is a masterpiece of geological evolution. It is another example of National Park wonders that must be seen in person to be fully appreciated. The many pictures I'm posting here were taken without leaving the Tunnel Road. It's my hope that some will convey the real perspective.
Located in southwest Utah Zion National Park has just one public road. It leads from the south entrance to the north entrance/exit. It's called the tunnel road because of the 1.2 mile long tunnel that was blasted out of sheer rock. At the time of my visit in April '13 the weather was mild and being a desert Park there was never a threat of rain. I couldn't have asked for more perfect conditions on any of the three times I photographed the park.
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| First pull-off entering into Zion National Park. |
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| Each rock formation makes a unique impression on our senses. |
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| Basalt over sandstone note the arch in the formative stage on the right. |
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| Closeup of the arch formation. |
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| Notice the micro layers of sedimentary buildup. |
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| Yet another arch in the forming. |
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| So, how are the "cones" formed? |
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| Looking up at this formation you half expect the thing to fall over on you. It's a monstrous rock. I believe the dark rock is Andecite, but wouldn't bet on it. The smooth surfaces are a result of a cleaving phenomenon called exfoliation. Don't know why they cleave with a rounded top arch as seen in the top/left of this pic. |
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| An astounding rock formation. |
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| Fascinating micro layers of red sandstone. Note how the angle changes. |
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| Romeo in his now traditional riding position. |
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| Couldn't resist the temptation. I think it turned out pretty well. |
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| Another magnificent example of what Nature has wrought. So, how are the spirals formed? |
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| View upon exiting the tunnel. |
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| Emerging into the light once more. |
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| I hope the vertical perspective is conveyed in this pic because it gave me vertigo to just take the pic. |
