Some sources call this Cryptogamic crust, and others call it Cryptobiotic crust. Either way, it is amazing. Crypto means hidden, and it definitely deserves the name, because most people would never guess that this stuff is alive. In this part of Utah, the crust is made up mostly of bacteria, but in other places it can also include algae, lichens, fungi, and other life forms. This crust can grow where other forms of life can't, and by covering the soil, it prevents erosion and traps water.

The crust is very fragile, and the parks here constantly remind people not to walk on it. The damage caused by one set of footprints can let a large section of a hillside wash away in a storm.