I’ve made three trips to Zion this fall, and maybe with a little luck, I’ll get one more visit in during the Thanksgiving break. This is a lovely time of year to be in the park. During the second half of October the number of park visitors drops significantly. Zion is one of the most visited national parks in the state. I’ve managed to get around the crowds by either visiting in remote locations or accessing the main canyon via bicycle instead of riding the shuttle. One of my favorite parts to explore is on the east side, beyond the Mt. Carmel Highway tunnels. There are many side canyons and washes that offer hours of wandering in secluded areas. I can setup my tripod and concentrate on a single vista without hordes of people mingling in the scene. I discovered a set of slot canyons this fall that I have never hiked in before and they are amazingly close to the highway.
Deep in a wash on the east side of the park.
Utah was hit with a wave of very cold arctic air early in the season. It was cold enough to arrest the usual slow transition into fall colors. Some trees jumped from lush green to dry and brown almost overnight. The maples fared better, and I still found patches of brilliant red and orange. I spent most of my time photographing intimate scenes and sometimes midground subjects. There were few grand vistas that caught my attention. I was mostly in the park during the middle of the day and while the light was good for tighter subjects, it didn’t work as well for the bigger landscapes.
Fall color in Zion wash.
I welcome your feedback if you have thoughts or ideas on what I might do differently to capture the beauty of this magnificent national park.
Vibrant red of big tooth maple in Zion wash. Roots reaching long distance to capture moisture.
Vibrant colors found in Zion wash.
Slot canyon on the east side of the park.
Not a square inch of landscape is wasted in Zion National Park.
Backlit tree and meadow in main canyon of park.
Beautiful fall day in main canyon of Zion National Park.