Curving Canyons

A slot canyon begins as a hairline crack in a rock and through millions of years of flash floods, wind and time eventually a narrow canyon is formed.  Some can only be a yard wide but almost 100 feet deep.  Many are formed in limestone or sandstone; both are types of sedimentary rock.

Slot canyons can be found all over the world, but some of the most famous and most widely visited are right here in the Southwestern United States. Utah has a large concentration of slot canyons, possible the most in the world.   Red Cave is a slot canyon located in Mt. Carmel just outside of Zion National Park.

Red Cave  Source: Zion National Park website

One of the most visited slot canyons is the Antelope Canyon in northern Arizona within the LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation.

Upper Antelope Canyon  Source: Wikipedia

Upper Antelope Canyon  Source: Wikipedia

Lower Antelope Canyon   Source: Wikipedia

Possibly the longest slot canyon in the world, Buckskin Gulch is near Kanab, Utah and is almost 21 miles long.

Wire Pass, an entrance to Buckskin Gulch   Source: Wikipedia

The smooth winding curves and swirls within the rock offers a myriad of photographic opportunities, as well as a sense of wonder at the power of water.