Petroglyphs near Fruita in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, United States Aug 2, 2025

Petroglyphs near Fruita in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, United States

There"s something timeless about Capitol Reef National Park in Utah, United States—a place where red rock cliffs, winding canyons and ancient stories come together under the desert sky. Long before visitors laced up hiking boots and hit the trails at Capitol Reef, the Fremont and Ancestral Puebloan peoples called this place home. Their connection to the land was both spiritual and practical—and they left behind some of the park"s most captivating features, including petroglyphs like those found in Fruita, featured in today"s image. These rock panels showcase an ancient visual language, featuring human figures adorned with headdresses and jewelry. Alongside them are animals like bighorn sheep and lizards, as well as abstract shapes alluding to ceremonies, migrations and celestial events.

© Nicolas VINCENT/Adobe Stock

palette

Today in History

A painters palette of natures hues
Take the trail more travelled by
Aug 2, 2024Virgin Islands National Park, Saint John, United States

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jun 19, 2025Masai giraffe mother grooming her calf in the Serengeti, Tanzania
A one-of-a-kind splash
The dawn of a new beginning
Nov 15, 2024Yi Peng lantern festival, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Apr 18, 2026World Heritage Day
Oct 29, 2024Great horned owl
What are these beautiful sandy waves?
An architectural wonder in Rajasthan
Dec 11, 2025International Mountain Day
Jun 6, 2024Les Braves monument, Omaha Beach, Normandy, France
Dare to delve into this dense swamp
May 3, 2024The Sonoran Desert, Arizona, US
The ‘eighth wonder’?
Jul 21, 2024Kendwa village, Zanzibar, Tanzania
A remote oasis in the Chihuahuan Desert
Sep 18, 2024Gujō Hachiman Castle, Gifu Prefecture, Japan
Jun 10, 2024The city of Osaka at night, Japan
Sep 16, 2024Wallabies at sunrise, Australia
Jan 25, 2024Agra Fort, Agra, Uttar Pradesh
Oct 15, 2025Amethyst laccaria mushrooms, Seabeck, Washington, United States
Where the humpback whale sings
Jan 26, 2024Republic Day
Nothing says ‘San Francisco’ quite like...
Oct 16, 2025Eurasian lynx
Feb 26, 2025Maha Shivaratri
Mar 22, 2024World Water Day
For Mother’s Day, we salute these marsupial moms
This museum sets the prairie on fire
Feb 21, 2026Red fox, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, United States
Jan 21, 2025Eurasian red squirrel