Utah [gallery]
Snow Canyon State Park
- Location: about 15 km north of St. George in the southwestern corner
of Utah.
- The park has a nice, fair sized campground. The scenery is quite varied
with contrasting red and white sandstone formations as well as some black
basaltic lava flows and even some small sand dunes. The sandstone in the park
has lots of interesting grooves, lines and wind-eroded pockets. In addition,
a diversity of plant life adds beauty to this scenic, although somewhat lesser
known location in Utah. [images] [top]
Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park
- Location: about 20 km west of Kanab in southern Utah - almost at
the Arizona border.
- These sand dunes are quite colourful and cover a vast area. There are large
expanses almost totally devoid of vegetation, and the dunes flow right up
against (even over, in spots) some rocky hills to the east. There are two
campgrounds in the vicinity. One is right at the main part of the dunes, and
the other is further north along Hancock Road. The downside, for photographic
reasons, is that ATVs are allowed on the dunes. One has to walk a long way
to get away from the noise and tire tracks of these vehicles. However if you
do, the views will be worth it. In the past there was a protected area where
ATVs were not allowed, but I did not notice any protected areas during my
last visit in May, 2000. [images] [top]
Zion
National Park
- Location: about 60 km east of St. George in southern Utah.
- The road winding through Zion National Park is nestled between towering
sandstone cliffs, up to 700 meters tall. The Virgin River flows through the
deep canyon at the heart of the park. There is an incredible amount of lush
vegetation and many waterfalls and beautiful hanging gardens to contrast with
the red cliffs. There are many hiking trails of various levels of difficulty
and two large campgrounds in the park. At the northern end of the main road
into the park there is an attraction called the Zion Canyon Narrows. From
the parking lot you start with an easy 2 km walk (also wheelchair accessible)
that winds along the Virgin River until it ends at the Narrows. There are
many photo opportunities along this walk and in spring a colourful variety
of blooming flowers, often clinging precariously to the steep sandstone cliffs,
can be seen right beside the path. Don't forget to look up as well
- the views are stunning. At the Narrows, travel becomes more challenging.
During the summer months, when the Virgin River runs warmer, the adventurous
can wade a long way up the river, through water that is anywhere from knee
deep, to chest deep. The canyon becomes incredibly confined, at times only
12 meters wide with sheer 600 meter cliffs on either side. The sky becomes
a narrow ribbon overhead and sunlight rarely touches the river's surface.
Remember to inquire about conditions at the park's visitor's centre before
attempting the Narrows. There are lots of opportunities for photography in
Zion, but being at the bottom of a very deep canyon, the light is often very
contrasty. You need to meter very carefully and shooting negative film to
get more exposure latitude is probably advisable. [images] [top]
Bryce
Canyon National Park
- Location: about 40 km southeast of Panguitch in southern Utah.
- The Native American Paiute tribe called the Bryce Canyon badlands Unka-timpe-wa-wince-pock-ich
which translates to "red rocks standing like men in a bowl shaped recess."
Ebenezer Bryce (whom the park was named for), had tried to farm in the Bryce
amphitheater in the late 1800s and declared that it was "a hell of a
place to lose a cow!" Two apt descriptions of the topography in this
amazing park. The Bryce Canyon amphitheater contains a staggering array of
spindly sandstone formations in just about every pastel colour imaginable.
Some of these spires are hundreds of feet tall, and many hiking trails wind
through this surreal landscape. There are numerous panoramic views from the
canyon rim which is at about 2500 meters altitude. There are several campgrounds
as well as more luxurious accommodations available in or near the park. The
temperatures can get very hot and the trails are steep: combine this with
the high altitude and it can make for some strenuous hiking. Pace yourself
and carry lots of drinking water. The photographic opportunities in this park
are vast indeed... bring lots of film! [images] [top]
Powell Point
- Location: about 25 km northeast of Bryce Canyon National Park.
