Fluted Wall Viewpoint

The Fluted Wall shows off the bold layering of the Moenkopi Formation.

NPS

The Fluted Wall is composed of Moenkopi rocks that erosion has sculpted into a back-and-forth rank of pillars and alcoves. Capitol Reef has its fair share of fossils, though there are not many places to see them on trails. The Moenkopi Formation that surrounds you now, which is about 240 million years old, is well-known for trace fossils. A trace fossil is a preserved record of an organism’s behavior, rather than its body. For example, in the Moenkopi, we find many fossilized footprints. Imagine a Velociraptor-shaped dinosaur plodding across a stream, leaving tracks in the sand. Then a fish swims past, creating a furrow as it drags its back fin through the mud. By chance, these marks were buried soon after and turned into rock over millions of years. Even without a piece of its body, trace fossils teach us about an animal’s shape, motion, and lifestyle.

Several other layers of rock in the park contain fossils. In some places, the Dakota Sandstone is full of marine fossils such as oyster shells. In the Navajo Sandstone, scientists discovered fossilized mats of marine algae, called stromatolites. This taught us that the ancient desert which created this rock layer was not dry 100% of the time. Fossils, like all natural and cultural resources within the park, are protected. It is illegal to take or deface fossils. Leave your park as beautiful as you find it—or better—and enjoy the discovery of these rare, precious pieces of the past.