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Rocky Passage by James Marvin Phelps Via Flickr: Rocky Passage Little Wildhorse Slot Canyon Muddy Creek Wilderness Emery County Utah April 2025 Little Wildhorse Slot Canyon, located near Goblin Valley State Park in Utah, is a stunning example of the natural beauty found in the San Rafael Swell. This beautiful slot canyon is renowned for its narrow, winding sandstone passages that twist and turn through colorful rock walls, sculpted over centuries by flash floods and erosion. As you hike through the tight corridors—sometimes barely wide enough to squeeze through—you’ll encounter a surreal, almost otherworldly landscape.

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Out of the Dark by James Marvin Phelps Via Flickr: Out of the Dark Goblin Valley State Park Utah April 2025 Goblin Valley State Park offers one of the world's most pristine and awe-inspiring night sky adventures. Designated an International Dark Sky Park in 2016, it boasts exceptionally dark skies with virtually no light pollution. It's the darkest sky I've been lucky enough to experience.

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Big Sky by James Marvin Phelps Via Flickr: Big Sky Long Dong Silver Spire Trail Hanksville, Utah April 2025

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Time and Space by James Marvin Phelps Via Flickr: Time and Space Goblin Valley State Park Utah April 2025 Goblin Valley State Park offers one of the world's most pristine and awe-inspiring night sky adventures. Designated an International Dark Sky Park in 2016, it boasts exceptionally dark skies with virtually no light pollution. It's the darkest sky I've been lucky enough to experience

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Three Sisters under the Stars by James Marvin Phelps Via Flickr: Three Sisters under the Stars Goblin Valley State Park Utah April 2025

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Little Wildhorse Slot Canyon by James Marvin Phelps Via Flickr: Little Wildhorse Slot Canyon Muddy Creek Wilderness Emery County Utah April 2025 Little Wildhorse Slot Canyon, located near Goblin Valley State Park in Utah, is a stunning example of the natural beauty found in the San Rafael Swell. This beautiful slot canyon is renowned for its narrow, winding sandstone passages that twist and turn through colorful rock walls, sculpted over centuries by flash floods and erosion. As you hike through the tight corridors—sometimes barely wide enough to squeeze through—you’ll encounter a surreal, almost otherworldly landscape.

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Daytime Goblins by James Marvin Phelps Via Flickr: Daytime Goblins Goblin Valley State Park Utah April 2025 Tucked away in the heart of Utah's San Rafael Desert, Goblin Valley State Park feels like stepping onto an alien planet. Its surreal landscape is filled with thousands of strange, mushroom-shaped rock formations—nicknamed “goblins”—that seem to rise from the earth like stone sentinels. These hoodoos, sculpted over millions of years by wind and water, create a natural playground of twisting passages and hidden alcoves.

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The Moki Queen by James Marvin Phelps Via Flickr: The Moki Queen Hog Springs Utah May 2025 The Moki Queen Pictograph is a prominent red-painted anthropomorphic figure, often interpreted as a female form adorned with a headdress or crown, possibly symbolizing a ceremonial or spiritual role. This artwork is characteristic of the Barrier Canyon Style, known for its elongated human-like figures and intricate details, prevalent in Utah's Canyonlands and San Rafael Swell regions. The Moki Queen Pictograph is believed to be between 1,500 and 4,000 years old.

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Early Light by James Marvin Phelps Via Flickr: Early Light Henry Mountains Hanksville, Utah May 2025 The Henry Mountains in southeastern Utah are one of the most remote and rugged mountain ranges in the United States. Rising dramatically from the red rock desert near Hanksville, they contrast with the surrounding arid landscape. Named by explorer John Wesley Powell in 1872 after Joseph Henry, the then-Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, the mountains are notable for being one of the last mountain ranges in the contiguous U.S. to be explored and mapped.

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Golden Hour Hoodoo by James Marvin Phelps Via Flickr: Golden Hour Hoodoo Kathline Rock Area Hanksville, Utah April 2025

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Little Egypt Hoodoo by James Marvin Phelps Via Flickr: Little Egypt Hoodoo Garfield County Utah May 2025 Tucked away in the remote reaches of southern Utah, Little Egypt is a hidden geological gem. This lesser-known cluster of towering hoodoos and sandstone formations—sculpted by millennia of wind and erosion—resembles the ancient temples and statues of Egypt, giving the area its evocative name. It offers a serene, uncrowded escape where you can wander among crimson spires and labyrinthine rock corridors in near silence. The warm, rusty hues of the stone blaze brilliantly at sunrise and sunset, casting surreal shadows that seem to animate the land itself. Little Egypt is a surreal, otherworldly landscape nestled in the Utah backcountry.

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Goblins under the Stars by James Marvin Phelps Via Flickr: Goblins under the Stars Goblin Valley State Park Utah April 2025 Tucked away in the heart of Utah's San Rafael Desert, Goblin Valley State Park feels like stepping onto an alien planet. Its surreal landscape is filled with thousands of strange, mushroom-shaped rock formations—nicknamed “goblins”—that seem to rise from the earth like stone sentinels. These hoodoos, sculpted over millions of years by wind and water, create a natural playground of twisting passages and hidden alcoves that ignite the imagination.

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Dark Spire by James Marvin Phelps Via Flickr: The Dark Spire Hanksville, Utah April 2025 The Dark Spire, also known as Long Dong Silver, Black Spire, or Lone Tower, is a striking rock formation located approximately 7 miles west of Hanksville, Utah, along Highway 24. This remote sandstone spire rises dramatically from a barren desert landscape, often described as otherworldly or reminiscent of scenes from Star Wars or The Lord of the Rings.

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Desert Awakening by James Marvin Phelps Via Flickr: Desert Awakening Factory Butte Hanksville, Utah April 2025 Factory Butte is a dramatic geological feature located in the remote desert landscape of south-central Utah, near Hanksville and just west of Capitol Reef National Park. Towering over 1,000 feet above the surrounding terrain, Factory Butte is a flat-topped, steep-sided formation made primarily of Mancos Shale. This grayish sedimentary rock weathers into finely layered slopes and dramatic textures. The butte’s blocky profile and isolated prominence give it a stark, monolithic presence—hence the name "Factory," as it resembles the silhouette of an old industrial building.

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Soul Consoling Tower by James Marvin Phelps Via Flickr: The Soul Consoling Tower stands as a poignant memorial at the Manzanar National Historic Site, honoring the Japanese Americans who died during their incarceration at the Manzanar War Relocation Center in World War II. Erected in August 1943, this white concrete obelisk bears the inscription 慰霊塔 ("Irei To") on its front, translating to "Soul Consoling Tower."

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The Maze Petroglyph by James Marvin Phelps Via Flickr: The Maze Rock Art Site Vermilion Cliffs National Monument Arizona March 2025 The Maze Rock Art Site, located within Arizona's Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, offers a captivating glimpse into the region's ancient history. This site features a prominent petroglyph resembling a maze, which lends the location its name. Created by the Ancestral Puebloans between A.D. 850 and 1300, these carvings are etched into a large sandstone boulder and are among the most well-preserved in the area.

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Earth Tones by James Marvin Phelps Via Flickr: 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.