The Cathedral Valley Corral was constructed around 1900 by local cattlemen in the northern portion of what is now
Capitol Reef National Park in
Utah. It is one of the oldest examples of ranching use in the park. It coincided with a change in the use of the land, where cattle were grazed on the open range and collected into corrals for
branding
Branding may refer to:
Physical markings
* Making a mark, typically by charring:
** Wood branding, permanently marking, by way of heat, typically of wood (also applied to plastic, cork, leather, etc.)
** Livestock branding, the marking of animals ...
,
vaccination and other procedures. The extensive use of
open-range grazing
In the Western United States and Canada, open range is rangeland where cattle roam freely regardless of land ownership. Where there are "open range" laws, those wanting to keep animals off their property must erect a fence to keep animals out; th ...
practices led to the de-vegetation of portions of the area. The corral was used by the Jeffery and Morrel families. The corral site uses sandstone cliffs as part of the enclosure, with a wood fence closing off an alcove in a cliff. The pen is subdivided into a larger and smaller enclosure, with a cattle chute off the small pen.
The Cathedral Valley Corral was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places on September 13, 1999.
References
Buildings and structures in Wayne County, Utah
Agricultural buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Utah
National Register of Historic Places in Capitol Reef National Park
Corrals
National Register of Historic Places in Wayne County, Utah
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