Climate
Summer temperatures often climb into the upper 90sF, but nights cool down into the 50sF and 60sF. The thunderstorm season from July through September brings cloudbursts, flash floods and lightning. Spring and fall are milder with highs generally in the 50sF and 60sF. Daytime winter highs average less than 50F. Snowfall is usually light, especially at lower elevations. Humidity is low all year.
Flora and fauna
The most visible plant life in the park is found in the riparian corridors near Fruita. Along the rivers, you may see cottonwoods and willows as well as the invasive tamarisk. Pioneer orchards along the Fremont River sport apple, apricot, pear, peach, and cherry trees. In the dryer areas of the park, you may see sagebrush, Utah Juniper, various prickly pear cacti, and higher elevations may feature pinyon pine. The cacti, along with some desert wildflowers, bloom briefly in the early spring.Like many parts of the Utah desert, the nearly barren ground is covered with a biological soil crust, also known as cryptobiotic soil. This collection of bacteria, moss and lichen helps to stabilize loose desert soils and retain precious moisture. These crusts are very fragile, however, and should never be walked or driven on as they may take centuries to regenerate. Do not leave established hiking trails, but if you must, walk in washes or on bare rock. There are many animals in the park, but, like many desert creatures, they are far more active at night. The park is home to many species of lizards, and a number of snakes. Listen for the sound of Canyon Wrens in the narrow washes; they and many other birds make their home here. Vultures, hawks and the introduced Chukar are common sights in the park. You may be lucky enough to see some of the numerous bat species flying around Fruita in the evening. Deer are an extremely common sight in the orchards and picnic area. Though they may look tame, they are not. Do not feed them or any other animal. Other common large mammals include the Gray Fox, Raccoon, Ringtail, Badger, and Porcupine. The once common Desert Bighorn Sheep were reintroduced in the late 1990's and are thriving. Mountain Lions have also been reported in the park, but are rarely seen by visitors. If you do see one, do not approach it.
History
From the 9th to 15th centuries, Native Americans of the Fremont Culture lived in and near the Waterpocket Fold. They seem to have left the region around 1500 for unknown reasons. Later, nomadic Ute and Southern Paiute tribes inhabited the area. Explorer John C. Fremont passed throught the northern part of what is now Capitol Reef in 1854. The Fremont River that runs through the park is named after him.
White settlement came late to the area, in the 1870's, Latter Day Saints Mormon settlers moved into the high plateau lands west of Capitol Reef and established communities based on short-season farming and grazing. In the 1880's Mormon settlers moved into Capitol Reef and established the community of Fruita along the banks of the Fremont River. These settlers planted the fruit orchards along the river that still exist today. No more than 10 families at any one time lived in the Fruita area.
The area was called "Wayne Wonderland" in the 1920s by local boosters Ephraim P. Pectol and Joseph S. Hickman, and in 1937, President Roosevelt set aside a portion of Wayne Wonderland as a National Monument. Funds for the park were scarce, however, and it would be a long time before the first rangers would arrive. During the 1960's, a campground, visitor center and staff housing were built and a road through the park was paved. During this period, most of the farmers in the area left and sold their land to the Park Service. In 1968, a large amount of land was added to the park, increasing it's size by almost 600%, and in 1971 the National Monumnent officially became Capitol Reef National Park.
Understand
Capitol Reef is a National Park comprising 378 square miles of sandstone canyons, ridges, buttes, and monoliths. The Park is defined by the Waterpocket Fold, a 100-mile long wrinkle in the earth's crust known as a monocline. The Fold extends from nearby Thousand Lakes Mountain to the Colorado River now Lake Powell. Capitol Reef National Park was established to protect this grand and colorful geologic feature, as well as the unique natural and cultural history found in the area. The name was derived from the rounded sandstone buttes which resemble capitol domes and from the long line of rocky cliffs which are a barrier to travel, like a coral reef.
Landscape
Travellers to the park experience a dazzling landscape of rock formations. From colorful domes, high cliffs, and towering spires of sandstone to arches, natural bridges, and narrow slot canyons. The desert streams, such as the Fremont, wind through the Park, carving deep canyons and meandering through floodplains surrounded by narrow ribbons of greenery.
The Waterpocket Fold defines the Park. A 100-mile long warp in the Earth's crust, the Waterpocket Fold is a classic monocline: a regional fold with one very steep side in an area of otherwise nearly horizontal layers. A monocline is a "step-up" in the rock layers. The layers on the west side of the Fold have been lifted more than 7000 feet higher than those on the east. The park was established primarily to preserve the geologic features of the waterpocket fold, such as the scenic rock domes and narrow canyons. Capitol Reef is a geologist's paradise, with nearly 10,000 feet of sedimentary layers ranging from 270 million to 80 million years old. The Waterpocket Fold has tilted this geologic layer cake down to the east, with older rocks in the west and younger ones in the east. Rock layers in Capitol Reef reveal ancient environments as varied as rivers and swamps Chinle Formation, Sahara-like deserts Navajo Sandstone, and shallow oceans Mancos Shale. These layers have been eroded by wind and especially water over the last 20 million years. The landforms are a result of different responses of various rock layers to these forces of erosion. Hard sandstone layers form cliffs, while softer shale layers form slopes and low hills. Black boulders found scattered throughout the park are volcanic rocks from the 20 to 30 million year old lava flows which cap the nearby mountains.