Scenic Drive Stop 7

Water marks in 250 million year old mud flats have been preserved in ripple rock.

NPS / E. Van Ness

Slickrock Divide separates two large drainages. To either side of this hill, runoff from rain is channeled into Grand Wash to the north, and Capitol Gorge to the south. Capitol Reef receives only about 8 inches of rainfall each year, but when it rains, it pours. Heavy rain typically falls in July, August, and September. Expanses of bare rock and thin patches of sandy soil do little to absorb it. Only one half-inch of rain can cause a flash flood. Rain flows through washes and cascades over canyon walls, sometimes forming spectacular waterfalls that may only last for several minutes. Deep canyons fill with rushing muddy water carrying boulders and logs. These floods develop in a “flash” and can happen several times each year. Check the weather and do not enter a canyon if rain is in the forecast. Being trapped in a flash flood is a life-threatening situation.

Alongside the paved pullout, you’ll see slabs of ripple rock. These stone relics preserve river bottoms and tidal mudflats of the Moenkopi Formation. Collecting is illegal in national parks; leave what you find for others to enjoy.