Capitol Reef National ParkBy : Davis Sheppard

In 1928, Ephraim Pectol was elected to the Utah State legislature. He began a campaign to try to draw attention to the water pocket fold area of Capitol Reef. In 1937, President Roosevelt put aside about 37,000 acres of the Capitol Reef as a national monument. The amount of visitors in NPS areas was growing very quickly. Nearly 150,000 people were visiting Capital Reef each year. In 1970, bills were introduced into congress to see if Capitol Reef should be a national park. Officials recommended that 254,000 acres should be set aside as a national park, and that legislation was signed by President Nixon on December 18, 1971.

When Did It Become a National Park?

Map Of Capitol Reef

George Fremont Trail

Lower Muley Twist Canyon

Lower Muley Canyon Twist

Fremont George Overlook Trail

U.S. Map

Pollution from areas around the park and the park itself are greatly affecting the environment. Animals may consume trash from visitors and be killed. The food chains may be in danger too, as other non-native animals are finding ways into the park. Weather may not be as much of an issue as it is an occurrence. When it rain the rocks in the national park are slowly being eroded and changing the landforms.

Environmental Issues

Capitol Reef is known for the water pocket fold, running 100 miles throughout the park. It forms a very steep step-up, called a monocline, in an area with mostly flat layers. It was formed nearly 70 million years ago when a fault buried underneath the surface moved and created the monocline. Erosion has greatly affected this fold. It has created colorful cliffs, and massive domes. There is also Capitol Reef itself, which can be found near the Gorge Fremont River. It’s named for it’s white domes made of Navajo Sandstone, and it’s rocky cliffs. Rocks found in this area can range from 270 million, to 80 million years old. The Waterpocket fold has tilted the rock layers to the east. Older rocks are found in the western part of the park, and younger rocks are found in the east

Special Landforms

United States. National Park Service. “Park Founders.” National Park Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, 22 Nov. 2015. Web. 22 Nov. 2015.

“Map of Capitol Reef National Park.” MapsofNet. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2015

“Lower Muley Twist Canyon and Hamburger Rocks (Capitol Reef National Park, UT).” Live and Let Hike. N.p., 30 Mar. 2015. Web. 22 Nov. 2015.

“Fremont Gorge Overlook Trail (Capitol Reef National Park, UT).” Live and Let Hike. N.p., 21 Dec. 2015. Web. 22 Nov. 2015.

“U.S. National Park Pictures: Map.” U.S. National Park Pictures: Map. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2015.

United States. National Park Service. “Geology.” National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, 27 Nov. 2015. Web. 28 Nov. 2015.

Bibliography