North of the town of St. George, Utah, the big draw in Pioneer Park was the Narrows, a slot canyon. I watched while two youngsters squeezed through the stone passage. Their father stood by and encouraged them, then climbed around the rocks to meet them on the other end. I too declined to go through and worked my way back out through a line of kids that had formed, waiting to sidle through.
The park is home to the Red Hills Desert Garden, the first of many cactus and arid landscape displays for me on this road trip. This area, Washington County, sits at the intersection of three major ecoregions—the Colorado Plateau, the Great Basin, and the Mojave Desert—creating a unique and diverse habitat for plant and wildlife.
I’m drawn to the close up shapes, the patterns in the plants, the curves and the shadows.
And who knew there were so many types of prickly pear cactus?
Trails around the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve wind around red rock shapes. I wasn’t able to spot the Mojave desert tortoise, who was probably hiding somewhere in the shade, well away from the trail.
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Ruth Rosenfeld 
Beautiful pictures. I love colours in the green vegetation, bright red rocks and blue sky. I’d be worried I’d get stuck in the slot canyon! Maggie
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Thank you, Maggie! Me too, that’s why I didn’t try to go through it. 😄 It looked like a squeeze even for the kids.
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Thanks, Ruth, for sharing the spectacular scenery this area offers. Prickly pear cactus are my favorite. I call them ping pong paddle cactus.😊
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That’s a good nickname for them!
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Wow, what a park! I would’ve thought it was a national park, seeing just how large it is. The narrows are certainly distinctive in Utah (as I found out during my time in Zion), and your photos reflect just how stunning they all are. 🙂
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The park is not as large as a national park, but it has some lovely features. I wonder why we are attracted to those narrow places?
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Amazing terrains. The American west is something else. Do you have a favorite western state?
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Colorado, where I live! It was a choice to move here from the east coast.
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What a wonderful place and yes, the canyon is extreme narrow !
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It was definitely worth a visit.
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Oh, that looks a bit “narrow” at The Narrow 😉. The area looks so similar to some of the mountainous and desert areas here in South Africa (even the plants looks familiar). Your photo’s are beautiful – thanks for sharing this amazing place.
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I’m sure there are many similarities in the plant life and landscape where the climate is similar. Thanks for that insight.
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Such wonderful photos, Ruth and so many varieties of cacti! I love the red rock sandstone but I wouldn’t try to squeeze through the Crack – just by looking at it I can feel the claustrophobia setting in! It’s extremely narrow! Thanks for sharing and have a good day 🙂 Aiva
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I wouldn’t do it either! But it was fun to watch the kids squeeze through. There are so many more variations on cacti and succulents. These were just a few that are familiar.
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The succulents and cacti are amazing.
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They do have their own unusual beauty, and there are so many different kinds.
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Love the photos! We almost made it there a few weeks ago and I was so looking forward to traveling there. I hope to hike those same trails someday soon.
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Thanks, Michelle. I’m sure you will, it’s worth a trip.
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It’s so close to us so I am sure it will be soon.
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What a cool place. I enjoyed all the cactus photos!
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Thank you, Diana!
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Beautiful pictures of the red rocks and prickly cacti. The Narrows looks like it was aptly named. I don’t blame you for not squeezing through the slot canyon.
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Thank you, hard not to take good photos in such an inspiring place. I much preferred to watch others go through!
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My kind of scenery! I love the shot of the sun just touching the rocks above an arch, and the cactus close-ups 🙂
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Thanks, Sarah! I took many shots of that arch to find the right angle. And the cactus just beckoned me. 😊
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As it would me!
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Beautiful photos Ruth, I love the desert garden and the warmth of all the colours. I’d love to visit one day 🙂
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Thanks, Hannah! It’s a great place to wander.
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I find your article wonderful and the photos spectacular: a landscape so different from the Italian one
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Thanks so much, Luisa, for your visit and taking the time to comment. My country has such diverse climates and landscapes. This one is very different from where I live as well.
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Beautiful desert scenery Ruth. I would not have gone through that narrow slot canyon either. Love the cactus, but hate the cholla balls, especially when walking. Thanks for sharing. Allan
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Thanks, Allan. You need to be careful walking around in cactus country!
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Fascinating how nature adapts to environment, plants surviving harsh hot conditions are great to study – and to photograph come to that!
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It is amazing to see the variety of plants that can survive in desert climates. Thanks for your comment!
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Amazing photography, Ruth, of the red sandstone scenery and all the different cacti species. Can’t blame that tortoise for hiding in the shade.
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The variety of cacti and succulents is amazing, so much more than I have shared. Easy to take good photos there!
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I’d love to try going through the slot though suspect that I probably would regret it.
Such a harsh landscape.
Alison
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Yet so many plants thrive there. The slot look tight for those thin children!
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Beautiful country!
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Did you see any desert wildlife on this hike, Ruth? Seems like the perfect environment for all sorts of creatures to make their presence felt. As for the Narrows, I think I’d hyperventilate if I felt any sort of physical pressure as I squeezed through. Then I’d really be in trouble. I expect it’s not a brief passage, but one where you have to work your way through for several minutes. No thanks 🙂
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I was disappointed not to spot any lizards in desert country. I recall seeing so many in the tropics of Central America when I lived there. My eye is not trained to the desert landscape – perhaps others would have spotted some along those trails.
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You given me some additional places to visit the next time I head to Utah
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It was interesting to explore some lesser known places. Hope you get there.
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Nature at its best. Amazing intricate details of the cacti.
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They are such unusual plants, aren’t they? Thanks for your visit.
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