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Jerry Pillarelli | profile | all galleries >> Travel and Nature; Sites by State >> US Travel; by Trip, by State >> Utah >> Capitol Reef National Park – Utah >> Capitol Reef National Park – Scenic Drive – Utah (2019) tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Capitol Reef National Park – Scenic Drive – Utah (2019)

Images of Capitol Reef National Park, Scenic Drive – Central Utah, taken in July 2019.

This is the heart of Capitol Reef National Park; some of the most interesting formations and views are along the six mile stretch of Utah Highway 24 that runs from the east to the west side of the park. Then there’s the Scenic Drive off of UT 24, a ten mile trip through the Fruita District, an area the Mormons homesteaded and farmed starting in the 1880’s, and to two very scenic canyons, the Grand Wash and the Capitol Gorge.

Upon arrival in the area and shortly after completing the setup of my RV, I grabbed my camera and headed into the park to view the sunset from Sunset Point. Once again it was going to be a nice evening with only passing clouds, a recipe for a nice sunset. And I was not disappointed; the sunlight striking the red and orange sandstone put on quite a display!

In the days that followed I spent my time exploring this area and all its interesting limestone and sandstone formations. This is a wonderful and much underrated National Park but when you're competing with the likes of Zion and Arches it's hard to get attention! However, what that ultimately means is that the crowds you see in those other parks are muted here which makes for a much more pleasant experience.
The Castle sandstone formation in Capitol Reef National Park
The Castle sandstone formation in Capitol Reef National Park 		The Fluted Wall formation in Capitol Reef National Park
The Fluted Wall formation in Capitol Reef National Park		 The Castle formation in Capitol Reef National Park
The Castle formation in Capitol Reef National Park		 Clouds over the red sandstone cliffs of Capitol Reef National Park
Clouds over the red sandstone cliffs of Capitol Reef National Park		 The west side of the Waterpocket Fold as seen through a small canyon in Capitol Reef National Park
The west side of the Waterpocket Fold as seen through a small canyon in Capitol Reef National Park
The Twin Rocks in Capitol Reef National Park
The Twin Rocks in Capitol Reef National Park		 The Castle and its shadow seen from Sunset Point as the sun sets in Capitol Reef National Park
The Castle and its shadow seen from Sunset Point as the sun sets in Capitol Reef National Park		 Chimney Rock in the late afternoon in Capitol Reef National Park
Chimney Rock in the late afternoon in Capitol Reef National Park		 A dead tree dusted with red sandstone dust in Capitol Reef National Park
A dead tree dusted with red sandstone dust in Capitol Reef National Park		 The red cliffs near Chimney Rock in Capitol Reef National Park
The red cliffs near Chimney Rock in Capitol Reef National Park
The setting sun striking Chimney Rock in Capitol Reef National Park
The setting sun striking Chimney Rock in Capitol Reef National Park		 A tree colored by the setting sun at Sunset Point in Capitol Reef National Park
A tree colored by the setting sun at Sunset Point in Capitol Reef National Park		 Sunset reflected on The Castle and the surrounding landscape as seen from Sunset Point in Capitol Reef National Park
Sunset reflected on The Castle and the surrounding landscape as seen from Sunset Point in Capitol Reef National Park		 The last rays of sunlight catch the remains of a tree at Sunset Point in Capitol Reef National Park
The last rays of sunlight catch the remains of a tree at Sunset Point in Capitol Reef National Park		 The sunset reflected in the colorful sandstone of Capitol Reef National Park
The sunset reflected in the colorful sandstone of Capitol Reef National Park
The Navajo Dome formation in early morning sunlight along Utah Highway 24 in Capitol Reef National Park
The Navajo Dome formation in early morning sunlight along Utah Highway 24 in Capitol Reef National Park		 Limestone formations as seen along UT 24 in Capitol Reef National Park
Limestone formations as seen along UT 24 in Capitol Reef National Park		 The Navajo Dome and other rock formations along UT 24 in Capitol Reef National Park
The Navajo Dome and other rock formations along UT 24 in Capitol Reef National Park		 The Capitol Dome (6.120 ft.) as seen from UT 24 in Capitol Reef National Park
The Capitol Dome (6.120 ft.) as seen from UT 24 in Capitol Reef National Park		 Navajo Dome along Utah Highway 24 in Capitol Reef National Park
Navajo Dome along Utah Highway 24 in Capitol Reef National Park
Ferns Nipple as seen from the Grand Wash Trail in Capitol Reef National Park
Ferns Nipple as seen from the Grand Wash Trail in Capitol Reef National Park		 The towering walls of the Grand Wash as seen from the Grand Wash Trail in Capitol Reef National Park
The towering walls of the Grand Wash as seen from the Grand Wash Trail in Capitol Reef National Park		 View along the Grand Wash Trail in Capitol Reef National Park
View along the Grand Wash Trail in Capitol Reef National Park		 The vertical walls along the Grand Wash Trail in Capitol Reef National Park
The vertical walls along the Grand Wash Trail in Capitol Reef National Park		 Limestone and sandstone formations along the Grand Wash Trail in Capitol Reef National Park
Limestone and sandstone formations along the Grand Wash Trail in Capitol Reef National Park
Rock formations above the Grand Wash Trail in Capitol Reef National Park
Rock formations above the Grand Wash Trail in Capitol Reef National Park		 A limestone dome above the Grand Wash Trail in Capitol Reef National Park
A limestone dome above the Grand Wash Trail in Capitol Reef National Park		 The moon above limestone domes along the Grand Wash Trail in Capitol Reef National Park
The moon above limestone domes along the Grand Wash Trail in Capitol Reef National Park		 View along the Grand Wash Trail in Capitol Reef National Park
View along the Grand Wash Trail in Capitol Reef National Park		 Fracture in a cliff along the Grand Wash Trail in Capitol Reef National Park
Fracture in a cliff along the Grand Wash Trail in Capitol Reef National Park
A Petroglyph panel of big horn sheep in Capitol Reef National Park
A Petroglyph panel of big horn sheep in Capitol Reef National Park		 Petroglyphs of human and animal figures in Capitol Reef National Park
Petroglyphs of human and animal figures in Capitol Reef National Park		 Dramatic cliffs of the Waterpocket Fold as seen from along the Scenic Drive in Capitol Reef National Park
Dramatic cliffs of the Waterpocket Fold as seen from along the Scenic Drive in Capitol Reef National Park		 Historic Mormon barn in the Fruita District along the Scenic Drive in Capitol Reef National Park
Historic Mormon barn in the Fruita District along the Scenic Drive in Capitol Reef National Park		 Sandstone cliffs along the Scenic Drive in Capitol Reef National Park
Sandstone cliffs along the Scenic Drive in Capitol Reef National Park
Ferns Nipple (left) and the Waterpocket Fold as seen from the Scenic Drive in Capitol Reef National Park
Ferns Nipple (left) and the Waterpocket Fold as seen from the Scenic Drive in Capitol Reef National Park		 Rock formation above the Pleasant Creek Road in Capitol Reef National Park
Rock formation above the Pleasant Creek Road in Capitol Reef National Park		 The Golden Throne (center right) as seen from the Pleasant Creek Road in Capitol Reef National Park
The Golden Throne (center right) as seen from the Pleasant Creek Road in Capitol Reef National Park		 Historic settlement along the Pleasant Creek Road in Capitol Reef National Park
Historic settlement along the Pleasant Creek Road in Capitol Reef National Park		 The moon above fractured sandstone along the Pleasant Creek Road in Capitol Reef National Park
The moon above fractured sandstone along the Pleasant Creek Road in Capitol Reef National Park

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