The desert southwest encompasses some of the most beautiful scenery on earth. Much of this region is known as the Colorado Plateau and seems unearthly–something more like you’d see on Mars than Earth. Beyond the Colorado Plateau, other desert areas like Death Valley and Anza Borrego are also diverse landscapes comprised of rugged, sparsely populated terrain, and home to some of the most unique rock formations and breathtaking vistas in the entire world. This gallery contains images from these regions and provides you with a window into the breathtaking beauty of the American Southwest.
Canyons and Deserts
“Beyond the side canyon the walls rise again, slick and monolithic, in color a blend of pink, buff, yellow, orange, overlaid in part with a glaze of “desert varnish” (iron oxide) or streaked in certain places with vertical draperies of black organic stains, the residue from plant life beyond the rim and from the hanging gardens that flourish in the deep grottoes high on the walls. Some of those alcoves are like great amphitheatres, large as the Hollywood Bowl, big enough for God’s own symphony orchestra.” - Edward Abbey