I've Visited 40+ National Parks in the U.S.-and This Lesser-known One With a 'Glass Mountain' Is One of My Favorites

"At first glance, Glass Mountain looks out of place-an irregular, pale, 15-foot mound glinting in the sunlight, as if someone dumped a pile of shiny shards in the middle of the desert. Hidden in plain sight deep within Capitol Reef National Park's ultra-remote Cathedral Valley, the formation is made of selenite, a crystallized form of gypsum. Few visitors ever lay eyes on Glass Mountain, both because of its remote location and because Capitol Reef itself remains one of Utah's most overlooked national parks."

"Among the state's " Mighty Five," Capitol Reef ranks as the fourth least-visited, welcoming 1.4 million visitors in 2024-more than only Canyonlands and far fewer than Zion, which saw nearly five million. Even so, numbers don't tell the full story. Capitol Reef is vast, uncrowded, and spectacular in a way that's simultaneously understated and otherworldly. After visiting more than 40 U.S. national parks and spending most of my life in the Southwest, it's one of my favorites."

"Even travelers who've never been to the park have likely seen photos of Cathedral Valley. The towering monoliths known as the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon (often shortened to Temple of the Sun and Moon) jut dramatically hundreds of feet from the desert floor, their silhouettes defining the entire valley. Glass Mountain, quite literally sitting in their shadow, is easier to miss-but is just as unusual."

"Unlike the colorful, layered cliffs and domes Capitol Reef is known for, Glass Mountain feels almost metaphysical. Its origins stretch back millions of years, when mineral-rich groundwater flowed beneath the valley. As the water moved, dissolved gypsum crystallized, eventually forming the selenite mound seen today. As erosion continues to strip away the surrounding sandstone, more of the mass is exposed."

Glass Mountain is an irregular, pale 15-foot selenite mound that glints in sunlight within ultra-remote Cathedral Valley in Capitol Reef National Park. Capitol Reef received about 1.4 million visitors in 2024, making it one of Utah's less-visited 'Mighty Five' parks and far fewer than Zion. Cathedral Valley features towering monoliths called the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon that define the landscape. Glass Mountain formed millions of years ago when mineral-rich groundwater deposited and crystallized gypsum beneath the valley. Ongoing erosion removes surrounding sandstone and gradually exposes more of the unusually large selenite crystals.

Read at Travel + Leisure