One of the nation’s newest National Parks is a tiny speck of land on the west bank of the mighty Mississippi River. At a mere 91 acres, Gateway Arch National Park is by far the smallest of our sixty-one National Parks.
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The Mountain State of West Virginia was admitted to Union in 1863 at the height of the Civil War when the Unionists of the northern and western counties of secessionist Virginia themselves chose to secede from that Confederate state. It was a real public relations victory for President Lincoln and the Union. Don’t worry: That’s the end of the history lecture.
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It doesn’t have the granite domes of Yosemite or the geysers of Yellowstone, but Great Smoky Mountains National Park attracts over 11 million visitors each year making it the most popular in the nation. That’s more than Yosemite, Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks combined.
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As the years roll by, there is an ever diminishing percentage of photographers who spent their early years shooting and archiving film. At the risk of sounding like my pre-TV era father, back in the good old days before the advent of digital photography, we simply stored our film originals, both negatives and chromes, in an assortment of paper and plastic boxes, pages, etc. Absent the house burning down, there was little, if any, concern over losing our precious images.
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The national park movement originally grew out of the 19th century recognition that it was important to protect the spectacular natural wonders of the American west. It took a few more decades for the eastern part of our country to gain some respect for its own scenic gems. Eventually, however, many national parks were established east of the Mississippi and now play host to scores of millions of visitors annually. Three of these, Mammoth Cave, Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains, form a line through the Appalachians and were created at the urging of FDR.
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The dictionary defines ephemeral as transient.
e-fem-e-ral — Temporary, or passing, as changing as the rocks.
Maybe not.
In the case of the rock formations that dot and decorate our Earth, we could also add, “in transition” for the rocks do not stay the same. Even though they may look to us mortals that they do, it is only because we are changing faster than are they. Sometimes.
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As some confirmed night owls and insomniacs reading this may have noticed, I recently appeared on ABC TV’s Nightline.
Aside from simply showcasing my good looks (Ha!!), the story made a serious and thoughtful point.
Social media, and especially Instagram, have contributed very significantly to over-crowding in our National Parks and other federal lands originally set aside for their ability to help us re-connect with Nature.
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On the Grand Canyon’s North Rim, Mt. Hayden stands in solitary splendor against a backdrop of eroded ridges that seem to stretch forever.
Previously, we discussed the northern half of the Four Corners region. That included the most worthwhile photo highlights found in Utah and Colorado. The other half of the Grand Circle tour includes New Mexico and Arizona.
To close the loop (ouch!) on this route let’s now explore those great states of the desert Southwest. Both admitted to the Union in 1912, these two seem almost identical in size and shape, but possess very different topography and the singular scenery that exerts its powerful magnetism on us.
Continuing in the clockwise circle that brought us through Utah and Colorado, let’s cross into northern New Mexico.
While lightly visited, fascinating Pecos National Historic Park provides a great insight into ancient Native American life.
Traveling roughly from north to south, we can arrange a logical route something like this:
Not far south of Colorado’s Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve is Taos, New Mexico. The tiny town of Taos has two time honored photo icons, both made famous by none other than legendary Ansel Adams. His seminal images of the San Francisco de Asis church in Ranchos de Taos and the centuries old Taos Pueblo leave us today with just our own comparatively poor efforts.
The Taos Pueblo has been continuously occupied for centuries with its original construction possibly dating back as far as a thousand years. Try to enter the pueblo as early in the morning as possible for the best light. Check the website for visiting hours, fees and any photography restrictions.
New Mexico also contains several early Native American sites that are now units of the National Park System. Perhaps the best of these are surrounding the state’s capital Santa Fe.
Among them are:
Chaco Culture National Historic Park is certainly the biggest of the many surviving sites. This special place offers many great structures along a short loop road. Famed Pueblo Benito has some terrific classic compositions. Don’t miss Chetro Ketl and Casa Rinconada as well. Early morning light can work very well in Chaco. If you are not camping onsite, I suggest arriving at least an hour before sunrise to be in position early for the best light. Check for gate opening hours and allow at least 20-30 minutes to drive to Chaco from the paved highway.
Aztec Ruins National Monument is a small, but well preserved and very interesting site with a variety of original and reconstructed buildings. Although administered jointly with Chaco, Aztec Ruins is farther north and hard against the Colorado state line.
