Geology in the Raw
Includes Bonus Guide: Utah Scenic Byway 12
Capitol Reef National Park is one of the country’s great driving experiences—remote, wild, and stunningly beautiful, yet blessed with great paved roads. As the scenery unfolds outside your car window, Just Ahead tells you all about the dramatic geological landforms you’re seeing.
Sample a few of the hundreds of stories that play automatically as you drive to and through Capitol Reef:
Capitol Reef is one of Utah’s Mighty Five national parks, and all of them are connected by some of the most scenic drives you can imagine. In other words, getting there is awesome. That’s why we include Utah Scenic Byway 12, between Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon National Park, in this guide. (And we also have audio tours for Zion and Arches and Canyonlands.) We offer turn-by-turn directions to the most dramatic sights. And we tell engaging stories about the park’s history, geology, and wildlife.
Capitol Reef
A vast wrinkle in the earth’s crust and rounded sandstone domes are just some of Capitol Reef’s scenic highlights:
Waterpocket Fold • Capitol Dome • Golden Throne • Capitol Gorge • Pioneer Register (140 Years of Rock-Carved Names!) • Castle Formations • Natural Bridges
Plus: Where else in the national park system can you pick your own apples?
Utah Scenic Byway 12
Just Ahead guides you along 120 miles of breathtaking red-rock scenery between Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef. You’ll experience:
Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument • Kodachrome Basin State Park • Escalante Petrified Forest State Park • Hell’s Backbone • Burr Trail • The Hogsback
And More!
Every Just Ahead guide is a full, rich, entertaining experience. As you drive through and to Capitol Reef, we tell you about:
Bighorn Sheep • Dazzling Night Sky • Fruita Schoolhouse • Petroglyphs • Pioneer Cabin • Historic Fruit Trees (Still Producing!) • Anasazi State Park • Where to Camp • Where to Hike • 4WD Side Trips
You’ll experience Capitol Reef National Park in a way you never could on your own—and there’s no need to take your eyes off the scenery to thumb through maps and guidebooks.
It’s like having a friendly park ranger along for the ride!