Capitol Reef National Park, near Torrey in Utah, owes its name to two of its natural features: whitish rock formations that look like the Capitol dome in Washington, DC; and the giant Waterpocket Fold that stretches from North to South making the rock walls pushed up from the earth look like reefs. There was no easy way to cross the area from East to West until Highway 24 was built in 1962.
I drove on the paved section of Notom Road which ran for 34 miles (54 km) on the East side of Capitol Reef. That’s where the Waterpocket Fold rock wall stretching for miles was clearly visible.

Rock formation by the side of Notom Road, with the long Waterpocket Fold wall seen on the lower right side of the photo. On aerial photos, the fold is clearly visible as it is nearly 100 miles (160 km) long.
Despite these geologic obstacles, Mormon pioneers began settling in the area in the late 1870’s. They established a community named Fruita along the Fremont River, planted fruit trees and raised animals. Fruita is now within the park boundaries and the Mormons have been bought out and moved away, but the orchards are still productive with about 3,000 trees. In season, visitors can pick and eat fruit for free, or pay a small fee if they take it home.
The Gifford family was the last family to be bought out by the government in 1969. Their house now serves as a museum where souvenirs, fruit pies, and ice cream are sold!
The following morning, the sun put on a beautiful sunrise. I took these photos from the hotel which was only 2 miles from Capitol Reef.
Superb rockscapes,amazing shapes and textures!The Capitol Reef does merit its name!Colossal the rock above the trail to the Golden Throne!Does it take you up at the very top?Sad though that the Mormons were bought and left the place where they had worked so hard 😦 Hope you enjoyed your apple pie and strawberry ice cream while watching the sun setting.Interesting post,Hien 🙂
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There are some trails that take you up to the top of those rock formations. The trail to the Golden Throne is 2 miles (3.2 km) long and goes up 700 ft (210 m) in elevation. I saw a few people going up there. I should have done so myself, especially considering that lunch I splurged on! 🙂
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The color and clarity in these photos is wonderful, Hien. Glad to hear you worked off that healthy lunch! 😀
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Thank you Lois! I forgot to mention that the pie, even though it looked small, was somewhat substantial. 🙂
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Stunning photographs!
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Thank you Mary!
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Beautiful photos and great lunch!
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Yes indeed, very yummy that pie with ice cream! The following day I made sure to climb up to Delicate Arch to work it off. 🙂
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Pingback: Capitol Reef National Park: Additional Photos | Lavender Turquois
Stunning colors! Wow!!
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Thank you! As you can tell, I like colors, lots of them. 🙂
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Me too! 🙂
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Great photos, thanks for sharing this beautifully captured location
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Thank you for visiting this blog and for your kind comment.
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