Welcome back to National Parks and other public lands with T!

We’d had a full day in Capitol Reef National Park, having begun our tour before dawn to watch the sun rise in Cathedral Valley. As we headed towards the park exit at the end of the day, we made one more stop at Panorama Point.

If you are driving east on Route 24, the parking lot for Panorama Point is the first one after you pass the park entrance. Everyone stops here, so it can be crowded.

The short rock trail takes you from the parking lot to the top of a plateau where there are 360-degree views of the park. There are some educational displays up there about the pure air quality in the park that contributes to the amazing views.

From this vantage point, it’s easier to visualize the waterpocket fold as a reef, or barrier to travel. The rocky spine of the fold stretches on as far as the eye can see.

Capitol Reef posts➤

• Cathedral Valley
• Goblin Valley State Park
• Hickman Bridge
• Scenic Drive
• Panorama Point

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Location: Wayne, Utah
Designation: National Park
Date designated/established: December 18, 1971
Date of my visit: April 13, 2017