Torrey Trading Post and Cabins | Torrey, Utah

12/13/2021

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Long ago, when this area was a tidal flat, ancient reptiles swam along the shallow shore. Occasionally, their feet scraped along the muddy bottom as they swam, leaving trackways also known as swim smears. These animals were pushed or pulled by the tide as they travelled, resulting in a diagonal sets of tracks, as opposed to straight lines. These fossils provide a snapshot of life approximately 225 million years ago, before dinosaurs evolved.

To protect these fragile resources, locations are undisclosed. Fossils are irreplaceable, non-renewable resources. If you find a fossil in the park, leave it untouched, take a photo, and share your discovery with a park ranger. Leaving fossils where they are found will help preserve their scientific and educational value for present and future generations.

11/07/2021

“We need the tonic of wildness...At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature.”
― Henry David Thoreau

06/13/2021

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If you’ve ever started a new chapter in your life, then you can relate to a dragonfly. Dragonflies hatch from eggs, live most of their lives in the water, and spend the last portion of their lives as winged adults on land. Depending on the species, a dragonfly may spend up to 4 years in a nymph stage underwater before emerging as an adult dragonfly! Typically, their time above water is limited to only a few months.

This clubtail dragonfly (family Gomphidae) recently crawled up onto a rock in Sulphur Creek, broke out of its skin, and waited for its wings to unfurl before flying off to a new life. The shed skin, called an exuvia, is left behind and can often be seen attached to rocks or plants for days after the dragonfly has emerged.

06/11/2021

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Renewal of the historic orchards is beginning. Work on the Fruita Historic Orchard Rehabilitation project is beginning Monday, June 14th. 38 old and diseased peach, apple, and pear trees in the Cook Orchard and five apricot trees in the Guy Smith Orchard have reached the end of their lifespans and will be removed. The trees had long lives providing fruit to visitors traveling to the park. This is part of a multi-stage project to restore and revitalize the orchards. The project will involve tree removal, grading, soil replenishment, and irrigation improvements prior to the start of replanting in the spring of 2022. To learn more about the project visit: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectId=93898

06/11/2021

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06/08/2021

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June 8 is World Ocean Day. So what does Capitol Reef have to do with oceans being landlocked in a desert ecosystem? The park's geologic history lays out a story in which the Capitol Reef area was covered by oceans several times. One of the more recent times this occurred (approximately 90 million years ago) can be seen in the dark gray, angular slopes of the Mancos Shale along the eastern boundary of the park. At the time of deposition, a massive sea formed and divided the North American continent in half from north to south. The Cretaceous Interior Seaway teemed with an abundance of life, ranging from marine reptiles and sharks to a variety of invertebrates. The climate and geology of the planet are constantly changing, perhaps Capitol Reef will be under water again in the future...

NPS photo / C. Roundtree

06/05/2021

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How much water do you drink on a hot day? Tamarisks (Tamarix chinensis) can consume up to 300 gallons per day, which is a problem for native plants and animals living in a dry desert. Tamarisk was introduced to the western U.S. in the 1800s as an ornamental and for erosion control. This invasive species quickly spread to riverbanks and wash bottoms throughout the desert southwest, where it displaces native plants like the Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii) and coyote willow (Salix exigua).
Once established, the tamarisk is very difficult to eradicate. A single plant can produce a half million seeds each year. Also known as salt-cedar, this plant excretes salt, creating hypersaline soils in which grasses and other seedlings cannot survive.
Learn more about tamarisks and the control of invasive plants in Capitol Reef at https://www.nps.gov/care/learn/nature/invasive-plants.htm

06/02/2021

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Fruit harvest season is nearing in Capitol Reef National Park. Current field conditions show that there will be average to strong crops of apricots, peaches, apples, and pears in 2021. However, there will be no cherries or plums available this year. Both crops were affected by irrigation pressures last season and a late frost this spring, and several of the most productive cherry trees are beginning to decline due to old age. The park’s cherry trees were also affected by native tent caterpillars last season which led to reduced fruit set in 2021. Capitol Reef National Park is actively working to replant cherry trees in the coming years to increase the availability of this popular crop.

Apricots are expected to become available in early July. Apple harvests are anticipated to begin in late July to early August. Pear and peach harvests are likely to start in mid-August.

NPS photo: apricots still developing in the Mulford orchard.

05/29/2021

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Celebrate National Bike Month by going for a bike ride at Capitol Reef! Bikes are allowed on roads and the one trail between the visitor center and campground, out to a pedestrian gate (1.5 miles/ 2.4 km one way). The Scenic Drive is an enjoyable bike ride with a few challenging hills and wonderful views. Due to heavy car traffic, bike riders should consider biking early in the morning or later in the day, when traffic is lighter.

Discover biking routes around Capitol Reef that range from paved to unpaved, for a few hours to overnight options: https://www.nps.gov/care/planyourvisit/biketours.htm

05/23/2021

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Is it snowing in May!? Look again. Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii) fruits have burst open and the fuzz is flying! This floating fluff carries cottonwood seeds through the sky to a new home. With so many seeds blanketing the park, new life is bound to appear. Cottonwoods are especially abundant in the Fruita area along the Fremont River. They play a crucial role in the ecosystem as a source of food for beavers and caterpillars, a home for birds and insects, and a soil stabilizer along the riverbank.

05/22/2021

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May is Preservation Month throughout the National Park Service. The Fruita Schoolhouse, along State Route 24, is one of several historic structures related to Latter-day Saint Pioneer history preserved within the Fruita Rural Historic District. In 1989, the school benefited from historic preservation and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. By restoring the building to the 1930s version, visitors can get a glimpse of pioneer life in this remote part of Utah. All the original changes made by the pioneers were preserved as well: the flat roof was replaced with a peaked roof in 1914, and the interior walls were plastered in 1935.

Learn more: https://www.nps.gov/care/learn/historyculture/fruitaschoolhouse.htm

05/20/2021

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Every I revisit these parts of southern Utah, I'm blown away. Read "Playing the Memory Game in Escalante, Capitol Reef, and Bryce Canyon:" https://bit.ly/3cwkoFD