Deserts of the Southwest USA 2024 - Last Places

Deserts of the Southwest USA

This is a smaller group workshop with a maximum of five participants exploring the epic and bizarre geology of the Southwestern Desert. So many of the locations we will visit are completely unique and provide endless photographic opportunities. The route is created to explore as much as we can without repeating any locations.

Beginning in Las Vegas we will depart on the morning of day one and move out into Valley Of Fire. This state park in Nevada has an abundance of colourful rock formations and patterns, from large open landscapes to slot canyons and beautiful intimate details. We will spend one night here utilising the light at sunset and again around sunrise before we move on to Kanab.

From Kanab we will be ideally situated to head out to some of the most spectacular locations to be found anywhere on the planet. Toroweap is one of these. Regarded by many as the most spectacular view of the Grand Canyon National park. Standing close to a kilometre above the mighty Colorado River, Toroweap is the only section the park where the river can be observed vertically below. 

We will also be visiting White Pocket in the Vermillion Cliffs wilderness. The landscape here is like standing on the surface of Mars. Deep red sandstone meets a harder white coloured limestone on the surface and the wind and sand erosion has revealed the most interesting patterns imaginable. We will aim to spend a couple pf days exploring this area in detail and with varying types of light. 

Other incredible locations in this region we have a good chance of visiting are Toadstools, Coyote Buttes South and Cottonwood Cove.

After a few nights in Kanab we will move over to spend a night in Page Az. From Page we can continue heading back into the Vermillion Cliffs wilderness if we have a desire to spend more time in that area but we will also be able to visit the world renowned Antelope Canyons and also Horseshoe Bend. There will likely be the option for anyone who would like to take it to photograph Lake Powell and the surrounding area from above using a helicopter. Each participant will be asked ahead of time so that this can be scheduled in if necessary.

Monument Valley is next on the list but in no ordinary way. We will be taken to the top of one of the Mesas within the park where we will camp for the evening. Our Navajo guides will cook for us and leave us to photograph at sunset and again at sunrise before we depart back down.

The view from Hunts Mesa is beyond epic. There is something very spiritual about witnessing the last or first light raking across the landscape in front of you.

From Monument Valley we will move into our final state of the tour- New Mexico. Our fist accommodation in NM will be two nights in Farmington. This is the closest town to the most interesting geology in the north of New Mexico. We will photograph Shiprock as well as the Bisti De Na Zin wilderness. Bisti Badlands is full of thousands of Hoodoos and magical Badlands. If the recent weather has been cooperative and the dirt roads are dry we will be able to drive into Ah Shi Sle Pah for more exploring of this area. 

Finally, we head south towards the border of Mexico to visit White Sands National Monument. These gypsum dunes are gorgeous in the first and last light of the day and our aim is to have two sunsets and two sunrises in the park.

The journey will end at Albuquerque Airport ready to depart for home.

Please note, we will be camping at a few of these locations, but we will not be spending more than one night at a time camping. This will allow us to charge batteries and shower etc at least every other night. All camping equipment and meals will be provided whilst we camp. A moderate level of fitness will be required for walking around on uneven terrain. Some compositions will involve climbing over boulders and rocks in certain areas.