Capitol Reef National Park

The Waterpocket Fold

Capitol Reef protects the Waterpocket Fold, a nearly 100-mile buckle in the earth's crust where ancient rock layers were tilted on end and carved into cliffs, domes, and slot canyons. The "Capitol" name comes from the white Navajo sandstone domes that reminded early travelers of capitol buildings; the "Reef" from the rocky barrier the fold once posed to wagon travel.

Fruita & the Orchards

At the park's heart sits Fruita, a historic Latter-day Saint settlement whose pioneer orchards are still maintained by the Park Service. In summer and fall you can pick cherries, apricots, peaches, and apples right off the trees for a small fee - a genuinely unusual national-park experience. The Gifford Homestead nearby sells fresh-baked pies.

Getting There From Zion

Capitol Reef is about a three-hour drive from Zion, most scenically via Scenic Byway 12 through Bryce Canyon and Grand Staircase-Escalante - one of the most beautiful drives in America. That makes it a natural third stop on a Zion-Bryce-Capitol Reef loop without the long haul to Moab.