Capital Reef May 9-15, 2021. James Kay Photography - Capital Reef is a spectacular but little visited National Park in Southern Utah. At over 60 miles long and 378 square miles, this is a massive park located in the southern portion of Utah. It's geologic story reveals a nearly complete set of Mesozoic-era sedimentary layers. For 290 million years, rock layers formed at or near sea level. About 75-35 million years ago tectonic forces uplifted these layers, forming a "warp" in the earth's crust known as the current day Waterpocket Fold. Forces of erosion have been sculpting this rugged, spectacular landscape ever since. Here, vibrant colors spill across the landscape. Hues constantly change altered by the play of light across towering cliffs, massive domes, arches, bridges, and twisiting canyons.