The Ultimate National Park Loop

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Capitol Reef was named for the white domes of Navajo Sandstone that populate the park. These domes strongly resemble capitol building rotundas. The 'reef' part of the name was prompted by the rocky cliffs that act as a barrier to travel, which brings to mind the effect of a coral reef in the oceans. Astoundingly, nearly 10,000 feet of sedimentary strata are found in Capitol Reef. These rocks range in age from Permian (as old as 270 million years) to Cretaceous (as young as 80 million years.) This layer-upon-layer compendium of sedimentary rock records nearly 200 million years of geologic history. Rock layers in Capitol Reef National Park reveal ancient climates that are as varied as rivers and swamps. The telltale remnants of Sahara-like deserts, and shallow oceans are also clearly visible. Erosion of the rock layers continues today forming colorful cliffs, massive domes, soaring spires, stark monoliths, twisting canyons, and graceful arches. This is one of the most geologically photogenic parks in the country.

Bryce Canyon is a rather small national park, as national parks go. It's located in southwestern Utah. But don’t let its small size dissuade you from seeing its unique beauty. Frost-wedging and the relentless dissolving power of rainwater has shaped the colorful limestone rock into some bizarre configurations including slot canyons, windows, fins, and spires called ‘hoodoos.’ Tinted with colors and shades reminiscent of am impressionist’s palate, these whimsically arranged rocks create a wondrous landscape of mazes, offering some of the most exciting and memorable walks and hikes imaginable. Ponderosa pines, high elevation meadows, and fir-spruce forests border the rim of the plateau and abound with wildlife. This area boasts some of the world's best air quality. The clear air offers visitors the opportunity of some stunning panoramic views of as many as three states. Incredibly, on an exceptional day, one can see as far as 200 miles. This incredible air clarity, coupled with the lack of man made lighting in the park, offers unparalleled stargazing. Bring your binoculars!

Zion is an ancient Hebrew word meaning a place of refuge or sanctuary. Many will recall this was the name given the underground hideaway city of the humans in the movie franchise, The Matrix. Zion National Park is 229 square miles of a dramatic landscape of sculptured canyons and soaring cliffs. Zion is located at the junction of the Colorado Plateau, the Great Basin, and the Mojave Desert. This unique geography, and the variety of life zones within the park, makes Zion significant as a place of unusual plant and animal diversity. Most of us tend to think of traditional greens and rolling hills when we conjure up images of beautiful landscapes. A trip to Zion changes that mindset with an array of unique flora cast out onto a relatively barren sea of earth. It's truly breathtaking.

The rock layers in Zion have been uplifted, tilted, and eroded over the eons to form a spectacular feature called the Grand Staircase. This series of strikingly colorful cliffs stretching between Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon is a primary reason many people visit this park. The bottom layer of rock at Bryce Canyon is the top layer at Zion, and the bottom layer at Zion is the top layer at the Grand Canyon. While here, look around and you’ll find yourself in the middle of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

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....Permian: The last period of the Paleozoic Era. Pangaea (the "super continent") was formed during this period, which also saw the advent of conifer trees and an explosion in reptile varieties and numbers. This era ended with the most complete extinction of life in the history of the planet.

....Cretaceous: The last period of the Mesozoic Era. It is best known for the rise of flowering plants and the unexplained extinction of the dinosaurs. Subsequent to that extinction, giant reptiles were replaced by mammals as the dominating life force on Earth.

....Frost-wedging: A form of geological weathering that is the result of the 9% expansion of liquid water as it is converted to solid ice. Small cracks in rocks fill with water over time. That water freezes and the space it is in expands. The water then thaws again, and more water enters the open area, which again freezes and again expands the opening. Water cannot be compressed.

....Grand Canyon: http://www.nps.gov/zion/Geology.html