Zion National Park is one of the great natural treasures of the Southwest. Majestic mountains, red rock walls, graphic sandstone hillsides, deep canyons, the Virgin River, colorful Cottonwood trees, Bighorn Sheep, Mule deer and more are all here. The view above is found at the end of the Canyon Overlook trail, a 1.1 mile hike with 163 feet of elevation gain to the overlook at 5300 feet. Our photography workshop group set out on this trail in darkness, well before sunrise, so that we could capture the view in the best light.

In the bottom of the canyon runs the Virgin River, which created the canyon by carrying away thousands of feet of rock over the centuries. The Cottonwood trees, the river water, the red rock cliffs come together to produce a beautiful landscape.

The Virgin River is also the location of Zion’s most famous hiking trail, The Narrows. A hike in the river itself between towering canyon walls. The image below is the very beginning of the hike traveling upstream.