Tag Archives: Entrada sandstone

Cathedral Valley Loop Drive (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)

Posted on May 25, 2015 by Andrew Wojtanik

Capitol Reef National Park—a long, skinny unit comprising 378 square miles in the heart of Utah’s canyon country—can be divided conceptually into three separate districts, each with a unique flavor. Around 95 percent of visitors flock to the central Fremont … Continue reading →

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Cathedrals Trail (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)

Posted on May 23, 2015 by Andrew Wojtanik

The 60-mile Cathedral Valley loop drive serves as the departure point for six short hiking trails in Utah’s Capitol Reef National Park. When completed in a clockwise direction, the sixth and final hike reached along the way is the 1.1-mile … Continue reading →

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Morrell Cabin Trail (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)

Posted on May 22, 2015 by Andrew Wojtanik

Throughout much of the 20th century, cattle rancher Lesley Morrell owned some of the finest real estate in the West. Though a modest and solitary—comprising just one small room—the cabin was nestled next to stream in the heart of Cathedral … Continue reading →

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Cathedral Valley Overlook Trail (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)

Posted on May 17, 2015 by Andrew Wojtanik

Overlooking a spectacularly colorful basin in Capitol Reef National Park’s northwest corner, the Cathedral Valley Overlook Trail leads to one of the finest viewpoints in the park. From a vantage point 400 feet above the basin floor, this brief hike … Continue reading →

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Upper South Desert Overlook Trail (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)

Posted on May 17, 2015 by Andrew Wojtanik

Situated 27 miles up the unpaved Hartnet Road from Utah Highway 24, the Upper South Desert Overlook is a remote viewpoint in the northwest reaches of Capitol Reef National Park. For those completing the 60-mile Cathedral Valley loop drive, Upper … Continue reading →

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Lower South Desert Overlook (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)

Posted on May 17, 2015 by Andrew Wojtanik

Utah’s Capitol Reef National Park is usually divided into three districts: the Fremont River District, home to more than a dozen maintained trails and the bulk of visitor traffic; the wild, southern Waterpocket District, home to slot canyons and the … Continue reading →

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Devil’s Garden (Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, UT)

Posted on May 10, 2015 by Andrew Wojtanik

For the geologically-minded, the Hole-in-the-Rock Road in Utah’s vast Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument provides access to extraordinary cuts and sluices in the Navajo sandstone (e.g., Peekaboo & Spooky slot canyons, Coyote Gulch), dating to the early Jurassic Period. These canyons—tributaries … Continue reading →

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Halls Creek Narrows via “airport route” (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)

Posted on April 15, 2015 by Andrew Wojtanik

Hundreds of thousands flock to southwestern Utah’s Zion National Park each year to witness the famed Zion Narrows, where the majestic Virgin River has sculpted a 16-mile stretch of cavernous bends and twists seemingly unique in their beauty. Midway across … Continue reading →

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Bullfrog Bay slot canyon (Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, UT)

Posted on February 22, 2015 by Andrew Wojtanik

This sinuous slot canyon may not be the deepest, the longest, or the prettiest in central Utah. Visible from Bullfrog Visitor Center near the shores of Lake Powell, however, it may be one of the most accessible—and, for the non-boating … Continue reading →

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Surprise Canyon (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Andrew Wojtanik

Surprise Canyon and Headquarters Canyon (see my previous post)—Surprise’s nearby, more-frequented cousin—share a number of common traits. For one, they both cut deeply through the Waterpocket Fold, the 100-mile uplift in the earth’s crust that is the signature feature of … Continue reading →

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