Water pocket fold
Coordinates: 38 ° 2 ′ 0 ″ N , 111 ° 8 ′ 0 ″ W The Waterpocket Fold is a monoclinal fold in the south of the state of Utah .
location
West of the valleys of Halls Creek, which flows south into the Colorado River , and of Sandy Creek, which flows into the Fremont River , this striking fold runs for more than 150 kilometers through Wayne , Garfield and Kane Counties, mostly in Capitol Reef National Park .
Natural history
The uplift of the Waterpocket Fold took place about 50 to 70 million years ago as part of the Laramian mountain formation , whereby an already existing fault led to only the layers to the west of this fracture being raised by up to 2000 meters. The uplifting of the Colorado Plateau, which has been ongoing for around 20 million years, and the resulting erosion , exposed the rock layers that had been erected.
Development
The Notom-Bullfrog-Road , which connects Utah State Route 24 with State Route 276 , follows the northern and central part of the Waterpocket Fold throughout its entire course. The Pleasant Creek Road going off the National Park's Scenic Drive leads to the northwestern part, the Burr Trail traverses the central part of this geological feature. The southern part, located between Lake Powell and the Escalante Rivers in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area , is inaccessible to vehicles and can only be reached by hiking for several days.
Above all, the part located in the Capitol Reef National Park is accessible via numerous hiking trails.