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Capitol Reef National Park

An Aerial View Of The Waterpocket Fold, Capitol Reef National Park

An aerial view of a line of beige and red rock constituting the Waterpocket Fold geologic structure at Capitol Reef National Park

According to the National Park Service, "The Waterpocket Fold defines Capitol Reef National Park. A nearly 100-mile long warp in the Earth's crust, the Waterpocket Fold is a classic monocline, a "step-up" in the rock layers. It formed between 50 and 70 million years ago when a major mountain building event in western North America, the Laramide Orogeny, reactivated an ancient buried fault in this region. Movement along the fault caused the west side to shift upwards relative to the east side. The overlying sedimentary layers were draped above the fault and formed a monocline.

National Park Service

Photography In The National Parks: Abstracts In Nature

How many of you out there appreciate abstract art? Even if you don’t like it, how many of you have photographed something abstract because it caught your eye while visiting a unit of the National Park System? Contributing photographer Rebecca Latson discusses ways to photograph (or even create after the fact) abstracts framed within your national park compositions.

Catch The Annular Eclipse At Big Thicket National Preserve

Big Thicket National Preserve in Texas is one of the National Park System units in the path of the annular solar eclipse next month and park staff are offering solar-filtered telescopes and eclipse glasses for safe viewing, ranger programs, and a sneak peek at the preserve's 50th anniversary celebrations in 2024.

A Winter View From the Chimney Rock Loop Trail, Capitol Reef National Park

A snowy, elevated view looking down upon Chimney Rock and the road through Capitol Reef National Park

"The Chimney Rock Trail highlights Capitol Reef's geology, in both up-close views and broad panoramas. The trail initially climbs steeply alongside a fault ... once atop the bluff, hikers are rewarded with excellent views of Chimney Rock, the western escarpment of the Waterpocket Fold, and the high, volcanic plateau of Boulder Mountain to the southwest. The landscape's intense colors are at their peak just before sunset. This shadeless trail can be hot in summer; carry water, and use caution near cliff edges."

National Park Service

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