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While you’re in Canyonlands, don’t forget to visit Mesa Arch at sunrise. Check out my blog post for a guide to photographing this most iconic of locations.
Photographer’s Guide to Canyonlands National Park - Mesa Arch
There’s no shortage of stunning scenery in the Moab area. Everyone has a favorite spot and after fifteen years living here and extensively photographing Canyon Country, I’ve got a handful of locations that bring me great joy. Green River Overlook is one of them. In this post I’ll share some tips on how to photograph this jaw dropper of a location.
The Basics
Best Time of Day: Late afternoon to sunset, storm light any time of day
Best Season: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter
Hike Stats: 200’, paved path to main overlook, easy slickrock walking beyond
Travel Time from Moab: 50 minutes
Solitude: Some, depends on distance away from main overlook
Why Should I Photograph Green River Overlook?
Your answer to this question is in the photos accompanying this post. I mean, seriously. Views of the White Rim, the Green River, Turk’s Head, vast canyons and the distant Henry Mountains create a scene so tantalizing I dare you not to push the shutter button. Storm light almost never disappoints and some of the most spectacular light I’ve ever seen anywhere has been at Green River Overlook. Also, unlike Mesa Arch and some of the other iconic spots, it’s possible to find a bit of solitude here.
Fast moving storm assaulting canyon below Green River Overlook in Canyonlands National Park near Moab, Utah.
How Do I Get to Green River Overlook?
Green River Overlook is located in the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park, approximately 50 minutes from downtown Moab. From town, drive north on Highway 191 for approximately 9 miles. Turn left, or west, on Highway 313. Follow Highway 313 to the intersection with Grand View Point Road and continue straight toward Canyonlands. (Highway 313 turns left and dead ends at Dead Horse Point State Park) From the Canyonlands entrance booth, continue straight approximately 7 miles and turn right at the intersection toward Upheaval Dome. Turn left at the next road toward Green River Overlook and follow that road to the end.
From the parking lot, a paved path heads out to the overlook. From there, you can rim walk in either direction.
Weathered tree stands sentinel at Green River Overlook on a stormy day in Canyonlands National Park near Moab, Utah.
What Camera Equipment Should I Bring to Green River Overlook?
This is a big landscape and as such it’s a perfect place for wide angle to moderate focal length lenses. A brief review of metadata in my images indicate that I’ve shot from 17mm to 55mm. This isn’t to say you should leave your long lenses at home as it’s possible you may stumble upon wildlife, or discover an intimate landscape hiding amongst the grand views. I’ve shared Green River Overlook with coyotes, lizards, ravens and bighorn sheep, so it’s best to come prepared.
As always in landscape photography, I recommend a good, solid tripod and ballhead and a remote shutter release. In the evening you’re shooting toward the sunset and if you stay for the afterglow, shutter speeds will be long enough to require a stable shooting platform. The contrast range at sunset can be huge. You’ll most likely need to use either a 3 stop graduated neutral density filter or combine multiple exposures to balance the exposure of sky to landscape.
General Tips for Photographing Green River Overlook
My favorite photos from Green River Overlook don’t include a foreground. That isn’t to say there aren’t great foregrounds, though. Walk the rim and you’ll find them. Look for interesting rock formations, weathered old trees and, in spring, a few hearty wildflowers. The delicate prince’s plume sprouts from some of the wildest places but it also sways side to side in even the lightest of breezes.
If your compositions have no foreground, you don’t need to shoot at f/22. Or even f/11. In most cases, this location requires an aperture no smaller than f/8. Unnecessarily small apertures only enhance dust spotting and actually decrease overall sharpness due to diffraction. Most lenses are at their sharpest somewhere in the middle of their aperture range which, on the average wide angle to moderate focal length lens, will be f/8 to f/11.
There is no better place in all of Moab to watch storms roaring across the landscapes. You’re close enough to the parking lot that you can shoot until the last minute and then dash back to the comfort and safety of your vehicle just as all hell breaks loose. Dramatic storm clouds and lighting conditions are common. So is lightning. Use common sense when fat bolts of electricity descend from the sky and don’t stay past your welcome.
On overcast days switch off your color vision and start seeing the landscape in black and white. You don’t always need all-time conditions to make dynamic images. Monochrome works well here, especially in high contrast form; dark, moody and richly textured skies, really bright light tones and a variety of mids can add lots of pop to your images. I use Nik Silver Efex Pro for almost all of my black and white conversions. It’s an excellent tool that works in sync as a plug-in within Lightroom.
Last, you’re kind of in the middle of nowhere. It’s about an hour back to Moab and there is no food or drink available until you return to town. Bring a cooler with drinks and snacks because if you get hungry or thirsty, your stomach just might persuade you to give up and trust me, you never want to give up on this spot. The image at the top of this post was made on a day that looked like it was going to be a total bust. At the very last second, the sun found a crack in the clouds and exploded onto the landscape in a spectacular light show that lasted less than a minute.
Coyote involved in a staring contest at Green River Overlook in Canyonlands National Park near Moab, Utah.