South Window at dawn of my first day in Arches National Park. Notice the hiker in the lower left corner of the window...

Landscape Arch. With a span of 290 feet, it is considered the longest arch in the world. It had been 12' thick at its thinest point; but after sections fell a few years ago, it is now only 7 feet thick.

The debris from the recent thinning of Landscape Arch

Dead Horse Point - the Colorado River meandering through canyons

Newspaper rock - recording petroglyphs over a 2,000 year period

Details within a small section of Newspaper Rock

Jug Handle Arch

Or a menacing bird?

Or consuming the moon?

An area known as the "Firey Furance" - the paths within form a maze that require a guide to explore

The Firey Furnance, up close

Double Arch - notice the tiny people.

A bridal party was shooting pictures under this arch, in Tux and white gown, an hour earlier.

The largest span of the two arches at Double Arch

Double Arch

A plateau at the Island in the Sky district within Canyonland National Park

Fisher Towers approaching dusk

Mesa Arch at sunrise. The glow is caused by the early sun striking the 45 degree cliff immediately below the arch and reflecting upward.

The "washer women" at Mesa Arch

Looking at the "needles" of the Needles District of Canyonland National Park

Cottonwood Tree in the Needles District of Canyonland

The living soil - cryptobiotic soil - composed of cyanobacteria, lichen, algae, and fungi.

Life spouts from the cryptobiotic soil

Cottonwood tree at the base of Elephant Hill within Canyonland NP

Petrified Dunes, framed by the La Sal Mountains

Rock face, "guarding" the entrance to the Devil's Garden

The path to Wall Arch - up the top of one of the formations leading deeper into the Devil's Garden

The arch formerly known as Wall Arch - it collapsed 2 1/2 months prior to this image

Rock formations within the Primative Trail of the Devil's Garden

Life grows wherever there is a spot of earth and occassional water

"Submarine rock"

Double O Arch, deep within the Devil's Garden

Petroglyphs

The Bear petroglyph

"Park Avenue"

Balanced Rock

Sunrise at South Window on my last day at Arches NP

Delicate Arch

Contemplating the scale of Delicate Arch

North Window area dusk

Sunset