We had a nice night of exploring the desert a couple of hours west of Las Vegas. The desert at night is so calm and serene with the critters coming out of hiding to do their business because of the difficult conditions of the hot daytime hours. The glow of Las Vegas can still be seen this far away at night.
A Forest of Joshua Trees
This beautiful place is the only spot where you'll find Joshua trees in Utah, and it's also the farthest north point in the U.S. to find tree yuccas. The Joshua Tree Natural Area covers 1,052 acres of federally-protected land. It was designated in 1966. The scenery is downright stunning with the desert foliage right in front of you, and the vast land stretching toward the mountains in the distance, you'll feel like you've found your own remote piece of heaven.
Joshua Trees in the American Desert
In the southwestern corner of Utah is a not very well known forest of Joshua Trees. The Joshua Tree National Natural Landmark is the location of this forest and stretches out for miles. Sauntering in this valley you can see how special this area is with the plethora of trees that cover the basin between the desert mountains. Each of these trees is a work of art and this photographer found a multitude of compositions worthy of documentation through photography.
Dinosaur National Monument Canyon
Looking out over Dinosaur National Monument in Northwest Colorado is a wonderful experience. The canyons span out under you and you can see for miles into the heart of the beautiful American West.
Morning Breeze in Death Valley
On our last morning in Death valley National Park we sauntered around the salt flat near Badwater which is the lowest point in North America at -282 feet below sea level. The winds were kicking up pretty good and Teig had his fur flowing with the breeze. It was very quiet on this morning and we were on the west side of the valley which only has a rough dirt road with hardly any tourists.
In Monument Valley
We were exploring Monument Valley’s floor one evening in the winter when I took this photo. This a a great time of year to saunter the high Colorado Plateau when the afternoons are cool and great for hiking. This Navajo Tribal Park is so beautiful and the landscape will inspire every photographer!
Traildog Exploring Sand Wash Basin
Sand Wash Basin is located 45 miles west of Craig, Colorado. A herd of approximately 450 wild horses freely roam this area and are protected by the BLM. Teig was up on a point, as night approached, searching the horizon for them as a western storm was coming towards us. A quick retreat to our camp was in short order.
Green Arroyos in Badlands
Badlands National Park in South Dakota has some green areas. One of those areas is in the arroyos in between the hills in the park. This vast badlands is broken by the lush green areas in these low lying locations that gather moisture and rain from the hills.
Green Arroyos in Badlands