Zion Beauty
by Robert Bales
Title
Zion Beauty
Artist
Robert Bales
Medium
Photograph - Photo
Description
Zion National Park is located in the Southwestern United States, near Springdale, Utah. A prominent feature of the 229-square-mile (590 km2) park is Zion Canyon, which is 15 miles (24 km) long and up to half a mile (800 m) deep, cut through the reddish and tan-colored Navajo Sandstone by the North Fork of the Virgin River. The lowest elevation is 3,666 ft (1,117 m) at Coalpits Wash and the highest elevation is 8,726 ft (2,660 m) at Horse Ranch Mountain. Located at the junction of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert regions, the park's unique geography and variety of life zones allow for unusual plant and animal diversity. Numerous plant species as well as 289 species of birds, 75 mammals (including 19 species of bat), and 32 reptiles inhabit the park's four life zones: desert, riparian, woodland, and coniferous forest. Zion National Park includes mountains, canyons, buttes, mesas, monoliths, rivers, slot canyons, and natural arches.
Human habitation of the area started about 8,000 years ago with small family groups of Native Americans; the semi-nomadic Basketmaker Anasazi (300 CE) stem from one of these groups. In turn, the Virgin Anasazi culture (500 CE) developed as the Basketmakers settled in permanent communities.[4] A different group, the Parowan Fremont, lived in the area as well. Both groups moved away by 1300 and were replaced by the Parrusits and several other Southern Paiute subtribes. Mormons came into the area in 1858 and settled there in the early 1860s. In 1909, U.S. President William Howard Taft named the area a National Monument to protect the canyon, under the name of Mukuntuweap National Monument. In 1918, however, the acting director of the newly created National Park Service changed the park's name to Zion. According to historian Hal Rothman, "The name change played to a prevalent bias of the time. Many believed that Spanish and Indian names would deter visitors who, if they could not pronounce the name of a place, might not bother to visit it. The new name, Zion, had greater appeal to an ethnocentric audience." The United States Congress established the monument as a National Park on November 19, 1919. The Kolob section was proclaimed a separate Zion National Monument in 1937, but was incorporated into the park in 1956.
Uploaded
May 4th, 2013
Statistics
Viewed 1,151 Times - Last Visitor from New York, NY on 04/17/2024 at 1:30 PM
Embed
Share
Sales Sheet
Comments (17)
Marvin Blaine
You find the most beautiful places Robert! Love the way you captured this beauty! L/F!
Christopher James
One of your peers nominated this image in the 1000 views Groups Special Features Nominations For Promotion #23 . Please help your fellow artists by visiting and passing on the love to another artist in the the 1000 Views Group....L/F/Tw
Brian Tada
Beauty indeed... Landscape magnificence captured wonderfully, Robert! Nominating for a Special Feature in the 1,000 Views on 1 Image Group. F/L
John M Bailey
Congratulations on your feature in the Fine Art America Group "Images That Excite You!"
Linda Phelps
LF Excellent capture with nice composition and sharp details. Love the contrast between the pink stone and the rich blue sky.
Robert Bales replied:
Thanks so much for the very nice review on the rocks and sky. I wonder how the flood effected the Park?
Music of the Heart
I love the lyers that are seen so well here. A great shot Robert!! Very attractive place for sure!! FL
Phyllis Kaltenbach
Love the sandstone, the old log on the left and that beautiful blue sky! It has been a long time since we were there. V/F
Kathy Baccari
Amazing how the trees can survive so successfully in this dry environment Robert. Such an amazing seen well captured. Lots of depth. Excellent. f/v :)
Robert Bales replied:
Thanks Kathy for the wonderful support and the f/v! Those trees always amaze me where they are growing.
Jan Amiss Photography
Wonderful colors Robert!! This is a fantastic place and you capture it well!!!