Tag Archive: desert southwest

Sunrise over Stone Cabin Zion National Park – Springdale, Utah

May 8, 2023 0 Comments

Sunrise over Stone Cabin Zion National Park - Springdale, Utah

Sunrise over Stone Cabin in Zion National Park. Zion National Park is a breathtakingly beautiful national park located in southwestern Utah, in the United States. The park covers an area of approximately 229 square miles and is known for its stunning red rock formations, high cliffs, and narrow canyons.

Zion National Park was established in 1919 and is one of the oldest national parks in the United States. The park is home to a diverse range of plant and animal species, including over 900 different plant species, 75 species of mammals, and 271 species of birds.

One of the most popular attractions in Zion National Park is the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, a 6-mile road that winds through the heart of the park and provides access to many of its most popular hiking trails and scenic overlooks. Some of the park’s most famous landmarks, such as Angels Landing and The Narrows, are located along this scenic drive.

Zion National Park offers a variety of recreational opportunities for visitors, including hiking, rock climbing, camping, and horseback riding. The park also offers guided tours and ranger-led programs, providing visitors with the opportunity to learn more about the park’s history, geology, and ecology.

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Cathedral Gorge Moonlight Erosion – Panaca, Nevada

April 19, 2023 0 Comments

Cathedral Gorge Moonlight Erosion - Panaca, Nevada

Cathedral Gorge Moonlight Erosion – Nevada

Tucked away in the south east corner of Nevada, this gem of a state park offers geologic wonders that any landscape photographer would love. The park offers an interesting geologic mix, from ash and pumice deposits, to the sediment of an ancient lake that are slowly eroding away in the dry desert climate that now exists.

If you have ever seen photographs of the place, the size of what you see can be very deceiving in photographs. Everything looks much larger than it really is. But don’t let this deter you from visiting. You’ll have numerous opportunities to explore the different erosion features, from cave like passageways carved out of the ash deposits, to ruggedly sculptured rock faces, and stone pillars.

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Montezuma Castle National Monument – Camp Verde, Arizona

April 17, 2023 0 Comments

Montezuma Castle National Monument - Camp Verde, Arizona

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Montezuma Castle near Camp Verde, Arizona, is one of many cliff dwellings, and pueblos constructed by the Sinagua, a group of Native Americans that inhabited the Verde River Valley and areas around Sedona between approximately 500-1400 A.D. The largest of the pueblos had over 100 rooms. Montezuma Castle may have been home to as many as 50 people, and contains 20 rooms spread over 5 floors.

There is evidence to suggest that Arizona’s Verde Valley, through which the Verde River passes, was occupied for over 12,000 years (120 centuries) before the arrival of the first Spanish explorer Antonio de Espejo, in 1583. Over that time, numerous Native American peoples have left their mark on the region in addition to the Sinagua, including the Hohokam, Yavapai, Apache and the Hopi. The Hopi in particular, who now live largely in northwest Arizona, link their origin myth to Montezuma Well, a limestone sinkhole 11 miles northeast of Montezuma castle.

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