April 20, 2013 Kodachrome Basin State Park, UT

Kodachrome Basin is a spectacle of towering sandstone chimneys, changing in color and shadow with the day’s moods says the park map and guide. The color and contrast prompted the National Geographic Society in 1949 with the consent from Kodak to name the park Kodachrome. I have been wanting to come here for years but have always been on my way elsewhere or rushing back to work. We made it today. It is a small cozy park, not crowded and has a nice campground.

An abandoned movie set outside of Kanab. The shortest way there is about 70 miles, mostly on dirt road. This is the view that greeted us as we topped the summit above Cannonville, toward Kodachrome Basin.

Driving into the park. This cartoon was in the visitors center. I wonder how many people now days even know what Kodachrome was. Spell check does not know what it is.

A couple of the towering chimneys. The second one is called chimney rock, and it you look close you can see the car near the base, with the kayaks on top. This is a HUGE rock.

Shakespeare Arch and Sentinel Rock seen on the Shakespeare Arch-Sentinel trail.  A nice two mile loop.

John on the trail and a view from the top.

The park is known for these large columns of sedimentary rock that rise from the basin floor. No one knows how they formed but the speculate they are caused by earthquakes allowing coarse, water-saturated sediments to scour pathways upward, or ancient springs that became chocked with sediments. They call these sedimentary pipes. They range in size from 6-170 feet tall.

John standing next to one of the pipes on the Angel’s palace trail. The view of the campground from the Angels trail.

Couple more pipes seen from the Angel’s trail. Looking south toward the visitors center and entry station.

More views from the Angel’s trail. The red rocks, blue sky and white clouds look  great together.

Backlit and front lit fins.

We took the Cottonwood road, another dirt road on the way back. The Grosvenor arch is right off that road. Very tall double arch in brown, yellow and white rock. Very impressive.  John took this of me viewing the view from Angels Palace trail.