Two for the Price of One

Day 5:
On my way from Bryce Canyon to Arches National Park, a scenic byway provided an additional National Park.

Capitol Reef is a narrow 100 mile long "wrinkle" in the earths crust. It travels north and south; I was crossing it west to east, so only saw a glimpse. However, I did have the fortune of seeing these petroglyphs from 1200's marked by the Fremont Indian population.

Arrived in Arches National Park by the afternoon on 10/30. There are over 2,000 preserved arches within the 76,000 acre park. I only had time to see four!

 The arch above is the longest arch. Base to base, it spans nearly 300 feet across.

The arch above is named the Skyline Arch. Notice the pile of fallen rock beneath it that created the arch. The placard below shows the difference from present day vs. 1941, when a large chunk fell.