You might choose to loop south from Route 50 in Utah to visit Capitol Reef National Park, which is spectacular yet not overwhelmed with tourists.
The park’s name comes from a huge, largely impassable ridge which was called a “reef” by early settlers, along with white sandstone domes that resemble the tops of capitol buildings.
It was established in 1971 to protect the Waterpocket Fold, a 100-mile long warp in the earth’s crust. The fold is a geologic feature called a monocline, formed 50 to 70 million years ago. Today it exposes rock strata that are more than 200 million years old. The exposed rock looms high over the main road through the park, imposing and rugged.
In the early 1900′s, fruit orchards were planted in the flood plain of the Fremont River, which runs through the park. Some orchards still survive, and you can pick fruit yourself. One has been converted to the park’s campground, an oasis of green in a dry, rocky landscape.
It’s about 80 miles from Route 50 to the park from either the east or west on Utah Highway 24. The approach to the park from the east is itself worth seeing, alternating scenes of spectacle and desolation.