Friday, November 28, 2008

Stunning Geologic Artworks In Utah

There are works of arts that are so stunning, that you literally hold your breath and stare awe-struck in disbelief! In Utah there are multi-colored rock formations that are carved by nature, over million of years in bare lands that tumbles out of view like an art gallery designed by no less than the gods!

Glen Canyon, Utah

Cliffs carved over millions of years by the rushing Colorado River define Glen Canyon, now part of the reservoir of Lake Powell. Sandstone cliffs tower over placid water, where boating, fishing, kayaking, scuba diving and swimming are touted activities by the National Park Service, which administers Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.


Bryce Canyon, Utah

In Southwestern Utah this immense high-altitude amphitheater of eroding stone has water- and wind-sculpted hoodoos and undulating red, orange and white rock pinnacles poking into the sky. Some spires are 200 feet high and at an altitude near 9,000 feet.

Arches National Park, Utah

More than 2,000 natural arches dot Arches National Park in east-central Utah. Fins of sandstone eroded for eons by water and wind eventually formed into these great hoops of stone, including Delicate Arch (pictured), a 50-foot formation that is a symbol for the state of Utah.


Grand Staircase Escalante, Utah

In this park's 1.9 million acres, hikers and rock hounds can find slot canyons, river valleys, hundred-story cliffs and natural sandstone arches. Iron oxide concretions called Moqui marbles which are pea- to softball-size natural rock spheres—sit in the sun by the tens of thousands deep in the monument's back country.


Zion Park, Utah

Skyscraping rock walls, sandstone domes and narrow canyons make Zion National Park one of the country's most dramatic natural preserves. Deep red Navajo Sandstone and a stone-sawing section of the North Fork of the Virgin River define the park, which attracts hikers, climbers.

Reference: Forbes Traveler

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