Scenic Views

There are great views to be had all over Capitol Reef National Park. There are scenic overlooks along the park's main paved road, aptly named Scenic Drive, including Danish Hill and Slickrock Divide. Before the Visitor Center on Hwy. 24 is another overlook, Panorama Point, near Chimney Rock. Upper and Lower Cathedral Valley Overlooks, in the park's north offer great views of sculptured sandstone monoliths with names like the Walls of Jericho and the Temples of the Sun, Moon, and Stars. Visitors driving vehicles with high ground clearance and 4WD can take the Cathedral Valley Loop Tour, stopping at both the Lower and Upper South Desert Overlooks. From the Lower South Desert Overlook, midway through the valley, viewers can see rock layers ranging from the gray, ledgy Morrison atop the cliffs to the east, to the white Navajo Sandstone slickrock and domes high on top of the Waterpocket Fold. Driving south along the Notom-Bullfrog/Burr Trail Road offers great views of the Waterpocket Fold. The Burr Trail Road crosses through the Fold via a series of very steep switchbacks, and offer an outstanding viewing spot for the geologic formation, as well as of the Henry Mountains to the east.