Capitol Reef National Park
Capitol Reef National Park lies in Utah's south-central desert, an oasis of colorful sandstone cliffs, impressive domes and soaring monoliths. The park got its name from the great white rock formations which resemble the U.S. Capitol building and from the sheer cliffs that presented a barrier to early travelers. Prospectors visiting the area referred to the barrier (now known as the Waterpocket Fold) as a reef. Among the “Mighty 5” National Parks in Utah, the size, diversity and splendor of Capitol Reef shine brightly.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV
Shared Experiences
We never know who we might meet as we ask the Lord to direct our path! On our way in to our campground we met car campers Sharon and John. They had no reservations and the campground was full, so we offered that they could park overnight beside our trailer. We enjoyed eating dinner and visiting with them after getting situated in our campsite. They have traveled extensively from their home near Beijing, China. We all enjoyed sharing places we had been and dreams of where we hope to go in the future.
In the morning Steve sent them off with the Gospel of John and an invitation to view our CCFR live stream service.
Ranger Talks and Church in the NP
On our first full day in Capitol Reef NP, we headed to Petroglyph Panels, just outside our campground for a presentation on Archeology from a Ranger. She gave a great overview of the area and the early inhabitants who had left pictographs on the sheer cliffs here.
She had also given a great talk the night before on the animals who call this park home and how they are designed to live in this desert environment.
In the evenings another Ranger directed our eyes to the inky black skies to point out some of the stars and constellation visible to us. No one had to point out the brilliant Milky Way Galaxy!
Staying inside the National Parks gives an advantage to attending these Ranger Talks and activities. This summer we have really enjoyed making these presentations a part of our trip, as they have been enjoyable and informative.
The Lord said, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
A few years ago we discovered “A Christian Ministry in the National Parks”. The organization’s mission is to provide worship services to visitors and locals in the National Parks.
Finding jobs in the hospitality ministry, individuals volunteer time to lead Sunday Worship Services. If we are in a Park on a Sunday we check to see if this group is hosting a service.
While in Rocky Mountain National Park we were encouraged by these two young men, Ben and Caleb, who are doing just that! The speaker shared his testimony and encouraged us with a word from the Bible, finishing with a challenge to listen for the Lord’s voice in all of our challenges.
Scenic Drives and Some Hikes
After our morning Ranger talk and some lunch, as the weather was heating up, we decided our best option was a drive on the Scenic Road in our air conditioned truck!
The reef extends for a hundred miles through the desert of Utah, so this drive with high viewpoints is a great way to experience the size of the mountains and plateaus of Capitol Reef.
About half way on this paved scenic road is a turn off onto Grand Wash Road, a gravel road leading to some trailheads. Since the weather had cooled down a bit we headed down the Grand Wash Trail. This easy hike was one of the best ways to enjoy the colors and textures of the cliffs and mountains.
Meandering around the massive rocky cliffs we enjoyed the solitude of the soaring multicolored canyon walls. The canyon continues to narrow and wind along switch backs, the walls carved into wave like shapes called subways. As the daylight would start to wain soon, we turned back for the return hike to our truck, parked at the trailhead.
The next day we drove out of the park to the nearby town of Torrey. The drive brought us along side more massive sections of the reef. The town of Torrey is situated with grand views of the formations of Capitol Reef!
Coming back to the National Park we took a turnout for Panorama Point and a viewpoint of an area called the Goosenecks, a high point on the canyon rim where we looked down on the river below snaking its way in curves and bends through the rocky cliffs.
The next day we enjoyed the rest of the scenic drive, which took us deeper into the canyon, the paved road giving way to a gravel roadway with the canyon narrowing in on us.
In the midst of the summer heat, this park is still quite accessible with this scenic drive making a way to see both the vastness of the canyons and mountains while feeling immersed in the landscape!
More Shared Experiences
On our last evening at Capitol Reef NP we had new neighbors, Sam and Vivek, two medical students from Melbourne, Australia. The young men were on a seven week camping tour of the western US National Parks. Sam had seen Steve sitting outside our trailer and came over to ask for recommendations on where to hike in the Park. Steve and I shared our hiking experiences. Sam shared about their summer trip, where they had been so far, and where they were going during the next few weeks.
When asked what profession Steve had worked in, the conversation led into an opportunity for Steve to share his testimony and to share the Gospel. Sam was curious and listened very carefully to the conversation, Again we offered a Gospel of John and an invitation to CCFR livestream service.
After our two hour visit with Sam we all went back to fixing our dinners. After dinner Sam and his travel buddy Vivek joined us around our campfire for another hour and a half of sharing stories of travel, and what life is like in our two countries.
Our campground was in an area of Capitol Reef call Fruita, which was a historic community of pioneers. Surrounded by the orchards that were planted a hundred years ago we felt that our time there had been fruitful with opportunities orchestrated by the Lord to bring the Gospel to some people who had little, if any previous exposure to Christianity.
Crossing paths with people and bringing Jesus into the conversation adds eternal meaning to our days as we have the privilege of taking these Adventures on the Road!
