My wife and I are planning a trip to visit her sister and brother in law in Utah next month. They live in the Salt Lake area. I should have about a week for some serious photography at the tail end of our visit so I would like to optimize my time. Any input as far as spots not to miss would be much appreciated. My primary focus is landscapes both grand and intimate. I don't mind driving so overnights are fine.
Like most areas in the West, parts of Utah are experiencing heavy haze and smoke from the forest fires. Personally, I would try to avoid those areas. Better photographers than I might be able to use the smoke and haze as an element, but I don't care for it. Temperatures don't look to be dropping any time soon, so we could still be in fires a month from now.
Try this as a link to a map of current conditions: http://bit.ly/NZ7HhR. It should be a "live" map and update daily. Looking at it right now, I'd head south to the parks on the Colorado Plateau. You might even get lucky and hit some thunderstorms, but they don't seem to be going off right now. As far as general recommendations, the classics are Dead Horse Point, Canyonlands, Arches, Zion, and Bryce. All are within a day's drive of Salt Lake, although I'd want to stay a few days once I was there.
It's possible that fall colors might start early this year, given the heat and lack of precipitation over the summer. When the time comes up, check if you can find any information about the Logan area and the Wasatch Range above Salt Lake and Provo.
Drop us a line here when it's closer in time and we might be able to get you a better idea then.
Good luck!
Posted by Richard Olsen on August 21, 2012 at 3:47 PM
Ed,
It would really help if you could give dates when you'll be in Salt Lake. Also, How many hours you're willing to travel to shooting locations.
Thanks for the input Mark and Richard, it is much appreciated. We will be arriving on September 14th and staying until the 25th. Anything within a 10 hr drive would be fair game although if there is something that I should not miss I would consider a longer drive.
Ed
Posted by John Mumaw on August 21, 2012 at 8:57 PM
Mark's recommendations hit the spot.
Posted by Rodney Ninow on August 21, 2012 at 11:41 PM
If you only have a few days, frankly, I would skip Deadhorse point. Maybe other people like it, but to me it really was a let down. I paid $10 for an hour or two of shooting at sunset that amounted to pretty much nothing. I just spent a week in Moab for a job and got some very nice shots in Arches. If you like petroglyphs and pictographs, Moab has a ton of them. I second the suggestions for Bryce and Zion too. Check out my facebook page for some of the shots.
My suggestions would be: Ruby Mountains or Yellowstone and Grand Tetons. Or like Mark suggested you could stay in the Salt Lake City area. Forget about heading south - the only park worth visiting that time of year is Bryce Canyon and maybe Capitol Reef. If you are traveling in September is still going to be pretty hot in Southern Utah while you might be able to capture peak foliage in some of the alpine areas to North and West. It's a no-brainer...
Posted by Rodney Ninow on August 22, 2012 at 12:51 PM
One of the great things about this forum is the divergence of opinion. I tend to agree with Mark's indication to head south. I've been in the Moab area several times in mid-September and it's just about my favorite time of year for that part of the country. Days are warm but not beastly hot and nights are beginning to cool off nicely. If you move your base south to Moab for a couple of days you're 10 minutes from Arches NP, 30 minutes from Dead Horse Point or Canyonlands NP, and you can always head further south a couple of hours to Monument Valley or some of the ruins in the Cedar Mesa area. I vote for Southern Utah but it really depends on what you want to see.
I'm not trying to be contentious, but as you can see from the (indeed!) divergence of opinion, your question is too broad. Salt Lake City could be considered the center of the intermountain west, and ten hours of travel time gives you an almost limitless variety of possible destinations. About the only thing you can't get in that range is a true coastline, but even then the Great Salt Lake is a possibility. You're talking about Southern Idaho and the Sawtooth and Salt River Ranges, Eastern Nevada and the Great Basin and the Ruby Mountains, all of the parks in the Desert Southwest including the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, western Colorado including the San Juans, and western Wyoming including the Wind Rivers, the Tetons, and Yellowstone.
You've got high desert, low desert, forest, canyons, moderate mountains, and high mountains. We can't give you a specific recommendation without more input than "grand scenic". What's calling to you?
