Moab Photographic Opportunities

I am a regular member of a NIKON camera photographic forum. I posted a question, asking for suggested trips in the Moab area that were good places for taking pictures. I got such a good response that I though that I would share it with this forum. Especially since we'll be having a rally there in May.

From www.NikonCafe.com

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Chet :

A couple of spots not mentioned by others...

Dead Horse Point State Park is adjacent to Canyonlands and Arches NP, and is absolutely jawdroppingly beautiful. You go out Hwy 313 (if remember right) through Potash, and then into the backcountry. Much less travelled than Arches or Canyonlands, the views over the river are awe-inspiring. Dead Horse SP is very well situated if you're hitting Canyonlands and Arches. In fact, you can start at dawn in Arches, drive down through Dead Horse, and come out in Canyonlands. 4WD is quite definitely recommended for this. Note that this is poorly posted, and the purchase of a local backcountry map is also recommended.

Kodachrome State Park, between Bryce and Zion, is a small gem of a location. Not as imposing as either of the bookends I've just mentioned, it's nonetheless quite well worth making a stop for. Smaller in scope, it's a good stopping ground between Bryce and Zion.

Note that Zion does not permit you to drive through much of the park, running tour bus systems that you can embark and disembark from. I found this a bit confining for a short visit, as I couldn't get to exactly where I wanted within the bus system and hiking. If you have more time, this may be advantageous. However, watch out for thievery if you leave your vehicle for some time or go to camp. I heard one person bemoaning losing a lot of gear from their vehicle overnight.

I'll offer another option, albeit much larger in scope.

One absolutely fantastic trip to make is going from Blanding on Utah 95, through Natural Bridges, Glen Canyon NRA, Capitol Reef NP, down Utah 12 through Escalante and the associated park (don't miss the Hogsback on the drive down from Torrey !), across to Bryce NP, Kodachrome SP, stopping in Red Canyon, then proceeding south on US 89 to Zion. That's several days of intense viewing of some of southern Utah's best landscapes. You can have grand expanses, slot canyons, mesas, buttes - it's all in that run. You can take weeks or days to see this depending on how in-depth you want to explore each area.

Each location has specific areas of wonder. Natural Bridges is a small location, but rich in photo-ops with the bridges. It's mostly accessible from the loop drive through it, albeit with a touch of scrambling for some areas.

Escalante is a pretty amazing location, with a lot available from the unpaved roads, but short hikes of several miles reveal some astounding items such as Zebra Slot Canyon or Tunnel Slot Canyon. The usual warnings about weather and slot canyons apply.

Red Canyon's pretty astounding, too, and all of Ron Reznick's warnings about blowing the red channel on digital photos apply here doubly.

The Utah 12 loop trip leaves you situated above the north side of the Grand Canyon, near Kaibab National Forest, Cedar City or St. George, UT, and in quick driving range of Antelope Canyon.

Of course, you could reverse this and then come down into the Four Corners area and see some other kinds of sights. This is a few hours drive from me, so I've explored around many of these locales in some depth.

I'm trying to clear time in a couple of months to do this again with my wife, although I seriously doubt if she will want to wade up a flooded slot canyon or three as I did two years ago. But, OTOH, I also have a weekend planned for Big Bend NP later this month arranged around work in west TX, so I may not be able spring free for a UT trip.

In any case, no matter what you choose in southern UT, you have immense opportunities in front of you. Keep us posted on your plans, and, of course, post your photos.


John P.

Note to DougJ  Doesn't this make you want to join us?

Hi Chet,

Note to DougJ  Doesn't this make you want to join us?

Well of course the answer is YES!

However, at least until the fall, and I hope not much beyond that, both my wife and I have a couple of health issues that need attention.  In Canada, you go on the list and wait for the specialist to call--unless you are critical, and even then you might not get the call. 

I'm refusing to wait around for the telephone calls, so we'll call forward the family line to my cel phone and take off locally, sort of within two long day's of driving.  This should put us both in the position of not having to lose our spot on the list just because we can say yes, we'll be there.

In keeping with this approach, right after Easter we'll go over to Victoria and spend ten days at Weir's Beach which is on that southern tip of Vancouver Island as it starts to curl around towards the open Pacific Ocean.

But, I do hope that you and the rest of the framily at Moab will have a great rally.

Ciao,

Doug

Chet,

They didn't mention Chicken Corners which is located across from Dead Horse point, or Anticline overlook where you can over look the trail to Hurrah pass,  Pritchard Arch, shaffer Trail, and many more.  Really a photographers paradise.  Of course on the way to Moab there is Zions, Bryce canyon or if coming from the south Monument Valley.  I guess I should warn you it will take more than one trip to get it all in. ;D

Ron_Staff said:

Chet,

They didn't mention Chicken Corners which is located across from Dead Horse point, or Anticline overlook where you can over look the trail to Hurrah pass, Pritchard Arch, shaffer Trail, and many more. Really a photographers paradise. Of course on the way to Moab there is Zions, Bryce canyon or if coming from the south Monument Valley. I guess I should warn you it will take more than one trip to get it all in. ;D

Click to expand...

Amen to the "more than one trip" statement.  That whole area is one of my favorite places for scenic vistas and photography. ;D

Chet,

You will easily run out of "film" during any trip in Moab.

Jim Dick said:

Chet,

You will easily run out of "film" during any trip in Moab.

Click to expand...

That's why I'm bringing a new 120 gig hard drive to down load to. ;D ;D ;D

Chet

I think Jim has a 1 GB film card and a spare card.  I have 512MB card and a couple spare cards.  WOuldn't want to return to the rig to transfer photos to the hard drive. ;D ;D

Ron_Staff said:

I think Jim has a 1 GB film card and a spare card.  I have 512MB card and a couple spare cards.  WOuldn't want to return to the rig to transfer photos to the hard drive. ;D ;D

Click to expand...

That's only for the downloading in the evening. I was fortunate to have aquired along the way, 3 - 1 gig cards, which will hold about 450 full resolution shots with my camera, so I'll have to really work to runout of film (memory) in a day. I am planning on going "click" happy while at Moab. 8) 8)

Chet

That's only for the downloading in the evening. I was fortunate to have aquired along the way, 3 - 1 gig cards, which will hold about 450 full resolution shots with my camera, so I'll have to really work to runout of film (memory) in a day. I am planning on going "click" happy while at Moab. 

I thought you might just have enough film to cover a days photo shoot.  Never can have too much film, ;D

Chet,

Good idea on the hardrive. You'll need it.

Poison Spider is a nother great spot.  Did that one on the montain bike.  One spot you are looking down into a vally 4000' below, with all the buttes.  I think it is called Castle Canyon.  I think it would be a duanting hike, but I think 4WD can do some of it.  I don't think they can do the loop, we had to carry bikes in a few places on the way down. 

Tough backing out of that I would guess.