Open to children of all ages. Free Junior Ranger booklet available at the visitor center and Ripple Rock Nature Center. Complete required activities to receive a signed certificate and a free badge. Junior Ranger patches available for purchase!
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Junior Geologist Program
Free program is offered Memorial Day to Labor Day, check the visitor center for specific dates and times. Discover geology, the formation of the Waterpocket Fold, colorful rock layers, and the effects of erosion. Complete the activities to earn a certificate and patch.
NPS Photo
Family Fun Pack
Fun for the whole family! This backpack, full of activities, games and materials, is loaned out for Free at the visitor center or the Ripple Rock Nature Center. What's inside?
-pioneer games
-tools to read a contour map
-tools to identify night constellations
-tools to improve your bird-watching skills.
NPS Photo
Ripple Rock Nature Center
Located on the Scenic Drive, just south of the visitor center. Open Memorial Day to Labor Day, check the visitor center for specific dates and times. Special programs offered in summer. At the Nature Center, kids can:
-spin wool
-pretend to milk a cow
-make cornmeal on a prehistoric
grinding stone
-identify fossils
-play with animal puppets
Web Ranger Desk
Visit the National Park Service Web Ranger site more...
Did You Know? Geologist Clarence Dutton, a member of John Wesley Powelll's scientific team, surveyed the Capitol Reef area in 1875. Dutton mapped a fault line adjacent to Chimney Rock along Utah Highway 24, and a copy of his field sketch is incorporated into the park’s Junior Geologist program. more...