- State: UT
- NPCA Region: Southwest
- Est. Date: 1937
Air Quality Conditions
View the Polluted Parks ReportVisibility
Unsatisfactory
Health
Unsatisfactory
Nature
Significant Concern
Climate Change Threats
This park protects a grand and colorful geologic feature known as the Waterpocket Fold, a 100-mile wrinkle in the Earth's crust known as a monocline that extends from nearby Thousand Lakes Mountain to Lake Powell. The park also preserves the unique natural and cultural history of the Fremont people who lived throughout Utah and adjacent states from 700 to 1300 AD. The park features petroglyphs, pictograms and artifacts of the Fremont people, as well as a wealth of layered sandstone rock formations, multicolored mesas and buttes, and sweeping, colorful desert views in all directions.
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Blog Post
See a Sky Full of Stars at These Certified Dark-Sky Parks
Lay out a blanket after the sun goes down and see a clearer view of the galaxy at these designated dark-sky parks.
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Magazine Article
Reaching For The Sky
A photographer and Yellowstone staffer on the art of taking nighttime pictures
My Park Story
Greetings from Capitol Reef National Park
Bettye and I have hiked trails in most of our wonderful national parks, but our hike through beautiful Cohab Canyon to the high point overlook is particularly memorable. The weather was perfect and the views spectacular. Setting our camera on a rock and using the timer, our joy for having…
More about Capitol Reef
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Read more about Our Southwestern National Parks Deserve Cleaner Air
NPCA at Work Our Southwestern National Parks Deserve Cleaner Air Clean air is still out of reach for our Southwestern national parks.
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Read more about Utah’s Mighty Five and Beyond (WAITLIST ONLY)
Land Based Trip Utah’s Mighty Five and Beyond (WAITLIST ONLY) Uncover the rugged beauty and rich Indigenous history of Utah – a vast state with some of the country’s most famous national parks. On this nine-day national parks highlights trip, you’ll experience Utah’s famous “Mighty Five” national parks – Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands – along with the lesser known but equally stunning Bears Ears National Monument and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.
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Read more about A Fruitful Mission
Magazine Article A Fruitful Mission As the park system’s fruit trees reach the end of their lifespans, staff are scrambling to save them.
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Read more about Advocates Save 85,000 Acres in Utah from Oil and Gas Development — for Now
Blog Post Advocates Save 85,000 Acres in Utah from Oil and Gas Development — for Now A coalition of elected officials, tribal leaders, business owners, outdoor enthusiasts and public land advocates successfully pressured the Bureau of Land Management to remove Moab-area parcels from its oil and gas lease sales next month.
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They are my sanctuary, places of peace where I can go to fill my heart and mind with the quiet beauty of nature, where a bubbling brook, a majestic mountain, or desert solitude can give me new strength to continue on with the journey of life! — Charity Hagen
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Read more about Amid Pandemic, Interior Moves Forward With Enormous Oil And Gas Drilling Plan Near National Parks
Press Release Amid Pandemic, Interior Moves Forward With Enormous Oil And Gas Drilling Plan Near National Parks The 110,000+ acre proposal would include oil and gas drilling within a mile of Canyonlands National Park and the original boundaries of Bears Ears National Monument
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Read more about Park Service Reverses Decision to Open Utah Parks to Off-Road Vehicles
Blog Post Park Service Reverses Decision to Open Utah Parks to Off-Road Vehicles After significant public pressure, including thousands of messages from NPCA supporters, the National Park Service reversed a decision that would have allowed certain off-road vehicles on paved and dirt roads in national parks and monuments in Utah.
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Read more about Park Advocates Applaud Decision to Keep Off-Road Vehicles Out of Utah National Parks and Monuments
Press Release Park Advocates Applaud Decision to Keep Off-Road Vehicles Out of Utah National Parks and Monuments Decision maintains commonsense park resource protections and promotes visitor safety
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Read more about 10 Scenic National Park Drives
Blog Post 10 Scenic National Park Drives These 10 parks offer incredible views of some of America's most beautiful places with plenty of opportunities to get out and explore along the way.
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Read more about Fuel Your Park Adventure: 10 Great Restaurants Near National Parks
Blog Post Fuel Your Park Adventure: 10 Great Restaurants Near National Parks Restaurants just outside national parks can be destinations in their own right. Our staff recommends 10 eateries where you can enjoy local delicacies.
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Read more about Oil, Gas Leasing Threatens 7 Western National Parks
Press Release Oil, Gas Leasing Threatens 7 Western National Parks New report details dangers of development near park lands.
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Read more about Oil, Gas Leasing Threatens 7 Western National Parks
Report Oil, Gas Leasing Threatens 7 Western National Parks New report details dangers of development near park lands
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Read more about The 10 Most-Visited Parks — and Less-Visited Side Trips
Blog Post The 10 Most-Visited Parks — and Less-Visited Side Trips It's no surprise millions of people flock to America's most celebrated national parks. But did you know about these 10 lesser-known sites nearby?
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Read more about Why See Utah If You Can't See It Clearly?
Blog Post Why See Utah If You Can't See It Clearly? A new plan to clean up haze in the Southwest could help both parks and people—but without public action, Utah could be subjected to the same pollution problems it's had for years.
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Read more about Power Plants in the Four Corners Region
Report Power Plants in the Four Corners Region Map of national parks and power plants in the Four Corners region
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