Earlier this week I was thankful to have a half day to dedicate to photography in Zion National Park. I was hoping to find some colorful leaves but on the drive in from La Verkin, passing cottonwoods along the Virgin River, disappointment began to set in. Almost all of the trees were still green, with only a few barely starting to show signs of yellow in their leaves. I knew the east side of Zion was at higher elevation, so even if the canyon wasn’t popping off there was a chance I’d find color up higher.
Shortly after entering the park from Springdale I realized I was just too early for good color at the lower elevations. Given the conditions I observed I didn’t hop the shuttle to ride into the canyon, toward the Narrows. Instead, I made the decision to drive to the east side of the park with fingers crossed that the cooler temperatures at higher elevations were working their magic on the foliage. Exiting the tunnel, I began to check every wash I passed. Red! Orange! Yellow! I started seeing splotches of color, and the longer I drove, the more color I saw. Several times I parked and hiked down into a wash, spending a little time creating images in each one. I managed to walk away with a few keeper images - one of which is displayed above - and a healthy reminder of why I love Zion so much.
October 27, 2022: Zion Fall Color Update
The west side of the park, including the canyon, is probably 7-10 days away from starting to show some good color. It’s impossible to predict such things but looking into my Magic 8 Ball, I’d guess that peak colors in this area will arrive in about three weeks.
There’s plenty of color on the east side of the park, although it hasn’t peaked yet. Some of the maples and oaks were bursting with reds, yellows and oranges while others were still quite green. You’ve got at least a week, maybe ten days, to explore this area if you’re hunting for autumn foliage. The absolute best way to find photographic opportunities is to park your car above a wash and start hiking. In one wash, I walked past several trees that were all wearing green leaves, rounded a corner (a dark corner, that likely sees little light and stays much cooler), and found a whole bunch of colorful trees. These trees were not visible from the road. Recent rains and flash floods left the wash bottoms muddy in places, oftentimes creating cool ripple patterns with colorful leaves floating on top, just begging to be photographed.
I worked these washes until around 11:00 or so, when the sun was high enough in the sky that it reached into all but the deepest canyons. My favorite light for photographing these intimate scenes is open shade, as the contrasts are lower and the colors pop…especially when you use a polarizer to minimize reflections that can rob your images of color. I exclusively used my Sony 24-105mm lens, but at least once I wished I had a longer focal length.
For more information about photographing Zion National Park, and to show your support for this fall color update, you can purchase eFotoGuide: The Ultimate Guide to Photographing Zion National Park for only $25 right here on my website. You’ll get access to over 20 spectacular locations in the park, advice on how and when to photograph them, as well as loads of information about how to maximize your time on location.
Thanks for reading, and may the sweet light be with you!