MY 50-STATE STRATEGY

There was much to see at Capitol Reef National Park. It was full of unexpected pleasures including this granite guy I’m just going to call Stoney!

It’s said that every picture is worth a 1,000 words …

SO, HERE’S ABOUT 7,000 ….

Sliderock Divide

 … Give or take a paragraph or 10.
As I told you in an earlier post, when I visited Rocky Mountain National Park, I met a few interesting characters, including Nick and Judy, a pair of Brits who had been traveling the country in a RV full-time for nearly the last three years. They had visited almost all the great parks in the U.S. system and were a welcomed fountain of information and advice.
When I asked them which state they thought was the most scenic, they answered in unison, “Utah.” They touted Capitol Reef National Park heavily, joining along with a park ranger I met who was presently stationed in the Rockies, but who previously been posted at Capitol Reef.
 Everyone talks about the Big Four in south Utah – Arches and Canyonlands in the east, Bryce Canyon and Zion in the west – and, so, based on that counsel, I almost passed by Capitol Reef, located right in the middle.

The Castle

Nick and Judy said I’d be a fool to miss it, and that it was the standout park of their entire trip. And since they had pretty much covered the entire system, it seemed a fairly strong endorsement. So I dropped by. Glad I did!

One again, the geology tells the tale here. About 65 million years ago, the Earth’s crust buckled, form what’s now called Waterpocket Fold, a giant rocky wrinkle that stretches for 100 miles north-to-south through south central Utah.

Waterpocket Fold

  With the Freemont River flowing through the middle of the park, there’s a spot called Fruita here also. Like previous stops, it is also an oasis-type area, filled with fruit orchards. These spots are still an amazing sight here after the dust of the desert, no matter how many times you see one. I stayed to myself here, purposely not trying to make friends as I had a lot of ground to cover and very little time budgeted for exploring.
I camped in the town of Torrey, just west of the park.I then went to the Visitors’ Center, where both rangers had New England ties, one was from Guilford, Maine and the other had attended Wellesley College.


The Notams

Based on the rangers’ advice, I followed the Notom-Bullfrog Road running parallel to the Waterpocket Fold. Rough road, but great sights and well worth the trouble. The Fold is a thin strip, bordered on both sides by incredible ranches. It’s amazing to think that some individuals own all this land and have these private views.

Before a huge full moon took over the night, I traveled down a scenic drive at sunset, again on the rangers’ advice. I was wonderful, full of amazing colors and shapes, and some very tight slot canyons.


Flowers that look like Creamsicles

 The Navajo called this area The Land of the Sleeping Rainbow. This is one beautiful spot. From now on, at least from me, you’ll be hearing about the Big Five in Utah, not four!
Only a national Park since 1971, there is no admission charged here.

On the way to Capitol Reef, I stopped here, a convenience store on a whole new level, this store, gas station and gathering spot carved out of the rock is a welcome relief in the high desert in Hanksville, Utah. Hanksville sits, geographically, just south of the Dirty Devil River, due west of Canyonlands National Park, due east of Capitol Reef and north of Lake Powell. Seems this store wasn't just situated at the crossroads of routes 95 and 24, it was the nexus in town. Not knowing what lay ahead, I stocked up on water, block ice and gas.