Capitol Reef National Park is an evocative world of spectacular colored cliffs, hidden arches, massive domes, and deep canyons. It is a place that includes the finest elements of Bryce and Zion Canyons in a less crowded park that can offer a more relaxing experience than either of those more-famous Utah attractions. It is named for a particularly colorful section of the fold where rounded Navajo sandstone forms capitol-like domes and sheer cliffs form a barrier to travel, often referred to as a reef. The park stretches from north-northwest to south-southeast for 70 miles (112 km) and generally narrows in width (east-west) from up to 12 miles (19 km) in the north to as little as 1 mile (1.6 km) near the southern end. It lies along the northwestern edge of the Colorado Plateau, where it encompasses about three-fourths of the nearly 100-mile- (160-km-) long Waterpocket Fold.
credit: sharshman