Capitol Reef National Park
Capitol Reef National Park, National park in south-central Utah, United States.
The Waterpocket Fold, a 100-mile geological formation, defines Capitol Reef with its sandstone cliffs, canyons, domes, and natural bridges.
The area, initially named Wayne Wonderland in the 1920s, received national monument status in 1937 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration.
Fremont Native Americans established settlements near the Fremont River around 1000 CE, cultivating maize and squash while storing grain in stone structures.
The park entrance fee is $20 per vehicle for a seven-day pass, with access to hiking trails, camping areas, and the historic Fruita orchards.
The park maintains historic orchards where visitors can harvest seasonal fruits from March through October, continuing a tradition from Mormon pioneer settlements.
Location: Utah
Inception: August 2, 1937
Operator: National Park Service
Part of: Canyon Country, Mighty Five
Website: https://nps.gov/care
GPS coordinates: 38.20000,-111.16700
Latest update: August 1, 2025 08:12
The southwestern United States encompasses desert landscapes, sandstone formations and archaeological sites from several pre-Columbian cultures. The region spans Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado, featuring geological structures shaped over millions of years by wind and water erosion. National parks such as Canyonlands and Capitol Reef display canyons, mesas and rock spires in shades of red, orange and ochre. The area preserves evidence of the Ancestral Puebloans, who built cliff dwellings and communal structures between the 12th and 14th centuries. Sites like Bandelier National Monument and Gila Cliff Dwellings provide access to these habitations. Chaco Culture National Historical Park documents a pre-Hispanic trading center with multistory stone complexes. Petroglyphs at locations such as Three Rivers and the petrified trees of Petrified Forest National Park offer additional historical records. The Navajo Nation administers Monument Valley and the Navajo Zoo, while Hubbell Trading Post operates as a functioning 19th-century trading post. Volcanic features mark Sunset Crater and El Malpais, while White Sands covers more than 275 square miles (700 square kilometers) of gypsum dunes. Glen Canyon and the man-made Lake Cochiti provide water access in this largely arid region. Elevation differences range from the Organ Pipe Cactus Desert to Great Basin National Park with its ridges above 13,000 feet (3,900 meters).
Waterpocket Fold
5.6 km
Calf Creek Falls
46.9 km
Anasazi State Park Museum
39.2 km
Factory Butte
34.5 km
Golden Throne
2.6 km
Elijah Cutler Behunin Cabin
9.2 km
Navajo Dome
12.2 km
Death Hollow
51.9 km
Fruita Schoolhouse
12.1 km
Harris Wash
61.5 km
Calf Creek Canyon
50.7 km
Wolverine Canyon
49.8 km
Horse Canyon
54.3 km
Hanks' Dugouts
3.2 km
Fruita Rural Historic District
11.6 km
Torrey Log Church-Schoolhouse
24.7 km
Ekker Butte
19 km
Cathedral Valley Corral
35.5 km
Civilian Conservation Corps Powder Magazine
11.2 km
Lesley Morrell Line Cabin and Corral
36 km
Hickman Natural Bridge
11.6 km
Cassidys Arch
8.5 km
Fruita Ranger Station
13.1 km
Pioneer Register
1.4 km
Cosmic Ashtray
59 km
Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Center
13.1 km
Lower Calf Creek Falls
46.9 km
Hickman Bridge Trail
11.2 kmReviews
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