- Powell Point is one of the highest spots in southern Utah at nearly 3100
meters altitude. On a clear day, the panoramic views that it offers are spectacular.
Bryce Canyon can be seen in the distance and the surrounding landscape is
quite varied in character. The sandstone cliffs immediately below Powell Point
consist of bright white, tan and saturated red tones with some very interesting
erosion induced fins and other shapes. Sunrise and sunset views are especially
impressive when the warm sunlight bathes the cliffs with extra colour. There
is snow at Powell Point quite late into the year sometimes, and the road in
is very rough and often muddy. You'll need a 4x4, motorcycle or mountain bike
to make it the last 5 km to the end. Since Powell Point is in a National Forest,
camping is permitted, however there are no facilities so please don't litter
- leave no trace! It is a fairly steep 1 km hike down to the tip of Powell
Point from the end of the road. Take it slow on the way back since there is
about 30% less oxygen at this altitude than at sea-level and be aware of signs
of altitude sickness - headache, nausea, lethargy etc. Some people are fine
at this height, while others may be affected. If you think you're feeling
signs of altitude sickness, it's safest to get back down to a lower altitude
and not camp at the top. [images] [top]
Burr Trail - Capitol Reef National Park
- Location: Captiol Reef National Park is just 5 km east of Torrey
in south-central Utah. The Burr Trail starts at Boulder Town and heads east
into Capitol Reef National Park. There, it winds down into the Waterpocket
Fold and heads south before exiting Capitol Reef and connecting to Highway
276 near the Bullfrog marina on Lake Powell.
- The Burr Trail is an exceptionally scenic drive, paved (as of a few years
ago) for quite a way east of Boulder Town. It winds past an array of tan-coloured
"checkerboard" mesas and on through a twisty narrow red-rock gorge
called Long Canyon. There are several narrow slot canyons branching out that
invite exploration. At the exit of Long Canyon the view is unbelievably colourful
with red, orange, purple and blue steaks painting the sandstone, green bushes
dotting the landscape and the purple and red cliffs of the Capitol Reef itself
visible off in the distance. Once the Burr trail actually enters Capitol Reef
National Park, it turns to gravel. There is a rough 4x4 trail that lead up
to the edge of the Waterpocket Fold. From there, a mildly strenuous hike leads
up to some truly spectacular views up and down the Waterpocket Fold / San
Rafael Swell valley. The sense of enormous geological forces at work is a
feeling I get when I'm looking down into this area - stronger here than anywhere
else that I have visited. The view is well worth the effort. [images] [top]
Arches National Park
- Location: about 5 km north of Moab in eastern-central Utah.
- The name says it all - arches, arches and more arches! With over 1000 known
arches within the 291 square kilometre park boundary, it boasts the highest
density of arches in the world. Arches range from a modest 1 meter opening
to Landscape Arch, a 32 meter high sandstone ribbon that stretches 88 meters
across. This park offers an astounding variety of scenery, from sandstone
arches, fins and spires to petrified dunes and balanced rocks. The one campground
in the park gets booked out early in the year, so plan well ahead. There are
many hiking trails that lead to spectacular views. It gets hot there, so again,
carry lots of drinking water and pace yourself in the summer months. Thunder
storms can brew up quickly in the heat, so watch the sky! Morning and evening
light adds even more warmth to the colours and adds dramatic shadows. Needless
to say, bring lots of film. [images] [top]
Canyonlands National Park
- Location: about 30 km southwest of Moab in eastern-central Utah.
