2009 Capitol Reef – US09
Capitol Reef encompasses the Waterpocket Fold, a wrinkle in the earth’s crust that is 65 million years old. In this fold, newer and older layers of earth folded over each other in an S-shape. This wrinkle, probably caused by the same colliding continental plates that created the Rocky Mountains, has weathered and eroded over millennia to expose layers of rock and fossils. The park is filled with brilliantly colored sandstone cliffs, gleaming white domes, and contrasting layers of stone and earth.
Cedar Mesa Campground
The Cedar Mesa Campground is located approximately 35 miles south of Utah State Highway 24 on the Notom-Bullfrog Road and is at 5,500 feet in elevation. This primitive, no-fee campground has five sites, each with a picnic table and fire grate. There is also a pit toilet, but no water is available. The campground is open year-round, but visitors should check with the Capitol Reef Visitor Center for road conditions prior to planning an overnight stay. The 3.5-mile round-trip Red Canyon trail leads from the campground through Pinyon and Juniper trees into a large box canyon. No reservations; first-come, first-served.
