A gnarly branch of a dead Utah Juniper tree (Juniperus osteosperma), lying across the orange sand commonly found in Arches National Park, in Utah’s desert canyon region. Part of the Colorado Plateau region of the American Southwest.
Arches National Park is famous for its sandstone arches, which form from the Entrada Sandstone that lies across the park, and which is responsible for the sand seen here. More than 2000 arches exist in the park, and have formed over thousands and in some cases millions of years, due largely to wind, rain, and the freeze/thaw cycle during the year.