Capitol Reef National Park in south central Utah is a long, narrow park encompassing a 100 mile long wrinkle in the earth (a monocline). It is nearly impossible to cross -- why early European-American settlers called it a reef, like an uncrossable ocean barrier. The Fremont River trickles through and sustained the Fremont Culture beginning about 500 CE. They left petroglyphs on canyon walls.
Fremont culture petroglyphs
Some current residents keep watch along the wall.
Sagebrush lizard
Utah Highway 24 is the only way across the Park today, but pioneers brought their wagons through Capitol gorge, a narrow path between steep canyon walls.
Capitol Gorge Trail
Capitol Gorge still has remnants of the early electric lines that were strung through this access, and pioneers and later travelers added their names in the walls next to ancient petroglyphs.
Pioneer Register
These markings, too, have their current protector.
Scorpion
We left the red rock walls of the Park at Panorama Point watching the sun set and the moon rise.
Panorama Point, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah