Z I O N N A T I O N A L P A R K
Zion National Park in autumn is something special. From a distance, Zion seems to be all sandstone, slickrock and cliffs. It is the desert and canyon country that you expect. But when you look closely you see the cliffs and canyons are dotted with small clumps of trees. And in autumn those trees, like their counterparts in the east, turn blazing shades of red, orange, and yellow. And then the distance deceives you - what appears to be a small clump of trees becomes a full forest when you walk among them - right in the canyon, high up on a cliff wall. The variety of Zion was completely unexpected.
And then there is the light. The golden morning light of sunrise throws shadows across the undulating rock landscape. And as the sun rises, the light changes. Extra special is the reflected light of one cliff wall against another - it literally causes the rock to glow. Light, colored sandstone canyons, vibrant autumn leaves - they all come together in this special place that I will visit again for sure.
Autumn Red
I had been to Zion NP before, but never in October. I was completely unprepared for the deep, vibrant autumn colors. This is the desert… nothing grows here… how wrong I was. In hidden canyons, against sheer rock walls, with light bouncing all over, we were treated to the most wonderful display of autumn colors I have ever seen. The warm reflected light of the sandstone cliffs caused the entire scene to be bathed in red.
Aspens On The Terrace
Equally stunning was this surprising find of aspen trees on the Kolob Terrace section of Zion. Zion gets almost four million visitors per year and the vast majority stay in the main canyon. That was our reason for exploring the outer reaches of the park. We drove the long rising road up the Kolob Terrace and, at the end, were treated to aspen trees turning bright yellow. I couldn’t contain my excitement as I created many many images. And to complete the experience, we watched a herd of elk run across the open fields and leap gracefully over the fences that contain the road. Breathless!
Zion Watercolor
As we gained elevation, we also rounded the canyon wall. And there, in front of our eyes, was a watercolor painting of autumn in Zion.
The colors of the trees look like paint was applied with sponges. The ridges on the far canyon walls look like heavy brushstrokes, laden with paint. And the magnificent, ancient dead tree in the middle anchored the scene perfectly.
It was a treat to just stand, silently, motionless, and take this in for a long time.
