We continued our journey through southern Utah over to Capital Reef NP. Looking at the map below, our travels took us north of Arches and Canyonlands up to Interstate 70. We headed south and traveled along the western side of Canyonlands NP.
On our way over to Torrey, UT, we passed through the small town of Hanksville, UT. The Hanksville area is home to the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS). ‘The MDRS is located among the Bentonite Hills near Hanksville. It is the second of four simulated Mars habitats in the world, built and managed by the Mars Society. The area was chosen for field study research because of the terrain’s noticeable similarities to Mars. Astronauts and research crews spend two weeks at a time living in the two-story, eight-meter cylindrical ‘Habitat,’ also known as the Hab. They are required to wear space suits and carry walkie talkies whenever they step outside the Hab into the simulated Martian environment. The Hab is always manned with at least one crewmember.’1 Check out the video below to see the amazing views of this Mars like area.
Capitol Reef is little different from the others that we have visited, in that, a state highway runs through the park. In fact, the scenic drive through the park is closed for the 2024 season for renovation and repairs. Most of what we saw was along the state highway. ‘The park is filled with cliffs, canyons, domes, and bridges, all in the Waterpocket Fold, a geologic monocline (a wrinkle on the earth) extending almost 100 miles’. 2
We wanted to do some stargazing in this minimal light pollution area. We decided to headout around 3:00 AM, watch the stars and wait for daylight to appear.
Once the sun was completely up, (and after a nap!), we headed back out to see the sights in full daylight.
It is a good thing that I didn’t get too close to the edge on my trip here in the early morning hours, this canyon is almost 800 feet deep!
Time to head out to the spot and our next adventure.
After beautiful Bryce Canyon, we headed to the last of the 'mighty five' National Parks in Utah, Zion National Park. This park is a little different from many of the ones that we have been to so far. Most of the parks have a scenic route with various pullouts and parking areas showcasing the beauty of the park. At these stops, there are trails of various lengths taking you closer to the sights....
So we thought we had seen the best that Utah National Parks had to offer, and then we went to Bryce Canyon. I can not even begin to describe the beauty in this National Park. The park has an 18 mile scenic drive, with the first 3 miles of the drive called the Bryce...
Canyonlands National Park is also in the Moab area. Although close in proximity, this park could not be more different from Arches. As towering as many of the rock formations are in Arches, the Canyonlands views are hundred times deeper. The contrast of these lo...
Moab, Utah is an outdoor lover's dream. There is so much to do and to see you will definately be on sensory overload. There are two National Parks in the area and hundreds if not thousands of trails for walking, hiking and offroading in a 4 wheel drive Jeep or a si...
Wow. This was very exciting. You are having such great adventures.
That is amazing! Spectacular pictures!
Every place that you go seems to be more amazing than the ones before. I wish that we could have done the same trip with you guys.
Did Cole get up at 3am? Looks like a wonderful trip. Miss you all!