Zion National Park, Washington County, Utah
Photographer: Adam McKean; © 2015
The setting sun illuminates the Jurassic-age Navajo Sandstone cliffs of Cougar Mountain (right) and South Guardian Angel (left) as viewed from Kolob Reservoir Road. Here, the road travels on top of the 220,000- to 310,000-year-old Grapevine Wash lava flow (dark rocks in middle ground).
ksl.com
A large rockfall recently closed state Route 9 in Zion National Park, prompting us to take a look back at the worst rockfalls and landslides in the park’s history.
The mornings are becoming a little crisper, and night comes a little quicker. It won’t belong before we see this scene!
Zion National Park, Kane County, Utah
Photographer: Adam Hiscock; © 2015
Snow highlights cross-bedding on the sides of buttes and mesas along the Clear Creek drainage on the east side of Zion National Park. Cross-beds in the nearly 2,000-foot-thick Jurassic-age Navajo Sandstone formed in ancient sand dunes and reflect changing wind directions as the sand was being deposited.
fox13now.com
A giant rock fall has blocked the main park road.
See the official National Park Service News Release HERE for more information.
Last week’s flash flood tragedies are a reminder that the mesmerizing and beautiful slot canyons and flood washes in Utah can also become very dangerous.
nationalparkstraveler.com
As wondrous and mesmerizing as slot canyons in southern Utah and northern Arizona can be, they can be even more deadly, as last week’s tragedy at Zion National Park underscores.
Zion National Park, Washington County, Utah
Photographer: Gregg Beukelman; © 2014
The Watchman (6,545 feet), composed of Jurassic-age Navajo Sandstone, stands guard over the southern entrance to Zion Canyon. The canyon has been carved by the North Fork Virgin River, which has eroded downward thousands of feet through the Navajo and underlying Kayenta and Moenave Formations.
For those of our friends that can’t get out into the outdoor wonder-world this weekend, here are some stunning photos to keep you company.
travel.nationalgeographic.com
Zion National Park, Washington County, Utah
Photographer: Tyler Knudsen; © 2014
One of numerous slot canyons carved into Jurassic-age Navajo Sandstone in Zion National Park, Bear Trap Canyon is particularly dark and narrow. With little sunlight penetrating to the canyon floor, snow and ice often linger well into spring.
Navajo Sandstone cliffs, Kolob Canyons, Zion National Park, Washington County, Utah
Photographer: Adam Hiscock; © 2013
We can’t get enough of that jaw-dropping Utah geology—here’s another gorgeous photo to help kick off your Wednesday.
Zion National Park, Washington County, Utah
Photographer: Tyler Knudsen; © 2013
Fall foliage adorns the already colorful walls of Jurassic-age Navajo Sandstone in the Zion Narrows. The North Fork of the Virgin River has cut the 1000-foot-deep Narrows in a relatively short span of geologic time (about 1 to 2 million years).
The Utah Geological Survey (UGS) is a division of the Utah Department of Natural Resources. Several specialized programs comprise the UGS: Data Management, Energy & Minerals, Geologic Hazards, Geologic Information & Outreach, Geologic Mapping, Groundwater & Wetlands, and Paleontology.