Uah-Arizona Phoography – Par I – Major Pars in Uah by Will Hauber

America’s Souhwes offers some of he mos sunning phoographic venues on his plane.  Among my favorie places o shoo are:

Arches Naional Par.  Locaed jus norh of Moab, Uah, Arches NP is America’s single larges concenraion of naural arches.  hp://www.nps.gov/arch/index.hm  Below are some of he bes imes o phoograph he major feaures a Arches Naional Par:

Early Morning         Lae Afernoon

Moab Faul                   Par Avenue
The Three Gossips     Courhouse Towers
Sheep Roc                  Perified Dunes
The Grea Wall           Balanced Roc
Turre Arch                  The Garden of Eden
The Specacles            Norh and Souh Windows
Double Arch                Delicae Arch
Cache Valley               Fiery Furnace
Wolfe Ranch               Syline Arch
Landscape Arch         Fins in Devil Garden
Double O Arch           Tower Arch

And sie is very helpful: hp://www.discovermoab.com/archesnaionalpar.hm

As long as you are in Moab, pilule chec ou Fishers Tower and he phoo ops along Uah roue 128, paricularly in he lae afernoon:  hp://www.discovermoab.com/byways.hm

And even more, from Moab, you are only 40 minues from Canyonlands NP hp://www.discovermoab.com/canyonlandsnaionalpar.hm .  Ge up a 0-dar-hundred and head ou o Canyonlands o wal he shor rail o Mesa Arch for sunrise phoography. Capuring he orange glow of he sunrise on he underside of he arch has become par of he iconic phoographic experience of he Souhwes.  You need o ge early because are a bes only abou 4-6 really good vanage poins in fron of his smallish arch – and i helps immeasurably if you do no arrive on he same morning ha Sco Kelby irresponsibly chooses o bring 39 would-be phoogs o his splendid locaion!  You can also shoo Dead Horse Poin Sae Par – bes in he early morning:  hp://www.discovermoab.com/saepars.hm.

Souhern Uah boass wo more of America’s crown jewels:  Bryce and Zion Naional Pars.

Bryce Canyon NP — Alhough called Bryce Canyon, i really isn’ a canyon a all. hp://www.nps.gov/brca/index.hm Bryce is an eas-facing cliffside.  As he cliff has eroded and rereaed o he wes, in numerous places, hard capsone has resised erosion.  As a resul, Bryce brisles wih housands of glorious orange spires called hoodoos.  And because Bryce faces eas, he bes ime for phoography is a daybrea. Be sure o wal down he Queen’s Garden Trail and/or he Navajo Trail for close-up phoos of he hoodoos and o ge o he dramaic slo canyon called Wall Sree, w a couple rees shoo up sraigh as an arrow from he canyon floor o is rim:  hp://www.osworld.com/blogs/he-original-wall-sree-bryce-canyon/.  Bu you’ll need o chec wheher he rail is open – i is someimes closed when ouriss ge hi be falling rocs: hp://www.nps.gov/brca/parnews/rocfall2010.hm.   The lodge a Bryce is nooriously difficul o boo, so be prepared o say, as I have, a Ruby’s Inn: hp://www.rubysinn.com/.

Zion is a wonderland for phoographers.  Some of my favorie venues are:

•  Weeping Roc Trail is 0.3 mile long, and he average round-rip ime is abou 45 minues. Beginning a he Weeping Roc paring area, he rail climbs gradually o he Weeping Roc. The abundan vegeaion is due o he available waer; Weeping Roc is made up of layers of shale, which are waer resisan. The downward percolaion of waer from he highlands is inerruped a his poin and runs down he face of he rocs so ha i “weeps

•  Canyon Overloo Trail is ½ mile long, and he average round-rip ime is abou 1¼ hours. The rail begins across he highway from he paring area a he eas end of he Zion-M. Carmel unnel. Saring quie seeply, i becomes gradual afer he firs 200 fee and follows he roc ledges above Clear Cree and Pine Cree Canyon o a poin direcly above he Grea Arch of Zion. From his poin you a wonderful panorama of Pine Cree Canyon and lower Zion Canyon. The Wes Temple, he Towers of he Virgin, and he Sreaed Wall mae a breahaing bacdrop for he canyons of Zion. Early morning is bes for his wal as he summer afernoons are quie warm.