Bandelier National Monument is a fascinating place that offers many photo opportunities. Starting from the visitor center are trails running uphill along both sides of the canyon. Taking the trail opposite the photogenic niche at the top and packing a long lens will enable you to capture the best composition. Late afternoon light is the most favorable.
Pecos National Historic Park is a fascinating gem of a well preserved Native American site. Paved walkways make it easy. Late light can be good; make sure to check closing hours.
New Mexico’s historic capital Santa Fe was founded over four centuries ago under the Spanish colonial regime. The Palace of the Governors, once the Capitol, is the highlight of the town’s welcoming central plaza. Several charming streets radiate from here. Don’t miss the Loretto chapel, small, but a real gem.
Albuquerque is New Mexico’s largest city, if not the easiest one to spell. While the center of this modern city doesn’t offer much in the way of photography, its edges do have a few interesting areas.
Just minutes from the heart of downtown Albuquerque thousands of centuries-old petroglyphs record a long vanished civilization.
On the city’s western edge you’ll find often overlooked Petroglyph National Monument. This treasure trove of ancient Native American rock art is best photographed in the soft, warm rays of early morning light.
South of Albuquerque between Socorro and Alamogordo lies the sprawling Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, famed for its bird life and great bird photography. Thousands of sandhill cranes and snow geese often spend the winter here.
Early morning light gives a soft quality to the sparkling white gypsum dunes of White Sands National Monument near Alamogordo, NM. Watch out for missiles buzzing by.
A bit further on, just past Alamogordo, we find White Sands, perhaps my very favorite national monument. Here the great natural gypsum deposit has been formed by time and the elements into a seemingly endless expanse of rippled dunes.
Out last stop in the far south of New Mexico close to Texas is possibly the jewel of this desert state and its only national park, Carlsbad Caverns. Descending into the caves via the original natural entrance or the quick elevator ride from the visitor center offers a few choices. Either wander around the Big Room on your own with the ability to use your tripod in the very low light or buy tickets for one or more of the ranger guided tours on which you will be restricted to handheld shooting at slow shutter speeds.
My favorite spot along the South Rim in Grand Canyon National Park, Powell Point shows its very best colors just before sunset.
Eventually crossing into the fourth and last state of the Grand Circle, Arizona opens up yet another whole world of natural wonders. Our forty-eighth state includes three spectacular national parks and several national monuments. Premier among these is one of the great wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon. We can enjoy this grandest of all canyons from at least three very different viewpoints.
Also on the North Rim is the singular and very remote Toroweep Point. Contact me for details if this is on your bucket list.
But the very best way to understand and appreciate the Grand Canyon is via Door #3; a rafting trip down the Colorado River! This is, truly, the never-to-be-forgotten adventure of a lifetime. Days of alternating calm waters and turbulent rapids, putting in at such unique landmarks as Nankoweep and Elves Chasm will leave you with terrific memories and hopefully, many outstanding images.
Perhaps the most complete Anasazi granary anywhere rises several hundred feet above the Colorado River deep inside the Grand Canyon.
Arizona’s two other national parks are Saguaro with its two separate sections chock full of elegant cacti flanking both sides of sprawling Tucson and fascinating Petrified Forest with its wide variety of fossilized trees and long extinct creatures near Holbrook. That small town is worth a stop just to see the nostalgic Wigwam Motel along historic Route 66.
This singular monolith, sacred to the Navajo people, stands at the far end of Canyon de Chelley National Monument, enveloped by the Navajo Nation. This view is from the rim road, open to all vehicles and accessible on your own.
Some of the often overlooked highlights of the Grand Canyon State are:
Inside Upper Antelope Canyon (the Corkscrew) daylight penetrates only briefly.
