I spent all of Thursday afternoon at Arches National Park, visiting and revisiting some of the arches and rock formations. My last trip here was at least 20 years ago and it was different than I remembered it. I took two hikes totaling about for miles and saw nine different arches either up close or at a distance. I’m not sure if I’ll ever get back this way, so I tried to make this short visit count.

Here are some of the photos I shot with my Nikon.

They call this valley Park Avenue, likely for the tall rock formations on either side.

Balanced rock, which is clearly visible from the road, looks ready to topple over at any moment. On this trip, I hiked around it; I don’t recall doing that on my first trip to Arches.

I hiked to the upper Delicate Arch viewpoint and wasn’t satisfied with the view. So I kept going until I could clearly see the arch against the sky.

My 300mm lens really brought the detail of Delicate Arch into view. This photo is not cropped.

This view of Landscape Skyline Arch is only a short walk from the parking area.

This was my second trip to the Green River Overlook in the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park in less than 24 hours. The previous afternoon, I’d stopped by to check the view, but because it faced west, the light was not good for photography. So I returned the following morning. Here’s a cell phone shot; I was lucky to have very nice light. 

Early morning light through scattered clouds illuminates Canyonlands and the Green River’s twisting path.

Dead Horse Point is a state park that features an excellent viewpoint for Canyonlands National Park’s canyons. After shooting the night sky before dawn on Thursday morning, I drove out to the point to capture some images and drink in the scenery. Here are a few cell phone shots.

Dawn over the La Sal Mountains.

Predawn reflected light illuminates the canyons.

First light touches the canyons and buttes in Canyonlands National Park.