About 20 miles southeast of Bryce Canyon National Park is a 40-mile road that will take your breath away: Cottonwood Canyon Road. It is in the southwest part of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, a rugged, remote 1.87 million acre wilderness and a Utah jewel. The landscape has unique geologic formations of red, white, pink, blue, green, yellow, and more. Coming up out of the sagebrush valley, we are south of Kodachrome Basin State Park. Our “kodachrome” colors will only get better! The first six miles of Cottonwood Canyon Road is paved, but then we adventure on a graded dirt and clay surface with warnings to never travel when raining. Well, it is a beautiful day with no rain forecast so off we go!
Utah Junipers never cease to amaze. Living up to 700 years, some to 1,000, they always look messy with twisty trunks and branches and sections that are dead. But hidden beneath the ground is their secret to surviving the harsh, dry conditions in which they grow. They have a 25 foot tap root and lateral roots that can reach over 100 feet in their search for water. Plus, they self prune, cutting off nutrients to some parts of the tree so the rest can live. They are true survivors!
Suddenly the surrounding rocks are white and so is the road.
Turning the corner we have yellow rock. Much of the rock here is a type of sandstone with white and pink limestone. Of course it doesn’t stop there. In addition is shale, mudstone, silt, even gypsum. Can I tell the difference? No . . .
On the eastern side of the road we have rugged rocks in a palette of colors. This is actually part of the 149-mile Cockscomb which we will travel along the entire trip. This ridge is named The Cockscomb for its resemblance to a rooster’s head comb. We will spend more time in this colorful area on the way back. Always good to travel an amazing road both ways. Offers different and stunning perspectives.
On the west side of the road are the more rounded white sandstone mountains with lots of red sandstone.
We have caves and canyons too.
This “sculpture” has all these round white rocks fused together and very smooth to the touch. I have no idea the type of rock or how it was created, but notice how different it is from the background white cliffs. Where is a geologist when you need one? Can you imagine any people, pets, or figures in the formation?
Here the Cockscomb is easier to see. The tilting rocks at right are the southern end of the Cockscomb. These formations are similar to the Waterpocket Fold we saw in Capitol Reef, but a much more modest size.
These cockscombs are a series of valleys and hogbacks. What’s a hogback? They are a series of ridges or hills with a narrow top (crest) and steep slopes (flanks) that are nearly equal in size. Erosion over millennia have revealed them to us today.
You know, the more I look into geology . . . well, it seems to change with every area I go to but I’ll give it my best for you. This section of the mountain eroded to give a peek inside it’s structure. It looks like a downward fold in the earth called a syncline.
We have about 10 more miles to go. The area will become relatively flat with wide-open views. Let’s turn around and see what we missed.
We certainly did miss something! Miles of white rock and a startling red mountain in the background! Always good to take the road both ways.
The Paria River only flows along the southern portion of Cottonwood Canyon Road before joining the Colorado River at Lees Ferry, Arizona. Let’s find an access into the trees for a relaxing lunch.
Well, I should have known. The short access roads, which sneak up on you, have deep gullies and lots of rocks. We made it, but it was scary. Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is managed by the U.S. Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management. The roads are not always well maintained and best to plan ahead when visiting public lands overseen by BLM. The area we just visited is actually a dispersed camping site. Most often camping on BLM land is free, but best to check your planned location. Well, the ancient cottonwood trees were pretty incredible!
There are so many colors here, can you count them? The amazing feature though is that “chocolate” oozing down the white rock? No idea what it is, but so cool.
I hoped we’d see flowers and finally. Desert Paintbrush (Castilleja chromosa), shining brightly.
We are in cholla territory! This is Silver Cholla (Cylindropuntia Echinocarpa) and pronounced choy-uh.
This is its fruit, not to mention those very long and sharp protection devises.
We are back to the colorful rocks near Cottonwood Narrows. A walk we will do later, stay tuned. Amazing pastel colors in various textures and formations. They call this area Candyland.
We even have some purple here.
On the west side of the road we are back to the white rock, but the back side of the rock is red. Have no explanation, just enjoy!
Wonder what this will look like in 1,000 years. Doubt I’ll see that.
Well, we are heading back to the lodge. Southern Utah really is an amazing place to see and dirt roads are always just the best!
Until next time my friend . . .
Loved Candyland, the Utah Juniper and the Cholla. Incredible beauty captured in every one of your photographs. Thanks for sharing so generously with us airchair travelers!
Thanks so much and glad you enjoyed the ride!
Hi Joy…Not sure you know, but Barbara and I camp hosted at Lower Calf Creek campground, for 5 different months. Got to hike all over GSENM…love the place.
Keep up the good work Joy.
Thanks John! I remembered that you both spent time in GSENM as I was driving along UT-12. Such a massive, beautiful Monument! We did drive down to the Lower Calf Creek campground, but did not hike. Had a deadline because super bad weather was coming into the Rockies and had to get home sooner than that expected. Still, it was a wonderful trip. Always the problem heading west from Colorado Springs–trying to get home. Rocky Mountain weather!