Zion National Park

66 Pictures: 0-20 , 20-40 , 41-60 , 60-66

Canyon Towers (2003-05-26) I snapped this photo from the bus. Perhaps a bike ride down the canyon would be more conducive to photography.

Highway 9 (2003-05-26) A subtle desert view from Highway 9 outside Zion National Park.

Toward Zion (2003-05-26)

Desert View (2003-05-26)

Flowering Cactus (2003-05-26) This flowering cactus near Zion National Park seems to have a similar plant structure to the Prickly Pear, but has a unique flower structure. If you know the species, please use the rate option and leave a note with the specie's name.

Zion Canyon (2003-05-26) A picture from the first switch backs on the Angels Landing Trail. You can see how the canyon carves a U. The soft sandstone on top quickly erodes, the Kaibab Limestone below erodes slowly.

Navajo Sandstone (2003-05-26) The upper portion of the Navajo Sandstone forms the interesting domes, slick rock slopes with a few shear cliffs.

Zion Canyon (2003-05-26) The Angels Landing trail provide spectacular views of the Virgin River and the National Park.

Wally s Wiggles (2003-05-26) Looking down on Walter's Wiggles on the Angels Landing Trail.

Angels Landing Trail (2003-05-26) The brick work on the Angels Landing Trail.

Leaning Tree (2003-05-26) A view of Angels Landing from the banks of the Virgin River.

Pine Creek Bridge (2003-05-26) The Pine Creek Bridge on Highway 9 coming out of the Pine Creek tunnel.

The Overlook (2003-05-26) The overlook itself gives you a view of Zion Canyon and the switch backs on highway 9.

Resting Place (2003-05-26) Things erode quickly in the desert as this young tree has discovered. It is now balanced on a rock.

Canyon Springs (2003-05-26) The Navajo Sandstone is porous. The Kayenta Shale is not. As a result there is a number of springs at the transition between the geological layers.

Virgin River Narrows (2003-05-26) The Virgin River Narrows are the most popular destination in the park (especially on hot days.) The narrows go back several miles.

Virgin River Narrows (2003-05-26) Hikers splash up the narrows. The river bottom is composed of large rocks...you will want a shoe with a good stiff bottom.

Hurricane Mesa (2003-05-26) Hurricane Mesa on the road between Hurricane and Zion National Park. There is not a secret government facility on top of the mesa. There is not a secret government installation on the mesa.

Navajo Sand Stone (2003-05-26) Navajo Sandstone in the northern portion of Zion National Park.

Kolob Plateau (2003-05-26) The Kolob Plateau region of Zion Nation Park.

66 Pictures: 0-20 , 20-40 , 41-60 , 60-66

Zion National Park

Zion National Park in Southern Utah provides a spectacular layering of desert scenery. The park is on the western edge of the Colorado Plateau. The main sections of the park presents towers of Navajo sandstone. To the west lies the beginning of the Mojave formations that dominate Nevada and stretch into Southern California.

The Park features several climate Zones. You will find hanging gardens on the canyon walls, desert marshes along the sides of the Virgin River, an abundance of cactus, junipers and other desert fixtures along the sandy desert hills and aspen atop the mountains above the canyon's rim.

The Park was first established as Mukuntuweap Monument in 1909, and renamed to Zion National Monument in 1918 and declared a national park in 1919.

Geologically speaking, the rock in the canyon is quite young. The main features of Zion Canyon are the Navajo Sandstone that form the towering cliffs of the canyon and the and Kayenta Shale at the base of the canyon. The Navajo Sandstone was formed by deep drifting sand dunes. If you examine the detail in the rock up close, you can see the patterns of the dunes.

Context: Desert

Interstate 15 (88 pictures) Zion Canyon is located a few miles east of I15 in Southern Utah near Saint George.
Utah State (60 pictures) Zion Canyon is one of the jewels of the Utah National Park system. The canyon is noted for towering canyon walls and a wide selection of desert habitats.
Hurricane Valley (14 pictures) Hurricane Valley is just west of Zion National Park.
Angels Landing (59 pictures) Angels Landing is a popular 2.5 mile hike that starts at the Grotto and ascends 1700 feet to a view point of Zion Canyon.
Zion - Canyon Observation Point Trail (19 pictures) The Canyon Overlook Trail is a short, easy hike along the east canyon rim. The trail provides a good view of the Pine Canyon (a slot canyon) and of the Zion Valley.
Zion Narrows (18 pictures) The Virgin River Narrows is probably the most popular hike in the park. The hike starts at the Temple of Sinawava and leads into a narrow canyon where the river runs from wall to wall.
Colorado River (96 pictures) Zion National Park is in the Colorado Plateau, the Canyons were carved by the Virgin River which flows south through Saint George to the Colorado River.
Kolob Plateau (26 pictures) The Kolob Road runs through the Kolob Plateau region of Zion National Park. The road provides interesting vistas of the top of the Navajo Sand Stone.
Kolob Canyon (36 pictures) This page shows images from Kolob Canyon on the North Section of Zions National Park (near Cedar City