How, Where, What
If the Southwest had a spine, it would probably be here. For more than 160 km (100 mi), the Waterpocket Fold, that massive fault in the earth’s crust, traverses the landscape from Thousand Lakes Mountain in the north to present-day Lake Powell in the south like the scaled dorsal carapace of an ancient dinosaur. The southern half of the park replicates this long tube. Its name originates from two sources: the Capitol Dome, a round rock formation resembling the high rotunda of the Capitol in Washington, and the Waterpocket Fold itself, a series of ridges running from north to south that the first settlers always referred to as „reefs“. In addition, the section north of Rt-24 includes the secluded Cathedral Valley. The Navajos picked up on another characteristic of the landscape and named it „Land of the sleeping rainbow„, for all colors from gray to yellow and from lavender to red are found in the rocks here.
You can photograph many of the interesting formations directly from Rt-24, but a trip into the backcountry, along the Burr Trail or into Cathedral Valley, for example, reveals the park’s true potential. The most photographically rewarding seasons are spring (May) and fall (mid-October), when fresh greenery covers the land with blooming orchids and wildflowers and the cottonwood trees along the Fremont River turn golden.
Directions
Three roads provide access to the elongated park area: the Cathedral Valley Loop Road to the northeast, Rt-24 in the middle, and the Burr Trail or Notom-Bullfrog Road to the south. The park offers a spacious campground (between March and October by reservation only; no hook-ups for RVs) near the Visitor Center. Backcountry camping is permitted on public land around the park with a free permit. Torrey, 11 mi west, offers a number of hotels and other campgrounds. Here you can also rent off-road vehicles for touring the Cathedral Valley.
Capitol Reef in the seasons
The park area is situated in an arid zone, receiving an average of only 46,5 cm (18.3 in) of precipitation per year. In the summer months, daytime temperatures range from 35° to 40° C (95-104 °F). At night, the values drop to 18° C (64 °F). Winter brings temperatures between 4° and -6° C (39-21 °F). In extreme cases, however, the mercury can drop below -17° C (1.4 °F). Between July and the beginning of October, floods can occur after heavy thunderstorms, which can cut you off from the outside world in remote canyons or on backroads. Check with the rangers for the weather forecast during this period before making trips to such areas.
Motifs along Rt-24
The Twin Rocks are two similar-looking mushroom-shaped rock monoliths in a flood of smaller fragments on the left side of the road, not far past the park boundary. The parking area of the same name also offers good views of Boulder Mountain and the foothills of the Waterpocket Fold ahead.
Panorama Point, just a few miles to the east, is the next landmark. Elevated on a rocky ridge, it overlooks the panorama of the entire area, which is well worth seeing. To the north, look up at Chimney Rock at the foot of the towering Waterpocket Fold. In the afternoon, the sun photogenically illuminates the intriguing formation, which consists of two distinct layers of sandstone (red at the base and white at the top), as it stands sideways to the west. To the east, you look at the prominent formations The Castle and Capitol Dome, standing in front of the distant Henry Mountains. In this direction, too, work best with the light of the afternoon sun. You need a focal length of 130-180 mm to make the view effective.
Continue south from Panorama Point via a 1 mi dust road to Goosenecks Viewpoint, 270 m (886 ft) high above the four loops of Sulphur Creek. Unfortunately, the viewpoint is not far enough in front to fully capture the creek’s flow. A clamp tripod helps keep the fence out of the picture. In the morning, the sun casts the fewest shadows.
From here, a short trail heads east to Sunset Point, capturing the perfect evening light on the diagonal cliffs of the Waterpocket Fold against the backdrop of the lava-black Henry Mountains. The Castle can also be nicely captured from up here with a light telephoto. The individual erosion stages of Sulphur Creek Canyon and its further course eastward into the Fremont River Valley are also easy to recognize. Using a graduated gray filter, we can maintain the exposure balance between the canyon, which is already in shadow during the evening, and the lighter background.
