Utah: Capitol Reef on the way and the trails of Zion

In September 2017 we were driving across Utah to Zion National Park and on the way, without planning it, ended up in one more park, Capitol Reef.

Capitol Reef, which we hadn't planned to visit

We were driving along yet another scenic road, heading to Zion, but happened to drive into Capitol Reef.

The Waterpocket Fold runs through the park, a wrinkle in the earth's crust almost 160 kilometers long. It is what created the amazing landscapes here. Once there was a shallow sea in this place, then the land here rose, probably because of the same plate collisions that raised the Rocky Mountains.

The park got its name from its white sandstone domes: they resemble the dome of the Capitol. Rock drawings by ancient Native Americans have also survived here.

A trail through the canyons

From Capitol Reef we drove on to Zion. Beautiful cliffs, hills, and canyons come together in this park.

There is an interesting trail here: it climbs through the canyons to the top of a cliff, from where you can see the whole of Zion Canyon.

Along the way we came across a canyon polished by water. The water in it cast reflections onto the rock.

We found one more interesting trail too.

And this squirrel is a clear illustration of why you shouldn't feed wild animals: a squirrel shouldn't be this round.

Buses and a tunnel

You can get around the main areas of the park only on the free buses: cars aren't allowed there. So we shot the views of the road from the bus window.

Zion also has an impressive tunnel more than 1700 meters long, cut through solid sandstone. Window galleries are carved into the rock. The tunnel is fairly narrow: if something wide is coming through, the oncoming lane is closed for it, and in 2017 the driver paid $15 for that.