The popular town of Page, AZ is the jumping off point for excursions on Lake Powell and just a stone’s throw from the Utah state line. Page is slot canyon central. Right on the edge of town you’ll find both Upper (the “Corkscrew”) and Lower Antelope Canyons. Once upon a time, these wonderful sculptures in sandstone were visited mostly by a small group of hardy professional photographers. On my first visit here many years ago, we had to lower the packs and tripods down on ropes and venture into the semi-dark unknown. It was all very catch-as-catch-can. Those early images created here within the Earth have introduced the uniquely exotic and sensuous rock forms to the world. The inevitable result is that both locations have now become well organized and commercialized tourist enterprises operated by local Navajo on whose lands these very special cracks in the Earth’s top layer are found. Shinnying down a rope has been replaced by walking on a custom made flight of steel stairs and tricked-out pick-ups quickly ferry tourists through miles of sand where once only a few hardy hikers trod. That said, it’s still worth the effort to search out singular compositions in these special places. You can only visit Antelope Canyon with an authorized Navajo guide or tour. Special photography groups are offered–book well in advance!
While visiting Page, take the very short drive out to the Horseshoe Bend of the Colorado River. Make sure to bring your widest lens. A 16mm (on full frame) should be about right. There’s a per-vehicle fee to park and visit the overlook.
From Page, it’s a straight shot to drive back to Las Vegas airport.
But being so close, it’s tempting to drive north from Page across the Glen Canyon Dam back into Utah. From here, it’s not far through the tiny hamlet of Bad Water to Alstom Point with its sweeping view overlooking Gunfight Butte and Lake Powell. Further on up Rt. 89, is the turnoff into House Rock Road toward the less visited and still fairly wild Buckskin Gulch slot canyon, access to Paria Canyon and one of the most special places in all the Southwest, Coyote Buttes and the now famous Wave (permit required).
See? I told you it was a great big circle!
After hiking for a couple of miles, arriving at last at the entrance of the legendary Wave
is likely to create a rush of adrenaline causing you to take off your pack and shoot immediately.
Most of the locations above offer a wide variety of lodging and dining options. Towns at or near these photo-worthy sites are very tourist friendly. The Grand Canyon is the only one of the national parks of New Mexico and Arizona with lodging inside its boundaries. Reserve early!
With very few exceptions, the places mentioned above can be successfully toured with a standard passenger car. Make sure that your tires are in good shape.
For some spots on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon such as Toroweep and Point Sublime, a high clearance vehicle is recommended.
It is unlikely that you will be allowed to enter the unpaved route through Canyon de Chelley itself with your own vehicle. If you are, do not attempt it without a good SUV equipped with 4 wheel drive, high clearance and off-road tires.
Jerry Ginsberg is a widely published photographer whose landscape, Nature and travel images have graced the covers pages of hundreds of books, magazines and travel catalogs. He is the only person to have photographed each and every one of America’s National Parks with medium format cameras. He has been awarded Artist Residencies in several National Parks and his works have been exhibited from coast to coast and have received numerous awards in competition. Jerry’s photographic archive spans virtually all of both North and South America.
More of Ginsberg’s images are on display at www.JerryGinsberg.com
Or email him at jerry@jerryginsberg.com
Crowds of tourists and photographers start to gather by Delicate Arch hours before sunset.
Story & photo by Frank Gallagher
Where do you draw the line between access and preservation? At what point does introducing a larger number of visitors to the wonders of nature start to endanger that very nature? It’s a tough call and one that land owners, government agencies and photographers are facing every day.
Standing high above the Utah desert, eye-catching Sixshooter Peak is the calling card
of the Needles section in Canyonlands National Park.
In only one place in all of America do four states come together. The perfect right-angled corners of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah meet at one spot in the desert of the great Southwest. That spot has become quite a tourist attraction. Here you’ll find a platform from which to take snapshots of fellow tourists straddling the many state lines, the local Navajo offer souvenirs, crafts and lots of artery clogging fry bread and Navajo tacos.
For Nature photographers like us, this little speck on the map is noteworthy because it is the center of some of the most stunning landscapes on Earth. Surrounding this tiny spot are no fewer than thirteen National Parks totaling almost 3,000,000 acres as well as many state and tribal parks.
Often overlooked Fairyland Point in snow and fog at the north end of Bryce Canyon National Park.
A circular itinerary through the Four Corners region has long been called the Grand Circle. It’s one big loop. Since such a trip can be very extensive, you might want to break it up into bite sized chunks of more than one photo trip.
We can design a logical itinerary in any of several ways. For example, by state, by proximity or simply by highlights, while including some places and skipping others.
Just for the purposes of this column, let’s consider segmenting the whole area by state. It is certainly easy to combine portions of two or more states depending upon how much time you are able to devote to a major photo trip like this.