You can get much closer to The Castle formation at the viewpoint of the same name at Kilometer 127 (Mile 79) on Rt-24 or at the visitor center. The historic buildings of the Fruita District are spread out around the Visitor Center. In this oasis of orchards, tamarisk, and cottonwood trees, pioneer-era structures including a schoolhouse, blacksmith shop, and the beautiful Gifford Farmhouse at the confluence of the Fremont River and Sulphur Creek provide good still-life subjects against the backdrop of red rock walls. In April, the spot turns a sea of white and pink with the fruit blossoms. During the harvest season between June and September, you can help yourself to free cherries, apricots, peaches, and apples. Near the old blacksmith shop, the Fremont Gorge Overlook Trail begins. It leads over 3,6 km (2.2 mi) and a good 300 meters (984 ft) up the mesa to a viewpoint with a beautiful view of The Castle. Morning and afternoon light conditions are best for this view.
Just past the Visitor Center are four petroglyph tableaus about ten meters (33 ft) high on the smooth rock face. You need at least 200 mm of focal length to isolate details. Depicted are bighorn sheep and strangely costumed human figures.
Capitol Dome is best shot either from the viewpoint of the same name or from the Hickman Bridge Trail as early in the morning or late in the afternoon as possible.
The Hickman Bridge Trail begins 3,2 km (2 mi) east of the visitor center and is quite well traveled. It is 1,5 km (1 mi) long and leads to the eponymous 44 m (144 ft) spanning natural bridge and back. The bridge itself is well lit in the morning. However, in the afternoon, it provides a better frame for pictures of the Capitol Dome or Navajo Dome. You need a decent wide-angle lens in the 28 mm range to capture the bridge and its surroundings cleanly.
The Rim Overlook Trail branches off from the Hickman Bridge Trail right at the beginning (3,6 km, 500 m elevation gain / 2.2 mi, 1,640 ft). After only a few hundred meters, you will pass the bright sandstone formation Pectol’s Pyramid on the other side of the Fremont River. Another 800 meters further on (0.5 mi), you’ll find a cluster of black lava rocks, which you can put very well in the foreground of the pyramid with a strong wide-angle lens. The sun puts the whole view in the best light in the afternoon. At the end of the trail, the Rim Overlook looks down on Fruita Valley from lofty heights and the Waterpocket Fold to the south.
Navajo Knobs Trail begins at this viewpoint. It leads another 3,5 km (2.1 mi) up the formation of the same name, from where you have a wonderful panoramic view of the entire area. For the whole trail, you need half a day there and back. A graduated gray filter brings the Fremont River Valley, which may already be in shadow, back in line exposure-wise with the still well-lit formations.
At Kilometer 137 (Mile 85) on Rt-24, you again have a nice view of the otherwise obstructed ridges of the Waterpocket Fold. The road course continues to follow the Fremont River, which has cut across the fold here. The change of colors is remarkable: instead of red, it is white, beige and yellow dominating here. Between Milemarkers 86 and 87, there is a small waterfall on the left side of the road. A somewhat elevated vantage point along the road is a good place to document it in its rocky setting. As Rt-24 continues, the previously narrow valley opens up visibly.
Motifs along the Scenic Drive
The Scenic Drive travels south for 14 paved kilometers (9 mi) and provides a good impression of the wild backcountry. Pick up the informative brochure from the visitor center to properly interpret the geologic formations and strata. The afternoon sun in the western sky gives this part of the park the best light.
Immediately at the entrance to the campground, the Cohab Canyon Trail begins and runs for 3,5 km (2.1 mi) across to Rt-24. The afternoon light best sets off the rock spires and cliffs. After climbing the steep edge of the Waterpocket Fold and reaching the junction with the Frying Pan Trail, don’t miss the short turnoff north to both the North Overlook and South Overlook. The one on the left looks down into the gardens around Fruita and the one on the right looks up at the bright rock towers around Capitol Dome. Quite a few juniper bushes and pines tempt active foreground composition with the wide-angle lens. The Frying Pan Trail connects the Cohab Canyon Trail to the Grand Wash Trail for 4,8 km (3 mi). It takes you along the crest of Waterpocket Fold, where you’ll get good views of Navajo Dome.
