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My latest hiking video has just been published on YouTube. Join me on an adventure to a rarely-visited wonderland of colorful rocks and canyons in Arizona with great views and some surprises.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=32OXb6c_rm0
Earth Tones
White Pocket
Vermilion Cliffs National Monument
Arizona
March 2025
White Pocket, tucked within Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in northern Arizona, is a hidden gem of swirling sandstone, otherworldly rock formations, and vibrant colors. Its landscape—a mesmerizing blend of white, red, and orange sandstone—has been sculpted into domes, ridges, and brain-like textures over time. Adventurers are drawn to its alien beauty, where each turn reveals a new geological marvel. Its remote isolation enhances the mystique.
This crossbedded dome with its red and white stripes presents a imposing facade in Atlantis, another "lost city" on the north side of Paria Canyon.
See the embedded notes for location of the main Lost City I discovered on a hike five months earlier on the south side of the canyon.
My video of the exploratory hike into Atlantis taken on October 12, 2018 has been uploaded to YouTube. Watch it here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=32OXb6c_rm0
Memories of extensive photo sessions in the American Southwest.
The image has been re-edited from RAW and digitally enlarged.
Rays of sunlight illuminate the back side of Fort #2 of the Four Forts, while Fort #1 in the background shows off part of its portico.
The Four Forts are lined up on a ridge behind (west of) White Pocket Butte. I explored them up close in April 2020.
Taken near the Soap Creek overlook, looking ENE, Navajo Mountain is visible 52 miles away. See embedded notes for details.
Long View B/W
White Pocket
Vermilion Cliffs National Monument
Arizona
March 2025
White Pocket, tucked within Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in northern Arizona, is a hidden gem of swirling sandstone, otherworldly rock formations, and vibrant colors. Its landscape—a mesmerizing blend of white, red, and orange sandstone—has been sculpted into domes, ridges, and brain-like textures over time. Adventurers are drawn to its alien beauty, where each turn reveals a new geological marvel. Its remote isolation enhances the mystique.
This panorama near the north end of Top Rock (Paria Plateau, AZ) shows the location of the Alcove. The previous shot (Explored) was taken near the right (east) end of the shaded part.
Of the many thousands who visit The Wave, very few make the effort to get up here onto Top Rock. I managed to spend more time up here because I approached from the south, saving a mile of walking and the steep climb from the Wave.
My route went past the South Teepees, up by Hamburger Rock and Royal Crown Butte up to this area, then south along the full length of Top Rock. See my Coyote Buttes North album for views of seldom-seen features up here.
Here's another treatment of a shady portion of "the Alcove" on Top Rock in Coyote Buttes North. This beautiful alcove is only seen by those who climb up the steep walls above The Wave. The colors are best photographed in indirect light.
Contorted Layers
Vermilion Cliffs National Monument
Arizona
March 2025
White Pocket, tucked within Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in northern Arizona, is a hidden gem of swirling sandstone, otherworldly rock formations, and vibrant colors. Its landscape—a mesmerizing blend of white, red, and orange sandstone—has been sculpted into domes, ridges, and brain-like textures over time. Adventurers are drawn to its alien beauty, where each turn reveals a new geological marvel. Its remote isolation enhances the mystique.
Once in the American Southwest. The picture is from my first of four visits to this extraordinary location.
Taken from quite a distance away. We went to the Vermilion Cliffs area in AZ, and got to see the California Condors there, a lifer for me and all of us I believe.
These were reported at Zion near Angelʻs Landing the day we were there, but I struck out seeing them there, I likely would have gotten some closer views there.
March 24, 2025
White Pocket Monochrome
Vermilion Cliffs National Monument
Arizona
March 2025
White Pocket, tucked within Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in northern Arizona, is a hidden gem of swirling sandstone, otherworldly rock formations, and vibrant colors. Its landscape—a mesmerizing blend of white, red, and orange sandstone—has been sculpted into domes, ridges, and brain-like textures over time. Adventurers are drawn to its alien beauty, where each turn reveals a new geological marvel. Its remote isolation enhances the mystique.
White Pocket II
Vermilion Cliffs National Monument
Arizona
March 2025
White Pocket, tucked within Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in northern Arizona, is a hidden gem of swirling sandstone, otherworldly rock formations, and vibrant colors. Its landscape—a mesmerizing blend of white, red, and orange sandstone—has been sculpted into domes, ridges, and brain-like textures over time. Adventurers are drawn to its alien beauty, where each turn reveals a new geological marvel. Its remote isolation enhances the mystique.