- This is a huge park, encompassing almost 1350 square kilometres and it contains
nearly every type of desert scenery imaginable. There are several distinct
regions: Islands in the Sky, the Maze district and the Needles. Each is unique
in its own way. If you can imagine a huge flat plateau where water erosion
has carved 500 meter deep chasms in intricate drainage patterns while leaving
large areas of near perfectly flat plain and huge flat-topped mesas, you have
visualized Islands in the Sky. It is like a miniature Grand Canyon and personally,
I actually find Canyonlands more varied and impressive. Many breathtaking
views are visible not far off the main road leading into the north part of
the park. The Maze district is the most inaccessible, requiring a very competent
4-wheel drive and excellent off-road driving skills. If you make it in, you
are rewarded with a maze of sandstone fins and standing rocks weaving complex
patterns across the landscape. East of the Maze is the Needles district, containing
rows of huge spires of layered beige and red sandstone. Their enormity is
hard to grasp until one hikes or 4-wheels right into this region. There are
many challenging 4x4 "roads" and hiking trails with frequent spectacular
views. One more attraction worth mentioning is the White Rim Trail road. It
is a 180 km long rocky and sandy 4x4 road that follows the white sandstone
rim along the Colorado and Green rivers right into the heart of Canyonlands.
It requires only a moderately competent 4-wheel drive, but there are a few
hairy sections and some sheer 300 meter drop-offs! Camping on the White Rim
Trail requires a back-country camping permit - available from the visitors
center. The park is now taking advance bookings for the very limited number
of campsites along the White Rim Trail, therefore try to book early. It gets
extremely hot in this park, so avoid long hikes in the summer months and take
lots of drinking water. Don't forget your camera! [images] [top]
Arizona [gallery]
Lee's Ferry
- Location: about 20 km southwest of Page, Arizona right near the Utah
state boundary. It is a much further than 20 km to drive to Lee's Ferry however,
since the road from Page heads about 45 km south before turning north again
towards Lee's Ferry.
- In the early 1900s, there was a ferry crossing the Colorado River at the
present day Lee's Ferry site. Now all that remains are some very photogenic
crumbling ruins and huge gravel parking lots - Lee's Ferry is the starting
point for many commercial rafting trips that travel down the Colorado River
and through the Grand Canyon. There is a small campground there as well as
a ranger station, but not a store or gas station is to be found. There are
some eye-popping colour contrasts there, with red, white and tan sandstone
cliffs, the turquoise blue water of the Colorado River and a deep blue sky.
Watch the red cliffs turn purple in the distance from the added blue of atmospheric
haze. There are also smaller patches of greens, blues and purples visible
on the hills in the distance. There are some nice small beaches bordering
the river and with a little climbing some great panoramic views can be found. [images] [top]
Antelope Canyon
- Location: about 5 km east of Page, Arizona right near the Utah state
boundary.
- This is probably one of the most famous and most photographed slot canyons
in the southwest. There are many others, but I don't believe they are as readily
accessible. Antelope Canyon is just off a main road on the Navaho Indian reservation,
and even though it is not a designated state or national park, there is an
entrance fee. Hiking down into Antelope Canyon is well worth the fee though
as it is quite a spectacular site to behold. Fast flowing water has carved
a deep and convoluted chasm into the tan coloured sandstone. Not recommended
for those suffering from vertigo or claustrophobia, there are a several steep
and tall ladders to climb down to get to the bottom of the canyon. Hiking
through the canyon is at times challenging since it gets very narrow and angled
at the same time. Warning: check the weather in the surrounding
area carefully before venturing down into the canyon. A rain storm many kilometres
away could cause a sudden flash flood through the canyon, with little or no
warning. People have been killed while trapped in the canyon during flash
floods. The light filtering down into the deeper parts of the canyon has
a beautiful warm and diffuse quality because of all the scattering by the
sandstone walls. If you plan on taking pictures, bring a sturdy tripod and
a cable release. The light is quite dim in the canyon, even on a sunny day,
and will require exposures too long to handhold. Be courteous towards other
photographers - often exposure times of several seconds are required, and
blundering into someone's photo in mid-exposure would not make you very popular.
Antelope Canyon is a great refuge on a hot day as it is often much cooler
in its depths that up top. [images] [top]
Mike Mander
September 2000