At Kilometer 6,5 (Mile 4), a gravel road (too narrow for RVs) branches east off Scenic Drive to the Grand Wash, an impressive canyon between Scenic Drive and Rt-24. Similar debris piles have been piled up by terminal moraines in front of the high, bright cliffs, and the details of this landscape are so immense that it’s difficult to capture them in context in a picture. Everywhere, fresh fracture edges are visible, and the next rockfall appears to be imminent. Along the trail (3,5 km / 2.1 mi to Rt-24) are large, smoothly polished rock surfaces, evidence of the enormous flash floods. Cassidy Arch sits high above the trailhead on a cliff edge. A three km (1.8 mi) hike with more than 300 m / 980 ft of elevation gain gets you to a viewpoint above the cliff arch. A few meters further along the trail, Echo Cliffs live up to their name. Honeycomb-like holes litter the rock walls at this point. After a few bends, you reach the photogenic Narrows Section, where the nearly 200-meter-high walls come within a few meters of each other. You should not reach this section too late in the day so that some light still falls in and maintains balance with the brighter sky. From the trailhead on Rt-24, you’ll reach the Narrows in just under half an hour.
At the end of the paved section of Scenic Drive, you’ll meet Pleasant Creek Road, which is a 4WD dirt road that curves southwest to Rt-12 and reaches it below Boulder Mountain. It crosses a couple of creeks, and you’d do well to check with the Visitor Center beforehand for water levels. At this junction, you’ll also head east into Capitol Gorge via a short dust road. You can drive a normal car on this well-maintained road. After a little more than 3,2 km (2 mi) it ends at a small picnic area, from where a hiking trail leads further into the canyon and to the Notom-Bullfrog Road at its eastern end. The Pioneer Register, where settlers and adventurers of the last century immortalized themselves in stone, is only about 400 m (0.25 mi) away. Note the particularly pronounced streaks of Desert Varnish on the red sandstone walls of the gorge. After 800 m (0.5 mi) a short trail branches off to The Tanks. The fault line owes its name to these Waterpockets, water-storing small pools between the pointed rock edges. Ask at the Visitor Center if they are filled, because only then can you take one of the wonderful pictures in which the cliffs are reflected in the water surface between the diagonal rock walls.
Motifs along the Waterpocket Fold
South of Rt-24, Capitol Reef NP protects the mighty fault line of the Waterpocket Fold, resembling a long, narrow tube. You can only get into the heart of this fantastic landscape on foot, but you can at least get close to it from Torrey on a 190 km (120 mi) loop via the Notom-Bullfrog Road and the Burr Trail Road. In dry weather, this is even possible with a normal passenger car. After thunderstorms, however, the route is impassable even for four-wheelers. The Strike Valley- and Upper Muley Twist Overlooks provide two high-altitude lookouts that offer excellent views of the Waterpocket Fold. It takes a view of the fold from an elevated position to convey something of its vast proportions in the picture. The view up its slopes from the valleys fails to achieve this, leaving both the viewer and photographer dissatisfied.
The Notom-Bullfrog Road branches south off Rt-24, 9 mi east of the visitor center in Fruita. To get some of the morning light, it’s a good idea to start early because the fault line doesn’t really come into view until after Cedar Mesa Campground to the west. About 13 km (8 mi) south of Rt-24, you’ll reach four west-east trending canyons – Burro Wash, Cottonwood Wash, Fivemile Wash, and Sheets Gulch – a few miles apart. From the respective signs, you will need to walk 1-3 km (0.6-1.8 mi) to the most captivating sections to the west. In the course of the 6–8 km (3.7–5 mi) long, narrow slots, you will find many beautiful waterpockets. If they are filled, these water reservoirs reflect the sky wonderfully between the rock walls, which you should underexpose to the silhouette. Limit photo gear to a housing and a short zoom, and wear appropriate footwear for wading through the small pools. If you are ambitious enough, you can cram time here until early afternoon and still reach the Strike Valley Overlook in time for sunset.
The Notom-Bullfrog Road traverses Strike Valley at the eastern base of the fold for a total distance of 19 km (12 mi). At Mile 33, the Burr Trail diverges to the west and ascends the crest through a series of steep switchbacks, with an elevation gain of 270 m on 800 m of trail, or 885 ft on 2,625 ft. Under normal, dry weather conditions, this section of the trail is quite passable for a normal passenger car. The Burr Trail provides today’s cross-country link between Boulder and Rt-12 to the west and the Notom-Bullfrog Road to the east, crossing the Waterpocket Fold. John Atlantic Burr drove his cattle through Muley Twist and Burr Canyon in the 1880s across the otherwise impassable Waterpocket Fold from summer to winter pastures and market. – So only this section over the switchbacks used to be called the Burr Trail!
