I had been hoping tfor years to get back to Cathedral Valley in Capital Reef NP, but had been scared off by bad road reports. This dry spring finally made for perfect conditions and we actually enjoyed the drive in our RAM truck & camper. A big advantage of the bad rep. of the road means not many venture back there, so it was very quiet, and easy for us to find a camp spot just outside the park boundary (no camping allowed in the valley).
On the drive in
Temple of the Moon
PhotoPills predicted moonrise to the side of Temple of the moon, so I headed out after dinner to catch it. I was hustling to get up on a bit of a ridge when I stopped to look and saw the moon rising between the small tower and the large formation. A quick tripod deployment got me the shot. After 15 minutes the moon was rising into clouds, and it was getting very dark, when I realized I hadn't brought a headlamp. A quick pack up and careful hike back went well - one of the best experiences of a month long trip.
Temple of the Moon Moonrise
Color to follow.
Apr 11, 2026 at 10:06 AM
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