POTD December 25, 2013: Paria Canyon–Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness Area, Kane County, Utah

From everyone at the Utah Geological Survey, we hope you have a Merry Christmas that rocks!

Paria Canyon–Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness Area, Kane County, Utah
Photographer: Tyler Knudsen

Morning sunlight illuminates water-sculpted walls of the Buckskin Gulch slot canyon. Cut deeply into Jurassic-age Navajo Sandstone, the Buckskin’s slot ranges from 5 to 25 feet wide and 100 to 500 feet high for 12 miles, making it the longest slot canyon in the world.