Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dreamscapes.ca/i/725964
fied by the vastly broad and endless land- scape of desert rock and blue sky. However, it is this vastness that holds special sur- prises—secrets ranging from hidden arches and massive domes to a tortured, twisted warp in the earth's surface, resulting in the 160-kilometre Waterpocket Fold. No doubt Capitol Reef is Utah's most iso- lated national park. A narrow park less than 32 kilometres wide but more than 160 kilo- metres long, it protects a squiggly S-shaped warp in the Earth's crust called the Water- pocket Fold. Created over 65 million years ago and part of the same energy force that built the Rocky Mountains, this is the longest exposed monocline in North America. Besides boasting Earth's largest wrinkle, the park has many petroglyphs. The most notable are the Fremont petroglyphs on Highway 24, a short walk to the east of the visitor centre and accessed via a boardwalk with viewing platforms. ZION NATIONAL PARK Highlights: The Watchman from Canyon Junc- tion, Emerald Pools, The Narrows, Kolob Arch Zion is the state's first national park and its most popular. Noted for its varied geological landscapes consisting of slot canyons, mesas, high plateaus and monolithic cliffs, the park's exquisite beauty is most defined by the 610-metre red and white canyon walls of Navajo sandstone that loom over Zion Canyon. A place of reverence, Zion is peppered with biblical names such as the Court of the Patriarchs, The Pulpit and Temple of Sinawava. Perhaps the best-known image is that of the Watchman taken from Canyon Junction Bridge. Around the first week in November, the cottonwoods turn bright yellow and add a crowning glory to this majestic setting. Since the 9.6-kilometre Zion Canyon Scenic Drive from Canyon Junction along the North Fork of the Virgin River to the beginning of the Virgin Narrows is closed from April through October, hop-on/hop- off shuttles are provided along this route. Visitors can visit Court of the Patriarchs, Zion Lodge (hike to Emerald Pools is across the street), Big Bend and the Temple of Sinawava. From here, you can catch the easy Riverside Walk, which leads to the Virgin Narrows. (Note that a permit is required to hike the Virgin Narrows.) For a less-crowded version of Zion, drive the Kolob Fingers Road Scenic Byway in the northwestern corner on the park. Look for Kolob Arch, once considered the longest arch in the world until it was measured by laser in 2006. At 87.48 metres, it is just 0.91 metre shy of Landscape Arch in Arches National Park. FALL 2016 DREAMSCAPES 39 For more information about Utah and its five National Parks, visit: State of Utah: VisitUtah.com Arches National Park: nps.gov/arch Bryce Canyon National Park: nps.gov/brca Canyonlands National Park: nps.gov/cany Capitol Reef National Park: nps.gov/care Zion National Park: nps.gov/zion DS OPPOSITE TOP: The Zion— Mt. Carmel Highway features switchbacks, slickrock and sweeping views. Utah Tourism OPPOSITE BOTTOM: Slickrock Trail in the Canyonlands National Park is a popular mountain biking destination. K.D. Leperi LEFT: Hikers take in the magnificent views at Capitol Reef National Park. Utah Tourism T R A V E L P L A N N E R