I live here, and have a mental "shot list" of what I'm looking for under certain conditions. If I have time to shoot, I try to work down that list. But that can change if a big thunderstorm storm rolls through the area, or if we get a freak early snow dusting the peaks... I'd compile a list of three or four places based on your own interests (as Bill says) and pick from those the day before you leave to go shoot depending what's going on at the time. That's part of the wonderful freedom and flexibility of having a car and time in the western US.
Thanks for all the information and ideas folks. Looks like I have a lot to digest and decide upon.
Mark, it's not that I was looking forward to driving ten hours; I just didn't want to necessarily limit myself and then wish I had driven the extra distance. If there is plenty to do within a four or five hour or less drive that would be awesome. I have never been to Utah so it would be all new and fresh to me.
My only criteria is not to try and pack to much in and come away with nothing. I would rather stay a little longer and get a feel for a place. I feel that makes for better photography; at least in my case. I hope that makes sense.
Discussion
10 repliesThanks for your help,
Ed
Like most areas in the West, parts of Utah are experiencing heavy haze and smoke from the forest fires. Personally, I would try to avoid those areas. Better photographers than I might be able to use the smoke and haze as an element, but I don't care for it. Temperatures don't look to be dropping any time soon, so we could still be in fires a month from now.
Try this as a link to a map of current conditions: http://bit.ly/NZ7HhR. It should be a "live" map and update daily. Looking at it right now, I'd head south to the parks on the Colorado Plateau. You might even get lucky and hit some thunderstorms, but they don't seem to be going off right now. As far as general recommendations, the classics are Dead Horse Point, Canyonlands, Arches, Zion, and Bryce. All are within a day's drive of Salt Lake, although I'd want to stay a few days once I was there.
It's possible that fall colors might start early this year, given the heat and lack of precipitation over the summer. When the time comes up, check if you can find any information about the Logan area and the Wasatch Range above Salt Lake and Provo.
Drop us a line here when it's closer in time and we might be able to get you a better idea then.
Good luck!
It would really help if you could give dates when you'll be in Salt Lake. Also, How many hours you're willing to travel to shooting locations.
Ed
My suggestions would be: Ruby Mountains or Yellowstone and Grand Tetons. Or like Mark suggested you could stay in the Salt Lake City area. Forget about heading south - the only park worth visiting that time of year is Bryce Canyon and maybe Capitol Reef. If you are traveling in September is still going to be pretty hot in Southern Utah while you might be able to capture peak foliage in some of the alpine areas to North and West. It's a no-brainer...
I'm not trying to be contentious, but as you can see from the (indeed!) divergence of opinion, your question is too broad. Salt Lake City could be considered the center of the intermountain west, and ten hours of travel time gives you an almost limitless variety of possible destinations. About the only thing you can't get in that range is a true coastline, but even then the Great Salt Lake is a possibility. You're talking about Southern Idaho and the Sawtooth and Salt River Ranges, Eastern Nevada and the Great Basin and the Ruby Mountains, all of the parks in the Desert Southwest including the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, western Colorado including the San Juans, and western Wyoming including the Wind Rivers, the Tetons, and Yellowstone.
You've got high desert, low desert, forest, canyons, moderate mountains, and high mountains. We can't give you a specific recommendation without more input than "grand scenic". What's calling to you?
I live here, and have a mental "shot list" of what I'm looking for under certain conditions. If I have time to shoot, I try to work down that list. But that can change if a big thunderstorm storm rolls through the area, or if we get a freak early snow dusting the peaks... I'd compile a list of three or four places based on your own interests (as Bill says) and pick from those the day before you leave to go shoot depending what's going on at the time. That's part of the wonderful freedom and flexibility of having a car and time in the western US.
Mark, it's not that I was looking forward to driving ten hours; I just didn't want to necessarily limit myself and then wish I had driven the extra distance. If there is plenty to do within a four or five hour or less drive that would be awesome. I have never been to Utah so it would be all new and fresh to me.
My only criteria is not to try and pack to much in and come away with nothing. I would rather stay a little longer and get a feel for a place. I feel that makes for better photography; at least in my case. I hope that makes sense.
Ed