The Colorado Plateau is a region of the United States that includes parts of Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. This region is centered around the area known as the four corners, which is the point where the four states meet in one location. It is the only place in the United States where a citizen can be in four states at the same time, hence the name Four Corners.

What makes this region so fascinating to geologists and visitors are the many natural wonders that can be found in this area. In fact, this region of the United States contains the largest number of national parks and protected lands than any other part of this country. It would be a monumental task to describe all the features and landscapes that can be seen in this part of the country. Even with that full talk, one would never fully understand how amazing this area of ​​the country is. You have to see it with your own eyes. For my part I will describe the places I visited on my trip to this area. Please note that we are not limited to the Colorado Plateau region. In fact, despite all that can be seen in this area, there are also equally astonishing landscapes nearby.

Petrified Forrest National Park

I’ll start by saying that collecting any kind of samples from this region is illegal and for very good reasons. When the park opened, it used to be common practice for visitors to leave with a sample of petrified wood. It wasn’t long before park managers began to realize they were letting this national treasure be taken away, one tourist at a time. And yet the place is still amazing to see. Everywhere he looked there was a petrified tree lying on the ground nearby. A whole forest made of rocks. The rich colors depicted on these rocks seemed to be unique to each tree. I must say that the patterns were unique, not the colors. We took the traditional photo of us lying on one of the petrified logs.

Bring lots of film or an extra memory card for digital, because you will find yourself taking a lot of photos. As I looked around at this incredible landscape, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would look like at first. Over the years, many samples of the park were lost, so one can imagine how much more astonishing the site must have been back then. Driving in and out of this area, it becomes clear how much was lost over time. I remember passing by a store that had hundreds of large samples of petrified trees outside. Of course, all these samples were for sale, if I had a few thousand dollars. The gift shop in the park has small samples for sale, collected in the park. This is the way to manage the resource. The area is closed to collection, but you can still leave with a souvenir.

Meteor crater

Located between Flagstaff and Winslow Arizona is the geological feature known as the Meteor Crater. It is the result of the impact of a 150 foot meteor approximately fifty thousand years ago. This was the second most impressive site of my trip, but the most interesting site to visit. Although the Grand Canyon is larger, the meteor crater caught my eye for what it represented. What happened on this site was a devastating event, and this was on a small scale. An object from space, traveling at over 25,000 miles per hour, and crashing into the earth takes the cake in my book. I guess that’s why this site is still my favorite. Get off to a slow start by resting in the visitor center. Take a look at the largest fragment recovered from the meteor. It looks a lot like what you would expect. It is an iron-nickel meteor, pitted, very smooth and silver in color. There are all kinds of things to see here, but the meteorite fragment is the main attraction.

They also have a really cool video tour. Once you’ve grown the anticipation, it’s time to get out there and see this wonderful structure for yourself. The crater is more than two miles in circumference, almost a mile wide, and more than five hundred feet deep. While there, a small plane could be seen that had crashed there sometime in the past. It should still be there today. If it is this object, it is very useful to measure the real scale of this characteristic. Around the edge you will notice layers of rock. If you pay close enough attention, you can see how the rock layers bent from the impact. Beyond this, it is difficult to put into words. You just have to stay there and take it all in. You can stand there outside the visitor center on the platform, or you can be more daring and take a ride around the edge. Walking through it is fascinating. I highly recommend a trip to this area if you are in this part of Arizona.

Grand Canyon

No more has been written about any other geological feature than that of the Grand Canyon. I don’t know what else I can offer about this place besides my own personal feelings about my visit. Everyone is quite familiar with the Grand Canyon through the media. Dozens of movies and television shows have been filmed in this region. Still, they don’t do it justice. Seeing it on television and seeing it in person are two totally different things. It is truly a sight to behold. I spent my time there sitting on a bench at the top and just gazing at the view. The magnitude of it is beyond words. You are looking into the canyon, and if you’re at the right angle, you may be able to see the canyon floor. Many times you will think that you see the bottom, when in reality it is still lower. You can walk the curves into the canyon, but I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re in good shape and can handle the heat.

At nine in the morning of the day I was there, the temperature in the canyon was over a hundred degrees. I think the canyon temperature that day was over 120 degrees. Good physical condition and plenty of water is what is needed to make that trip. Not to mention the wildlife you might encounter on the way down. Some friends of mine had the pleasure of encountering a rattlesnake on their journey down the canyon. Of course, there are other options to get a good view of the canyon. They have mule rides there that you can go down to the canyon. This takes a lot of courage, because they go down, two at a time, along the curves. They look wide enough until you see two mules standing on the road. Once you are on one of them, you will be sitting high up, on the brink of a very long drop.

You don’t have to worry about the mules, they are very strong and sure-footed. You have to worry more about your nerves. If you fall, it won’t be nice. Okay, it’s not a simple fall. In reality, the canyon walls gradually taper towards the bottom. They fall thirty meters or more to a ledge. Go back to another ledge, and so it is all the way to the river basin. Thousands of trails run the entire rim too, for those of you who prefer to hike to the top. I never went down to the bottom while I was there so I can’t tell what it looked like. I can imagine how big everything would look and how small you would feel. I can only say that nothing you will ever see can compare to the view of the grand canyon. The magnitude of it is unmatched. Makes me wish I could go to Mars and see Marineris Canyon.

These were the three great features that we saw on our trip. There is, of course; much more to see. Monument Valley, Arches National Park, Glen Canyon, and Great Sand Dunes National Park can be visited nearby. Just by driving on the highway, you can look out the window and see an amazing site. I had never seen a decent dust devil in my life until I did this trip. I was able to see a really good one while standing on the edge of the Meteor crater. The landscape itself always has something for the eyes to see.

All the butes and plateaus, valleys and rivers, lava flows, volcanic plugs, the list goes on and on. We visited two remote extinct volcanoes in this area, both were next to each other and yet both were very different types of volcanoes. One was an explosive volcano that left a huge crater with a gently sloping edge. The other had a very steep lava dome with lava flows that stretched for miles. We also visit what used to be a lake, in what used to be a volcano. This area contained layers of rock that contained fish fossils. Cliff Palace was also a sight to see. Let’s put it this way, I could go on forever and still miss my list of something of importance.

There is so much to see on a trip to and around the Colorado Plateau. Even when you are not in one of the many national parks in the area, you are still seeing incredible scenery. I would also recommend spending the night at Goosenecks State Park. There is no shortage of campsites and lodges, so finding a place to say shouldn’t be a problem. Also note that there are numerous gift shops, general stores, and markets along the way. Finding interesting souvenirs and gifts shouldn’t be a problem.

Mineral collectors will also find many mineral / jewelry stores in the area. This area also has a strong Native American culture. Their stores contain unique, handcrafted gifts that you won’t find anywhere else. If you are planning, or have ever planned a trip to this destination, I highly recommend that you go. It will be everything you imagined it would be and more.