uplift of the Colorado Plateau over the past 20 million years and the resulting erosion then exposed the tilted strata.

The name comes from the waterpockets: hollows in the sandstone that collect and hold rainwater. The fold's tilted layers and the canyons cut into them are crossed by hiking trails in the Capitol Reef National Park section, and the Golden Throne is reached from the park's Scenic Drive.

Access the fold via Utah State Route 24 or Notom Road, with several viewpoints providing different perspectives of the rock formations. Bring plenty of water in the hot season and wear sturdy shoes, as unpaved roads and hiking trails can be rough and exposed.

The name comes from the small waterpockets, natural hollows in the sandstone that collect rainwater. The fold is a monoclinal step: a pre-existing fault meant only the layers west of it were lifted, by up to 2,000 metres, during the Laramide orogeny 50 to 70 million years ago. Since about 20 million years ago, uplift of the Colorado Plateau and erosion have exposed the tilted layers.