At the top, after 1 mi, a dusty road branches off north to the Strike Valley Overlook Parking Area, the trailhead for both the Upper Muley Twist and Strike Valley overlooks. You can drive a normal car on the first 800 m (0.5 mi) of this dirt road. However, the remaining 4 km (2.5 mi) require at least a high-clearance vehicle, but usually 4WD, even in good dry conditions, but make a nice walk without it.
The Strike Valley Overlook, with its spectacular view of the Waterpocket Fold, is just 800 meters (0.5 mi) east from the parking area. The Waterpocket Fold describes a slight arc to the south, which you should include in your picture. The flat light of the afternoon adds color to the fault line and provides invigorating shadows. The elevation produces a dense stand of pines and juniper bushes that provide a nice frame for the images. Shape your composition this way, or put a rock or the edge of the cliff in the foreground to add depth to the panorama and really bring out some of the vastness.
To get to the Upper Muley Twist Overlook with its better view of the upper part of the Waterpocket Fold, you’ll have to hike another 7,2 km (4.5 mi) north from the parking area through the canyon of the same name and along the rim – You can choose to hike there and back for a long day or spend the night in a tent after sunset. Along the way, you pass the interesting Saddle Arch on the first section. If you wish to capture the beautiful light of the late afternoon for your photos, connecting both viewpoints will be challenging, as there are still approximately 48 km (30 mi) on the Burr Trail and another 59 km (37 mi) on Rt-12 to cover before returning to Torrey. However, since the Little Death Hollow Slot Canyon and the Woolverine Petrified Wood Area are two notable destinations on the western part of the route, it is well worth spending the night up here or camping somewhere off the trail (easily done on BLM land) and extending the trip to two days.
The Burr Trail, now paved, traverses Grand Staircase-Escalante NM from the western boundary of Capitol Reef NP, passing the large oval Circle Cliffs Basin. The Woolverine Loop Road branches south off the Burr Trail 6.4 km (4 mi) west of the Capitol Reef NP boundary, or 19 mi east of Boulder. On it, you will reach the Little Death Hollow slot canyon and the Woolverine Petrified Wood Area. This gravel road is passable by any normal passenger car in dry weather; avoid it after thunderstorms because of the clay sections. Once you spot an old horsepen along the trail, you have arrived at Little Death Hollow Canyon. A small trail leads southwest from here into the wide-open canyon. The first part seems uninteresting. You need to walk about 3 km (1.8 mi) and climb over some large boulders to reach the photogenic narrwos. In some places, they are just 2 m (6 ft) wide.
It is 11 km (7 mi) to the intersection with Wolverine Canyon. Back on the gravel road, it is only a short distance to the Woolverine Petrified Wood Natural Area. Follow the open creek southwest from the parking area, and you’ll stumble across the namesake petrified wood in the first mile. Unlike the colorful remains at Escalante Petrified Forest SP or Petrified Forest NP, the pieces seen here are all black.
At the western edge of the Circle Cliff Basin, the Burr Trail Road swings up into the higher, narrow Long Canyon. An overlook is located right at the entrance of the Long Canyon. Here, pines and maples line up beneath the high canyon walls for ten km (6 mi). The road then passes Rattlesnake Bench and traverses The Gulch, a long canyon that has its southern portion protected as an Outstanding Natural Area. Particularly towards the Escalante River, there exist numerous stunning slot canyons that can only be reached on foot from the trailhead located on the road. The last miles of the Burr Trail to Boulder now lead through the foothills of the Aquarius Plateau, which here presents itself with the white sandstone of the Navajo Formation. In all directions, one looks at cruciform erosion and layering patterns, much like the Checkerboard Mesa in Zion NP.
Minimum program and daily schedule
You can cover the part of Capitol Reef NP immediately adjacent to Rt-24 and the major points along Scenic Drive in a full day. Allocate the same amount of time for the loop drive along the Burr Trail. You can do the Cathedral Valley Loop in a good half day, perhaps combining it with continuing east on I-70. However, without a trip into the park’s backcountry, either on a hike or an off-road vehicle ride, you’ll miss the best of Capitol Reef National Park.
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Since I started my first website in the year 2000, I’ve written and published ten books in the German language about photographing the amazing natural wonders of the American West, the details of our visual perception and its photography-related counterparts, and tried to shed some light on the immaterial concepts of quantum and chaos. Now all this material becomes freely accessible on this dedicated English website. I hope many of you find answers and inspiration there. My books are on