Jailhouse Rock

Jailhouse Rock is a 6,123-foot (1,866-meter) elevation summit located in Capitol Reef National Park, in Wayne County of Utah, United States. This remote iconic monolith is situated nine miles (14 km) north of the park's visitor center, and four miles (6.4 km) south of Temples of the Sun and Moon, in the South Desert of the park's North (Cathedral Valley) District. South Desert is a long, narrow valley that runs parallel to the strike of the Waterpocket Fold monocline. Cathedral Valley was so named in 1945 by Charles Kelly, first superintendent of Capitol Reef National Monument, because the valley's sandstone monoliths reminded early explorers of ornate, Gothic cathedrals, with fluted walls, alcoves, and pinnacles. Jailhouse Rock rises 500 feet (150 meters) above its surrounding terrain, and can be seen from the Lower South Desert Overlook, which is 15 miles northwest of Highway 24 via the Hartnet Road. The hiking approach to the base of this large promontory rising from the valley floor is made from the Lower South Desert Overlook via a switchback trail until it disappears along the valley floor. Precipitation runoff from this feature is drained by Deep Creek, a tributary of the Fremont River, which in turn is within the Colorado River drainage basin.