Paria Rimrocks, Utah - March 17, 2007 (Re-run)

 Also known as "the Toadstools", Paria Rimrocks is another area of geological wonder located near Page, AZ.  Unlike Stud Horse Point, this area is right on US 89, has signage and a parking area.  A hike of a mile or so brings you into a large area of varied formations and colors.  Without a definite beginning or end, you simply walk and explore as much as you care to.  There are a couple deep canyons that were steep enough to discourage me from going farther.  There were clearly trails down to the bottom, I was more concerned with the climb back up.  Besides, there was plenty to see without going into the canyons.

Stud Horse Point, Utah - March 16, 2007 (Re-run)

 At the time of our visit, Stud Horse Point was little known and difficult to access.  In fact, we had tried to find it a couple years earlier, but with only vague directions we were unable to locate it.  Having better information, we found it rather easily this time around.  I visited again ten years later and found that very few people come to this spot even now.  There are no signs or other indications to prompt tourists to look for it.

Like other geological phenomena in southern Utah, Stud Horse Point is a great example of artistry created by the ravages of nature.  It is a ravine filled with sandstone hoodoos shaped by the erosion of wind and water on rock with varying degrees of hardness.  The formations here are somewhat different than others found in the region.

From the mesa, there are views of nearby Lake Powell, as well as distant Navajo Mountain.

Below the ridge are a couple short slot canyons.  I took a few minutes to explore one of them.