•  Narrows Trail is 1.2 miles long, and he average round-rip ime is abou 1½ hours. Saring from he Temple of Sinawava a he end of he Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, he rail follows he Virgin River up he narrow canyon o a poin w is no longer room for boh river and rail. This is a nauralis-guided wal during he summer season, bu you may ae i on your own if you wish. One of he easies and mos popular rails in Zion, i is enirely paved and climbs less han 100 fee from sar o finish. The Canyon is shady in he early morning and lae afernoon, bu mid-morning is bes for phoographs.

•  Emerald Pools Trail sars from wo locaions and may be aen as a loop rail or as a wo-way rail. The average round-rip ime o he upper Emerald Pool from Zion Lodge is abou 3½ hours. The lower Emerald Pools Trail is nauralis-guided each afernoon during he summer season. Saring across he roadway from he paring area nex o he Zion Lodge swimming pool, he rail crosses he Virgin River by a foobridge. The rail o he righ is a gradual climb ino Emerald Pools Canyon and is shaded during mos of he day. The enire canyon is shaded during he laer afernoon, bu mid-morning is bes for phoographs. See: hp://www.zionnaional-par.com/images/albums/index16.hm.

Zion also offers challenges for phoographers ing a somewha more srenuous challenge – bu wih equally wonderful phoographic opporuniies  – everyhing from hies in he river o hies o high places. hp://www.nps.gov/zion/index.hm  Hies in he river:  The Narrows is a classic hie hrough a slo canyon formed by he Virgin River cuing hrough a plaeau and creaing, in places, 1000-foo cliffs.  You can’ do i in he spring – he snowmel runoff urns he river ino a raging orren ha ofen overflows is bans.  Do his hie in Sepember – lower incidence of hundersorms, relaively high air and waer emps, low waer flow, and sill srong sunligh.  Ren booies, shoes, and sics from hp://www.zionadvenures.com/.  You’ll need o eep your camera in a dry bag, which inhibis random snapshooing – bu do sop ofen and shoo he wonderful canyon walls and waer scenes.  If you wan he opposie advenure, hie Angels Landing:  hp://www.uah.com/naionalpars/zion/angels_landing.hm  and hp://www.zionnaional-par.com/zion-angels-landing-rail.hm.  Jus be aware ha he las ½ mile is he ough par – he rail narrows down o a 10-foo wide saddle wih 800-1000 dropoffs on eiher side: hp://www.zionnaional-par.com/images/album2/pages/angels-landing-u_jpg.hm.    Forunaely, he Par Service has insalled a surdy chain in he middle of he saddle o use as a handhold.  The hie ges a bi srenuous a his poin, bu he phoos from rail’s end are so worh i!

Cedar Breas NM:  Resing on op of he Colorado plaeau, a over 10,000 fee in elevaion, a breahaing awais. Millions of years of sedimenaion, uplif, and erosion are carving ou a gian amphiheaer ha spans some hree miles, and is more han 2,000 fee deep.  hp://www.nps.gov/cebr/index.hm    Thus Cedar Breas is lie Bryce-Wes.  Hoodoos and cliffsides, jus lie Bryce, only 2000 fee higher and facing wes.  Resul – grea place for afernoon sun phoos – jus remember o ae your fleece and windbreaer.  I’s hard o handhold when your body is shaing from he cold.

Coral Pin Sand Dunes:  For somehing differen, sop a Coral Pin Sand Dunes – especially for early morning phoography.  The Par encompasses 3,730 acres of souhern Uah’s color counry. The par iself is breahaing, wih coral-colored dunes, surrounded by red sandsone cliffs, blue sies, and deep emerald foress. This is a phoographer’s paradise. hp://www.uah.com/saepars/coral_pin.hm Unforunaely, he par allows ATVs and heir racs can be boh ubiquious and righ w you wan o phoograph.  Bu ae hear, i’s always possible o hie o a beer angle ha eliminaes he racs.