Waterpocket Fold
The Waterpocket Fold is the defining feature in Capitol Reef National Park.
Plan Around Waterpocket Fold
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Waterpocket Fold Details
The Waterpocket Fold is the defining feature in Capitol Reef National Park. At nearly 100 miles long, this warp in the Earth's crust is a classic monocline, meaning that it's a regional fold with one very steep side in an area that otherwise features nearly horizontal layers. The rock layers on the west side of the fold have been lifted up more than 7,000 feet higher than the layers on the east. This striking geological formation was created between 50 and 70 million years ago when an ancient buried fault was reactivated. When it moved, the overlying rock layers were draped above the fault and formed a monocline. More recent uplift of the entire Colorado Plateau and the erosion that resulted has exposed the fold at the surface only within the last 15 to 20 million years. Waterpocket Fold got its name based on this ongoing erosion; "Waterpockets" are basins that form in many of the sandstone layers as they are eroded by water, which are common throughout the fold. Erosion is ongoing today, forming cliffs, domes, monoliths, and canyons among other geological features. The most scenic portion of the Fold is located near the Fremont River and lends its name to the national park itself, Capitol Reef; capitol for the white domes of Navajo Sandstone that resemble capitol building domes, and reef for the rocky cliffs which present a barrier to travel, like a coral reef.
Difficulty
Low
Distance
N/A
Estimated time
N/A
Region
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Nearby Parks Around Waterpocket Fold
Compare nearby parks around Waterpocket Fold when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.
Nearby Points of Interest Around Waterpocket Fold
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Waterpocket Fold while the map context is still fresh.
1.8 mi away
Pectols Pyramid
A triangular rock formation that you can see from Capitol Reef's Hickman Bridge trail.
2.2 mi away
Behunin Cabin
The one-room Behunin Cabin was built in 1882 by Mormon settler Elijah Cutler Behunin and his family.
2.4 mi away
Grand Wash Trailhead (Highway 24)
The Grand Wash Trailhead, which has parking and restrooms off Highway 24, is actually one of two trailheads for this relatively flat and easy trail.
2.5 mi away
Grand Wash Trail
Grand Wash connects Hwy. 24 and the Fremont River with Scenic Drive, and is one of only six drainages cutting east-west through the 100-mile Waterpocket Fold.
2.5 mi away
The Tanks
At the end of the Capitol Gorge Trail, hikers will come to the Tanks, a series of large potholes in the sandstone where erosion has carved pockets into the rock, which sometimes hold rainwater.
