Canyonlands National Park, Southern Entrance

The southern half of the Canyonlands National Park gives you a chance to get close to the rock formations, because you tend to look down on distant formations from the northern portion of the park.

Although you do see many of the formations at a distance

mesa

unless you’re willing to spend a day hiking, you also can almost drive right up to a number of the “needles”

needles

and walk up to others with little or no effort.

Twin Towers

Some of my favorite shots were actually taken from above structures like this one

rocky terrace

which looked to me like it had been landscaped by a zen gardener.

I loved, and was amazed, by the texture of some of this rock.

textured rock

No wonder they end up in such fantastic shapes with grain like this.