One of the most recognized landmarks in Zion National Park, Court of the Patriarchs reach into the Utah sky. These three photogenic peaks bear the biblical names of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Towering above Birch Creek Canyon almost 2000 feet, the Court of the Patriarchs represents nearly a full layer of Navajo Sandstone. This exposed sandstone is one of nine Zion rock layers that together span 150 million years of sediment deposits. The Patriarch cliffs represent one of the thickest layers of sediment, making up some of the tallest cliffs in the world. Occasional flash floods in the Virgin River increase water volume by 100 times and bring down tons of loose rock and sand, scouring out new side canyons and re-channeling the river. Here in Zion Canyon this magnificent scenery is always experiencing change, but its subtleties are seldom recognized in such an immense canyon.
Sunrise at the Skyline View overlook of the Blue Valley near Factory Butte, Utah. Sometimes you come across a view that just blows your mind. That’s the case with the Skyline View overlook of the Blue Valley near Factory Butte. You could fly to the moon and quite possibly not see something that looks so “Moon-like” as you will see here. Wayne County is know for its terrain that looks extraterrestrial and this view won’t disappoint.
