It’s Workforce Wednesday! Volunteers at Capitol Reef wear a number of hats. Swipe left to see some of our volunteers at work and check the caption below to learn more about how they help the park!
Image 1: Orchard docent Laura Lasco staffs the park’s historic orchards, sharing the stories of the orchards with visitors, and helping them identify ripe fruit as well as tree varieties.
Image 2: Interpretation volunteer Pat Cashman answers visitor questions after giving a geology talk at the campground amphitheater.
Image 3: Backcountry volunteers Ed and Fran Adams hike trails, performing preventative search and rescue, issuing trail and road reports, and helping visitors recreate safely.
Image 4: Astronomy volunteer Alpha Lambert helps visitors use telescopes and better understand the night sky during summer astronomy programs.
Image 5: Interpretation volunteer Julie Bahr answers visitor questions and provides hiking and driving recommendations at the visitor center desk.
Image 6: Campground host volunteers Dennis and Sandy Palm assist visitors checking into the campground and help visitors make plans to enjoy the park.
Image 7: Volunteer groups, like this group from the Sierra Club of Austin, Texas, help with a variety of large park projects, including removing invasive species, closing social trails, and cleaning up litter.
#NPSVolunteer #NationalParkWeek
National Volunteer Week (April 21-27) is a wonderful time to reflect on the history of volunteering in the National Park Service and here at Capitol Reef.
The service’s earliest volunteers were the wives of park rangers, or “Honorary Rangers Without Pay” as they were unofficially called.
Today, more than 123,000 volunteers contribute a collective 3.7 million hours of work, providing crucial service to the success of our National Parks.
Here at Capitol Reef, we have hundreds of volunteers annually that contribute their time and expertise to the betterment and preservation of the park through education, natural and cultural resources, search and rescue, and administrative work. Without them, the park truly wouldn’t be what it is today. Thank you volunteers, today, tomorrow, and always!
#NPSVolunteer
March 31 was César Chávez Day of Service and Learning. Each year, people across the country come together to honor Chávez's life and legacy by serving their communities. César Chávez Day serves as a reminder to reflect on the power we all have to make the world a better place for all of us.
Last week at Capitol Reef, students from Wayne High School and Wasatch Alternative High School engaged in a service-learning project with members of our orchard crew. The students learned techniques for planting and caring for heritage variety fruit trees, and together, planted over 150 trees. Thank you volunteers for your hard work and dedication!
Join fellow visitors in a scavenger hunt through Capitol Reef to win a prize! Ask staff at the visitor center for more information and to get a scavenger hunt sheet. The event will take place Saturday and Sunday, March 23 and 24.
NPS / Katie Johnston
Road update: The Scenic Drive and Goosenecks Road have reopened. Please drive with caution as ice and snow may still be present. The Grand Wash and Capitol Gorge Roads remain closed.
For the latest road updates, visit our website, nps.gov/care, or call 435-425-3791, option 4.
Barbara Hedges Photo
Road Update: The Scenic Drive, Grand Wash, Capitol Gorge, and Pleasant Creek roads are all closed to due recent and forecasted snows. Please check in with the visitor center for updates as they become available.
NPS-D.Collar
Spring is springing at Capitol Reef!
The beginning of Daylight Savings Time and the warmer weather draw large crowds of visitors to Capitol Reef and that in turn brings about some operational changes!
Beginning on March 10,
• the visitor center will be open daily from 8:00am to 4:30pm
• Ranger-led program schedules will expand to include guided walks and more talks
On March 14, the Gifford House will open for the season.
Be sure to check out the park website for the full calendar of events and program offerings, https://www.nps.gov/care/index.htm
Jenna Miladin Photo
Leap into Leap Day with Capitol Reef National Park!
Why an extra day? The Earth takes 365.25 days to complete an orbit around the sun. Without an extra day every four calendar years, the seasons would slowly drift. Imagine saying "Happy New Year!" in 90-degree heat at Capitol Reef!
NPS-A.Smithkin
Trail Tuesday!
Halls Creek Narrows takes adventurous hikers to the remote, far southern portion of Capitol Reef. The 22.4-mile (36.1 km) roundtrip hike explores deep canyons, near-constant running water that may require swimming, and a historic wagon trail. This strenuous backcountry route is best done as a multi-night backpacking trip. Free backcountry camping permits may be obtained at the visitor center.
NPS / A. Huston
There’s only one thing sweeter than a fresh peach from one of Capitol Reef’s historic orchards -- volunteering as a Capitol Reef Orchard Docent!
The Capitol Reef Orchard Crew is currently recruiting locals from the surrounding area to engage with visitors to the park’s historic orchards. Orchard Docents can expect to help visitors connect more deeply with the orchards and the region’s pioneer history. Docents can also expect to answer visitor questions, provide orchard safety information, and share more information about the legacy of the orchards at Capitol Reef.
If you’re interested and have regular and recurring availability from March - October, apply at https://www.volunteer.gov/s/volunteer-opportunity/a093d000000tcroAAA/orchard-docent.
Have questions? Please reach out to Capitol Reef National Park Community Volunteer Ambassador, Katie Johnston, at [email protected].
NPS Photo
When you picture a desert, do you picture snow? Capitol Reef is a high desert environment, and averages 12 - 18 inches of snow each year. The snow can increase levels in rivers, streams, and helps the orchards to produce more fruit during the summer.
NPS-D.Gedraitis
Trail Tuesday!
Views are worth the hike. Rim Overlook trail takes visitors over 1,000 feet (305 m) above the trailhead to views of the canyons and tilted rocks below. The broken canyon of Cohab is one of the striking views visitors can take in along this 4.6-mile (7.4 km) roundtrip hike.
NPS Photo
