September 2019 – One day, while enjoying the beautiful lakes and woods of central Utah, we took our RZR up and over a mountain and found ourselves staring down into a world of stunning red rocks: Capitol Reef National Park’s spectacular Cathedral Valley.
We took our RZR for a ride in sensational Cathedral Valley — WOW!
The road wound around through the mountain woods and passed a few small ponds and meadows and then branched off on a spur to an overlook. What a fabulous view!
The red rock towers of Cathedral Valley beckoned from a distance.
Buddy looks out at the astonishing view.
Cathedral Valley lay far below us.
In the distance we could see a dirt road crossing the valley floor heading off towards the towering red rock cathedrals.
A road through Cathedral Valley wound towards the pinnacles.
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The road descended quickly and made some sharp switch-back turns.
We got down towards the level of the valley floor.
We stopped on a little promontory and wandered around on a narrow sandy trail. Such views!
Exotic stone towers seemed to jut up from the desert floor.
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We rounded one final hairpin switchback turn and then the view widened. The towering cathedral pinnacles seemed within arm’s reach.
“Cathedral Valley” is the perfect name for this place.
View through the branches of an old dead tree.
Some of the rock formations were sharp and jagged, while others had a more rounded and softer appearance.
Some rock towers had knife-like edges. Others were softly rounded.
Horizontal stripes and undulations
Varying shapes and layers.
Once we got down to the valley floor, our little canine trail scout, Buddy, insisted on showing us the way.
The views made Buddy want to run run run!
What a place!
We were all alone in a fantastic and desolate land. The sun was warm on our skin and there were exotic red rock cliffs and pinnacles in every direction around us.
Moon unit in a moonscape!
We hopped out of the RZR onto the sandy trail, and down at our feet we noticed that even though we felt like we were alone, there were lots of other creatures enjoying this beautiful place along with us.
We were not alone out here!
Further down the road a thin wall of pinnacles rose up on one side of us.
Some pinnacle walls were very sheer.
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At one spot there was a a U-shaped window in the thin wall.
The razor’s edge of the cliff wall can be seen in this unique window
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A little further down the road we saw an old dead tree permanently arched as if blown by a persistent wind.
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As we progressed down the road we had to stop every 100 yards or so to get a closer look. Such beauty absolutely everywhere — it was breathtaking!
We hopped in and out of the RZR a lot. There was just so much to see up close on foot!
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The name “Cathedral Valley” is perfect for this area. One formation in particular seemed to have buttresses along the flanks of the cathedral and a steeply pitched roof.
All it needed was a tall steeple at the far left end!
While Nature has created these fabulous rock formations, ranchers have put their imprint on the land as well. We came across a small wooden building that was used by the cowboys of yesteryear when they brought their cattle to this valley for summer grazing.
There was a hitching post out front and a small corral for their horses off to the side. Inside was a table and set of shelves that held many of the relics that have been found around the property: rusty cans and utensils, bits of pottery, cookware and some leather straps and buckles.
There was a row of hooks on the wall for coats and cowboy hats.
We found an old cabin cowboys used to use in the summertime.
It was ultra-simple living out here in this remote land, but I’m sure the cowboys loved it.
Back on the road we savored the views in every direction. While we snapped endless photos, Buddy pranced along on his own four paws.
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These glorious open spaces make some people want to grab their cameras and other people want to run!
Working up a thirst!
Ahhh! A cool water break in the shade!
The back roads through Capitol Reef National Park are open to highway licensed vehicles, bikes, horses and hikers, and they are drivable with a 4×4 passenger vehicle if you take it slowly.
Some parts are narrow, steep, twisty and washboarded, and in a few places the road was covered with fairly deep sand, but we did see a pickup go by. We loved driving in our “little tank” because it is open air, it floats over the bumps and is so easy to hop in and out of.
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This remote back side of Capitol Reef National Park is gorgeous. As with all the National Parks, though, we recommend that first time visitors check out the sights by the front door of the Park at the outset.
After all, visitors centers and major overlooks are always located at the most spectacular spots, and there is much to see along the truly eye-popping Highway 24 “All American Scenic Drive” as it goes through the main part of Capitol Reef National Park before venturing into the Park via this more rough hewn back door!
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More info about Capitol Reef National Park:
- Capitol Reef National Park – Official Website
- Interactive NPS Map of Capitol Reef National Park
- RV Camping in the area
- Location of Cathedral Valley
More from Capitol Reef National Park:
- Utah Scenic Byway 24 RV Trip – Capitol Reef National Park 04/16/18
- Capitol Reef National Park Utah – Awe-inspiring! 06/25/12
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