Q 01/05

Capitol Reef National Park is in which US state?

A) Utah

B) Arizona

C) Colorado

D) New Mexico

Answer · why

A) Utah

It sits in the south-central part of the state, roughly between Bryce Canyon and Canyonlands.

Q 02/05

What are the park's rough dimensions?

A) About 20 miles long and 20 miles wide

B) About 60 miles long and 6 miles wide

C) About 100 miles long and 30 miles wide

D) About 10 miles long and 2 miles wide

Answer · why

B) About 60 miles long and 6 miles wide

Its odd shape follows the fold; the park covers about 242,000 acres and is open all year.

Q 03/05

The first half of the park's name comes from what?

A) A cliff shaped like a government building

B) A former Utah state capital nearby

C) White sandstone domes that resemble the US Capitol

D) A local Mormon meeting hall

Answer · why

C) White sandstone domes that resemble the US Capitol

The white domes run from the Fremont River to Pleasant Creek; the 'reef' half is a settlers' word for any rocky barrier to travel.

Q 04/05

What did early settlers mean by a 'reef'?

A) A dry, boulder-strewn riverbed

B) A bench used for grazing cattle

C) A layer of fossil coral

D) Any rocky ridge blocking travel

Answer · why

D) Any rocky ridge blocking travel

Just as ocean reefs block ships, the parallel ridges of the fold blocked wagons; only one paved road crosses it today.

Q 05/05

The geological backbone of the park is a nearly 100-mile warp in the Earth's crust called what?

A) The San Rafael Swell

B) The Waterpocket Fold

C) The Circle Cliffs

D) The Kaiparowits Uplift

Answer · why

B) The Waterpocket Fold

It is the largest exposed structure of its kind in North America, with newer and older rock layers folded over each other in an S-shape.