White Pocket
Vermilion Cliffs National Monument
Arizona
March 2025
White Pocket, tucked within Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in northern Arizona, is a hidden gem of swirling sandstone, otherworldly rock formations, and vibrant colors. Its landscape—a mesmerizing blend of white, red, and orange sandstone—has been sculpted into domes, ridges, and brain-like textures over time. Adventurers are drawn to its alien beauty, where each turn reveals a new geological marvel. Its remote isolation enhances the mystique.
Pseudo-Escalante Canyon is short—only half a mile long—but dramatic. It goes from smooth colored sandstone at the top to intricately carved cliffs hundreds of feet high at the mouth. In the middle is a short slot canyon with a dry fall that a good hiker might be able to negotiate.
Good views down into Pseudo-Escalante Canyon can be obtained from the Skywalk and from the West Tongue Viewpoint. This panorama stitches together shots taken from West Tongue.
I was surprised to "discover" this canyon on my first exploration into the area in May 2018, and have visited it three times since, including a hike from the bottom up to the slot in October 2018.
A friend experiences what I felt when seeing the Lost City for the first time from the West Tongue Viewpoint. How small he looks in this grand scene! The Lost City is over 300 yards from him and 300 feet lower.
My first look from where he is standing was in May 2018. A year later, two friends hiked out there with me on a beautiful day. Having a hiker in the photo really contributes to the sense of scale. The views out here are breathtaking. Do you think this area has national park quality? Only a few people I know have been out to this viewpoint.
This is a frame from a 4K video I took on this 2019 hike. I hope to post our story on YouTube in the future.
Complementing my earlier post from West Tongue, here is the glorious view from the East Tongue Viewpoint looking down over the Lost City. See embedded notes for points of interest.
Like the West Tongue Viewpoint, the hike to East Tongue narrows down to a narrow spot ending with a great view. This tip of the Forked Tongue, however, does not include the long narrow peninsula like at West Tongue. The views of Tongue Valley to the west and Adams Pasture to the right are almost as spectacular, and the view down to the Lost City is unique from this vantage point.
One can easily visit both viewpoints on the same hike. From East Tongue, the hiker can visit Sky Pocket to the south on the way back. These viewpoints are shown in my YouTube videos "New Discoveries on the Paria Plateau," episodes 2 and 4.
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAKJMbqaJutHW6o8lAza3QoxTCYLXR...
This is an unretouched wide-angle frame from a GoPro video I took on April 15, 2019 on my second hike to this spot. I consider this one of the best hikes on the Paria Plateau: the West Tongue Viewpoint. If you've had your fill of the overpopulated White Pocket and Wave locations, this is the hot ticket, yet it remains surprisingly little known. The view is northward here; see embedded notes for points of interest.
From this 300° view, you can see for at least 50 miles to the north, east, and west, all the way to Bryce Canyon. The hike takes you on a narrow peninsula extending from the Forked Tongue Mesa that narrows as you go, and suddenly ends here. With 400-foot cliffs on both sides, you feel like you are standing on a high diving board. The scene is exhilarating.
My first hike out here in May 2018 was featured in one of my hiking videos at this link:
youtu.be/pnmzlupGwWM?si=jhZiX5cVre5f4SsL
I mentioned that the Lost City on the right, which was backlit on that morning hike, would probably look really good in afternoon light. Well, here it is, under ideal conditions on a fine clear day with beautiful clouds above at about 1:45 local time.
Six months prior to this photo (Oct 2018), I explored the Lost City from ground level, hiking along the eastern wall of Forked Tongue Mesa around the Lost City and up into Tongue Valley and then into Pseudo-Escalante Canyon all the way up to its narrow slot. All these features are massive when viewed from down below. I re-hiked part of that route again in April 2019, six days prior to this photo.
I recently rewatched the videos of this second hike to West Tongue Viewpoint. I had forgotten how ideal the footage came out. Some day, this year I hope, I'll put them into a story for my YouTube channel. Till then, consider this little-known hike for your next adventure in Arizona. It is not difficult (2 miles to this viewpoint) if you know where to go.
Standing nearly 450' tall above the surroundings, White Pocket Butte is visible for long distances on the Paria Plateau. Here it is at sundown from Road 1373, a rough drive between White Pocket and Cottonwood Cove.