This reef is nowhere near the sea… Aug 2, 2021

This reef is nowhere near the sea…

…nor the US Capitol building it"s named for. Utah"s Capitol Reef National Park—first established as a national monument this day in 1937—is named for its massive rock domes that reminded explorers of that famous rotunda back in Washington, DC. Why Capitol "Reef," though? Because the imposing formations were a major obstacle to travelers through the region, the same way a coral reef is an obstacle to sailors.

© Tim Fitzharris/Minden Pictures

palette

Today in History

Aug 2, 2018The Aomori Nebuta Festival parade, Japan
Aug 2, 2019An uncommon look at an American icon
Aug 2, 2020Bellissima!
Aug 2, 2022Happy birthday, Capitol Reef National Park
Aug 2, 2023Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Aug 2, 2024Virgin Islands National Park established
Aug 2, 2025Petroglyphs near Fruita in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Mar 24, 2024Silvereyes in South Korea
Feb 13, 2018Preservation Hall in New Orleans, Louisiana
May 28, 2020Old man s whiskers growing wild
May 7, 2023World Laughter Day
Feb 16, 2020When an ideal microclimate gives you lemons…
Apr 2, 2024Beech trees and wild anemones, Jutland, Denmark
Jan 24, 2025Thorrablot: The Icelandic midwinter festival
Oct 31, 2020Twas a night just like tonight
Jan 26, 2025European beech forest, Belgium
Oct 2, 2019Wild scene on the Merced River
Jan 6, 2019A winter wonderland in Northeast China
Apr 6, 2022Crested caracaras
Nov 8, 2025Bandon Beach in Bandon, Oregon
Apr 6, 2018It’s National Walk to Work Day
Oct 13, 2025Cedar Mesa, Utah, for Indigenous Peoples Day
Jan 16, 2023Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Jun 7, 2019Holey moley–it’s National Doughnut Day!
Nov 12, 2022Alaska Bald Eagle Festival
Feb 8, 2023Uredd Rest Area, Norway
Feb 4, 2018Male kori bustard, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
Jan 14, 2020Going head-to-head with winter
Sep 29, 2019Falling for Rioja
Nov 24, 2024Sonoma Coast State Park, California
Nov 23, 2025Fibonacci Day
Nov 14, 2019The perfect canvas for an ancient text
Apr 10, 2024Siblings Day
Apr 12, 2023Earth seen from the International Space Station
Apr 6, 2025National Library Week
May 6, 2024The Roaches ridge in the Peak District, England
Jan 9, 2022Rice processing in Bangladesh