Above: Left and Right Mittens, and Merrick Butte, with a small balanced rock in the foreground. The Western movie directory John Ford was known for setting his films here. See Page 2 AZ: Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park

Above right: Tom admires fossilized sand dunes in a side canyon of The Wave, Coyote Buttes, in the Arizona portion of Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness Area (Arizona & Utah border). See Page 1 AZ.

Left: Jagged teeth in Lower Antelope Canyon. See Page 1 AZ: Antelope Canyon.

Left: Havasu Canyon, Arizona: Havasu Creek plunges over Havasu Falls (100 feet high) in Havasu Canyon, on the Havasupai Indian Reservation. The beautiful color in the pools of Havasu Creek is caused by carbonate minerals settling to the bottom, turning it white, and acting as a reflector of the surrounding green and brown mossy cliffs plus the blue sky. This unique color combination creates a striking turquoise pool, and one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world. See Page 2 AZ: Havasu Canyon

        Below right: Rafting the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River through Grand Canyon National Park. See Page 2 AZ: Grand Canyon, Rafting.


Above right: Sunrise at Yavapai Point, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. [Published in 2004 by Gospel Publishing, Moundridge, Kansas.] See Page 2 AZ: Grand Canyon.

Left: Chiricahua National Monument, Arizona: The Heart of the Rocks Loop Trail (7 to 9 miles) makes a perfect day hike through the hoodoos here. 27 million years ago, huge volcanic eruptions laid down 2000 feet of ash and pumice in this area, which fused into a rock known as rhyolitic tuff.  Since then this rock has eroded into fascinating hoodoos, spires, and balanced rocks which lie above the surrounding desert grasslands at elevations between 5100 and 7800 feet. At Chiricahua, the Sonoran desert meets the Chihuahuan desert, and the Rocky Mountains meet Mexico's Sierra Madre, making one of the most biologically diverse areas in the northern hemisphere. While we drove the dirt road to nearby Portal, Arizona, Carol saw a mountain lion crossing the road! Other animals here include javelina, coatimundi, bears, skunks, and deer. See Page 3 AZ: Southeast Arizona: Chiricahua National Monument.

Below right: Lower Calf Creek Falls, Utah. See Page 4 UT: Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

Left: Bull Valley Gorge. Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah


Below: Fresh snow dusts Zion National Park, Utah. See Page 6 UT: Zion National Park.

Below left: Tom hikes in the intriguing Willis Creek slot canyon. See Page 4 UT: Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

Below right: Little Wild Horse Canyon, San Rafael Reef, Utah. See Page 5 UT: San Rafael Reef.


Above: See Page 5 UT: Goblin Valley State Park

Below: Sandstone pattern by Carol Dempsey. Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada. See Page 8 NV: Valley of Fire State Park


Above: Thor's Hammer at sunrise. See Page 6 UT: Bryce National Park.
Below: Sunset on the Queen's Garden. See Page 6 UT: Bryce National Park.

Above: Balanced Rock at sunset. See Page 7 UT: Arches National Park

Below: a rainbow of sandstone colors in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada. See Page 8 NV: Valley of Fire State Park

Above: Skyline Arch. See Page 7 UT: Arches National Park

Above:  From Orange Cliffs Overlook in Canyonlands NP, you can see Green River in Stillwater Canyon. See Page 7 UT: Canyonlands National Park

Above: Sandstone landscape pattern in fossilized sand dunes. Capitol Reef National Park, Utah. See Page 5 UT: Capitol Reef National Park 

Left: Badlands in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California.

   
Below right: Capitol Reef NP: Exfoliating sandstone pattern. See Page 5 UT: Capitol Reef National Park

Below right: Pencil stalactites. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico. See Page 9 NM: Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Above: View through Mesa Arch to distant buttes.  See Page 7 UT: Canyonlands National Park

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Copyright 1983-2006 by Tom Dempsey. Photographs may not be copied without permission. Custom Print Prices.

Above is SW Page 0:  Southwest USA Highlights: Desert Landscapes

Southwest USA Index for pages: 1-AZ/UT , 2-AZ , 3-AZ , 4-UT , 5-UT , 6-UT , 7-UT , 8-NV , 9-NM
See Also: California Deserts (Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Eureka Sand Dunes, Cacti, Flowers)

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