Capitol Reef National Park

September 29, 2018

Travel day.  We left our campground in Dinosaur National Monument around 8:15 AM, and headed toward Capitol Reef National Park, 300 miles away. The drive was spectacular; it’s seems they could just create a national park or monument just about anywhere in Utah. I’m not sure there’s a prettier state. We arrived at the Visitors Center at Capitol Reef around 2:00 pm.  

The park is long and narrow in shape.  The main road travels along a towering canyon of spectacular cliffs and multi colored rock formations on the Freemont River.  The canyon was formed 70 million years ago when two different plates collided, and folded into what geologists call a “waterpocket fold.”  The fold was over 100 miles long and eventually the fault line eroded, primarily by the Freemont River, and left the incredible rock formations that are the Capitol Reef National Park.

Unfortunately the park was packed (since it was Saturday) and disappointingly we saw the “campground full” sign before we even were out of the car.  Alex always has a “Plan B” so we were not too worried.  After watching a film about the park, grabbed some maps, did a speed browse of the gift shop, and took off.  I couldn’t escape the crowds fast enough.

 Not sure what creature lived in this hole.  Don't think I want to know!

Plan B took us along the Notom-Bullfrog Road that paralleled the park.  It was paved for a while, but became gravel/dirt after about 10 miles. We continued on for another 12+ and eventually came upon the rustic 5 site Cedar Mesa campground that fortunately still had one vacancy.  We grabbed it and set up our chairs and wolfed down a very late lunch of beers and sandwiches, and enjoyed another evening under stars.

Exploring Dinosaur National Park

September 28 2018

Our day started slowly with a leisurely breakfast of bacon and eggs.  We were in no hurry to leave our campsite, the views in every direction were spectacular.

Around noon, we headed to the Visitors’ Center, checked out the displays, and watched a film about the National Monument.  A very short drive from the Visitors’ Center is the Quarry Exhibit Hall.  The hall looks like a giant green house built into the side of the mountain.  It features a great wall of bones of over 1500 fossils embedded in rock. Incredibly the remains of over 400 different types of dinosaurs were discovered in 1909 in this exact spot along the Green River.  These fossils are over 149 million years old.   Mind Blowing.

Leaving the Exhibit Hall we took a self guided tour along Cub Creek Road, the only paved road in this part of the National Monument, for about 10 miles.  

Along the road we stopped multiple times to marvel at a variety of pictographs and petroglyphs created by ancient inhabitants thousands of years ago.  At the end of this road is the old cabin of Josie Morris, a reputed from of Butch and Sundance, who was married 5 times, but preferred the single life.  While at Josie’s place, we rolled out the awning on the van, set up our chairs and table, and enjoyed a nice shaded lunch.

We returned to our campsite around 5 pm, and soaked up the scenery for the rest of daylight until we dined under the stars on steak and Lisa Woodward’s home grown potatoes.

After dinner we sat around the campfire, watching the moon rise, and staring at the stars on a sky that was totally devoid of light pollution from any tony or village.

A fabulous day!