Photo Tips USA – Joshua Tree Natural Area, Snow Canyon State Park

Even on a circuit through the upper part of the Colorado Plateau, you don’t have to miss out on pictures of the impressive Joshua Trees. Despite their frequent confusion with cacti, Joshua Trees are actually members of the lily family. Up to 12 m high (40 ft), they can stretch their many arms into the sky.

The Joshua Tree Natural Area, located north of the Virgin River Gorge, is the northernmost stand of this species in the United States. The scenic backway of the same name leads through the desert-like landscape. Here are also some specimens of the endangered desert tortoise.

On the way from the south to Zion NP, you can also connect Joshua Tree Forest with Snow Canyon State Park on a short loop. To do so, take Exit 8 off I-15 in Littlefield/AZ and follow Old Highway 91 north 21 km (13 mi) to the Mojave Desert/Joshua Tree Road turnoff. This well-traveled dust road arcs through the 164 ha (405 acre) area (campers are welcome, although there are no established facilities) and rejoins Route Old 91 near Shivwits. You can find Joshua Trees and cacti on level ground on the west side of Mojave Desert/Joshua Tree Road. At sunrise, they are particularly well lit here. The east side has a more varied background due to a small ridge of hills, which is especially good at sunset. However, in the evening, the Joshua Trees create a striking silhouette against the western sky. Once you reach the end of Mojave Desert/Joshua Tree Road, make a right turn towards Shivwits, then turn off again in Ivins onto Rt-8 to Snow Canyon State Park. It traverses Snow Canyon SP from south to north.

Snow Canyon State Park, which receives about 1 million visitors per year, provides a good summary of the area with its solidified lava flows, colored sandstone, sand dunes, and petroglyphs. If the landscape looks familiar, it’s probably from movies like „The Electric Rider“ or „Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.“ Photographically, the black lava-covered red Navajo sandstone is particularly appealing. When measuring exposure, don’t overlook this unbalanced reflective combination. From south to north, the following photo opportunities are found along the 8 km (5 mi) Scenic Road: from the campground, you can hike the Hidden Pinion Trail (1 hour round trip) to an overlook that provides a respectable panoramic view of the canyon. Behind the small but nice campground, you will find some red sand dunes. Early in the morning, tidied by the night wind, they are most photogenic. 800 m (0.5 mi) farther north, you’ll reach the Lava Flow Overlook Parking Area. A short hiking trail leads from there up through the ancient lava flows to the West Canyon Overlook, which also holds a beautiful panoramic view. In its immediate vicinity, you can shoot bizarrely folded red Navajo sandstone formations. Just past the northern park boundary, a 800 m (0.5 mi) turnoff from Rt-18 leads to Panorama Point. The view from there is best shot early or late in the day. Just past the turnoff, a 1,2 km (0.75 mi) trail leads to some lava caves. The best light is in the morning or early afternoon, before the canyon sinks into the shadow of the sun too far to the west.

Rt-8 ends at the junction with Rt-18, which takes you south to St. George. From there, you can continue on the original route to Zion NP. – Note the Smithonian Butte Scenic Backway section for another alternate route to Zion Canyon.

Two more interesting ghost towns can be found just a short distance north of St. George. I-15 first passes through the town of Harrisburg. It had its heyday between 1862 and 1895. Today, the interstate virtually cuts through the middle of the legacy, which primarily consists of remnants of solidly built stone houses. Silver Reef is just west of Exit 23 off I-15. Between 1866 and 1891, this was a thriving town with as many as 2,000 residents, who dug $25 million worth of gold from the area’s mines in that short time. By 1901, the tunnels had been exploited and the town had been abandoned. A handsome number of buildings, including the beautiful Wells Fargo Express Office (now on the National Historical Register), are reminders of that time. The town is not a true ghost town, as some of the houses are inhabited.

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