Your route can work equally well traveling either clockwise or counter-clockwise. Since I seem to have almost always done it in a clockwise direction, I’ll describe it that way.
One of the most stunning hoodoos anywhere, the ochre colored pinnacle dubbed Thor’s Hammer rises high above Sunset Point in Bryce Canyon National Park.
Setting out from the prime gateway airport of Las Vegas, head north up I-15 toward Zion National Park in the Southwest corner of Utah.
It’s an easy matter to loop across Utah from west to east through Zion and tiny Bryce Canyon National Parks sprawling Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument long and narrow Capitol Reef National Park (NANPA – June, 2016) and on to Moab, gateway to both stunning Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Right next to the must-see Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands National Park is Dead Horse Point State Park, definitely worth both a sunrise and evening.
South of Moab you’ll find Natural Bridges National Monument (worthy of at least two mornings) and Hovenweep National Monument. From Natural Bridges, it’s a short drive to sprawling Monument Valley Tribal Park with its many fantastic red rock formations.
If there is a problem with planning a photo trip such as this, it is one closely related to pesky syndromes such as eating potato chips or pulling weeds in the garden; it’s so hard to stop! There’s always another one – and it’s so close by.
Just past Hovenweep is historic Mesa Verde National Park in southwestern Colorado, just a bit past popular Zion is isolated Toroweep Point and the spectacular North Rim of the Grand Canyon and on and on throughout all four states.
Probably the most under-rated of all the ancient structures in Mesa Verde National Park, Balcony House looks best in the first light of early morning.
A completely different option is starting from Denver and making a circuit through Colorado, a place with a look very different from that of contiguous Utah, but a land with just as much glorious natural beauty. Colorado boasts four national parks, just one less than Utah and a host of other gorgeous places to photograph.
These four parks are arranged in a virtual rectangle within the larger rectangular shape of the Centennial State.
The best fall color can usually be found here in the Front Range of the Rockies in late September and in some years stretching into early October. The area surrounding Telluride and Ridgeway is simply loaded with quaking aspen groves and stunning mountain shapes which combine for an endless variety of thrilling compositions.
One of the real gems of Rocky Mountain National Park, Bear Lake glistens just after sunrise.
Closest to Denver is Rocky Mountain National Park. This great park offers many rugged mountains, sparkling Alpine lakes, rushing waterfalls and lots of wildlife. It might take months to cover it thoroughly, but with a week’s effort, you should be able to come away with many wonderful images.
To start with, Sprague, Bear, Dream and Emerald Lakes, close to the really neat gateway town of Estes Park, are all excellent sunrise locations. In Estes you can tour the venerable Stanley Hotel, scene of the classic Jack Nicholson movie “The Shining.”
The many mountain vistas of the Morraine Park section of RMNP are stunning, but for real excitement, drive the length of Trail Ridge Road, one of the highest and certainly most spectacular roads in America. The views will look markedly different when driving in both directions.
Not far south of Denver is Colorado Springs featuring the Garden of the Gods with dramatic red rocks and great views of Pike’s Peak.
After crossing the small Medano Creek bed, the Great Sand Dunes loom before you.
Sunrise is the best time to capture the contrasts that make dune photographs dramatic and successful.
In the San Luis Valley close to Alamosa in the southeast part of the state you’ll find Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve. These seven hundred foot tall dunes lie just beneath the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the serrated Crestone Needles. They are wonderful right at sunrise when the play of light and shadow creates an endless variety of patterns on their sensuously undulating forms. As with all such sand forms, once the sun gets a little higher, the contrasts are lost and the scene becomes rather flat.
Once you walk across the steam bed of Medano Creek, many of the best compositions are to be found toward the left as you face the dunefield. Climbing up through the sand will certainly be your cardio workout for the day.
World famous Cliff Palace was the first of the ancient structures discovered by two cowboys in 1888. It was built around 1200 C.E. and remains the largest such complex ever found.
After driving west from here, pass charming Durango for now (see below) and head for Mesa Verde National Park, the very first national park established to protect the works of man, rather than those of nature. Don’t miss touring Wetherill Mesa (road open in summer only). Buy tickets in advance for Cliff Palace, Balcony House and Long House. Cliff Palace photographs best in late afternoon light; the other two in the morning; the first tour of the day is ideal for both.
Take a few days to explore the many fascinating ancient buildings and communities of the long vanished Chacoan people of Mesa Verde. Then head north to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.
It’s not called a black canyon for nothing. These walls with their many ribbons of stone are as close to jet black as you’ll find anywhere. This presents a challenge in resolving the resulting high contrast ratios. Bright, high overcast light that opens up the deep shadows will be a great help. Absent that, you might want to employ some HDR. Shoot a very wide bracket. There’s no harm in going to seven, nine or more frames from one end of the scale to the other; perhaps at 1.5 stop increments.
Even though today’s HDR software offers improved alignment functions, I would attempt such a wide bracket only when using a good, solid tripod in order to avoid camera movement.
When tone mapping your Black Canyon images in HDR software, try using a light touch, come away with a fairly flat image that encompasses the entire tonal range and do the rest in Photoshop. Otherwise, you risk producing files that could look over-processed and scream ‘HDR.’
Most of your shooting along the well paved south rim park road will be from the many overlooks. Make sure to stop at the Painted Wall. A couple of trails start right along the road and descend into the canyon itself.
When exploring the unpaved, but maintained road along the north rim of Black Canyon of the Gunnison, don’t miss shooting as late in the day as possible at the spot aptly named ‘Exclamation Point!’ Seriously.
Park at the little ranger station for the easy walk of a mile or so each way.
Towering Pike’s Peak is framed by the redrock forms known as the Siamese Twins in the sprawling and ethereal Garden of the Gods right outside Colorado Springs.
In addition to these four great national parks, there are several other locations in the Centennial State that you won’t want to miss. Among these are:
* Colorado National Monument is on the edge of Grand Junction and right near the Utah state line. Be careful not to include the city lights in your composition. A little fog will help and increase the drama of your images.
* The Maroon Bells: A short drive from Aspen, CO. Be there well before sunrise, find a spot along the edge of the lake and wait for the light to arrive.
* The area around Ridgeway is chock full of spectacular scenes. Explore some of the many byways and unpaved tracks through the San Juan Mountains. Among these is Last Dollar Road. You will be rewarded with a riot of colors and forms, sometimes blending, sometimes contrasting with each other. The patchwork of quaking aspens covered with blazing fall color is an embarrassment of riches.
To travel many of these remote roads, it’s a good idea to be driving a 4 wheel vehicle with high clearance, especially after a rain when these roads quickly become very sloppy.
* Mt. Sneffels: Look for the great pullout right along the northbound lane of Rt. 550 south of Ridgeway. Shooting from this pullout, especially when the autumn color is at or near its peak, is so easy, it can make one feel guilty. Almost.
This stunning Colorado fourteener is a great mountain to climb and is very popular with peak baggers and highly skilled heli-skiers.
* Crested Butte – Wildflower Capital of Colorado. July is best. Bring lots of insect repellent.
* The Durango-Silverton Railroad. If you have never enjoyed this fun experience, board the historic steam powered train in Durango for the full day roundtrip to Silverton. Better yet, try to be there during the few days in autumn, generally the third or fourth week of September, when this venerable line offers special photography trips.
On those runs, the engineer stops the train several times at spots along the route featuring maximum color, photographers disembark and set up a short distance from the tracks. The railroad crew then runs the empty train back and forth a bit with the funnel spewing steam and ash with the autumn foliage as a background.
It can be glorious!
These special outings are held on just two weekends per year and usually limited to just 70 folks so reserve early.
That pretty much covers the highlights of Utah and Colorado. We haven’t even touched on the best of enchanted New Mexico and spectacular Arizona. Let’s save that for another day.
Each of the tourist friendly towns mentioned offers a wide variety of lodging and dining options. Some of my favorite Mexican food is in Crested Butte.
Jerry Ginsberg is a widely published photographer whose landscape, Nature and travel images have graced the covers pages of hundreds of books, magazines and travel catalogs. He is the only person to have photographed each and every one of America’s National Parks with medium format cameras. He has been awarded Artist Residencies in several National Parks and his works have been exhibited from coast to coast and have received numerous awards in competition. Jerry’s photographic archive spans virtually all of both North and South America.
More of Ginsberg’s images are on display at www.JerryGinsberg.com
Or e mail him at jerry@jerryginsberg.com