The rock catching first light in Badlands National Park, South Dakota.

Rock formations silhouetted at sunrise in Badlands National Park.

~Montaña de Oro State Park~

Montaña de Oro ("Mountain of Gold" in Spanish) is a state park in California, United States. The park is located six miles southwest of Morro Bay and 2 miles south of Los Osos. The name "Mountain of Gold" comes from the golden wildflowers found in the park.

It has 8,000 acres of cliffs, sandy beaches, coastal plains, eroded rock formations streams, canyons, and hills, including the 1,347-foot Valencia Peak. The park has many hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian trails, as well as a campground located across from Spooner’s Cove, a popular beach. The Bluff Trail is an easy and popular trail along the scenic coast. Trails lead to the summits of Valencia Peak, Oats Peak, and Hazard Peak.

This park features rugged cliffs, secluded sandy beaches, coastal plains, streams, canyons, and hills, including 1,347-foot Valencia Peak.

Montaña de Oro State Park has dramatic ocean bluffs and summits with sweeping views. The park covers over 8,000 acres and has 7 miles of undeveloped coastline, making it a rare treasure on the California Coast. One road leads into the park, entering from the town of Los Osos to the north, which is just west of the city of San Luis Obispo. Visitors can stay overnight at a 50-site campground at the center of the park.

#RigsRocks #WestCoast #WestCoastLiving #Beach #Ocean #PacificOcean #MontañadeOroStatePark #StatePark #MontañadeOro #MountainofGold #SanLuisObispo #CentralCoast #RuggedCliffs #SecludedBeaches #SandyBeaches #CoastalPlains #Streams #Canyons #Hills

#ValenciaPeak #OatsPeak #HazardPeak #SpoonersCove

#LosOsos #MorroBay #RockyCoast #ErodedRockFormations

#2019Photos #Water #Ocean #Sun #Spring #Beach #Sand #Bikini #Girl #Boy #Man #Lady

Red Canyon is a forested area with sixty-million year old dark red rock castles protruding up from crimson sand.

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©2008 GCheatle

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Twin Bridges lies in the Navajo Loop area of Bryce Canyon National Park. A sandstone bridge spans two adjacent spires. However, large cracks running through the center of the bridge indicate that the days are numbered for this formation and could collapse any day. Amazingly, the National Park service maintains the busy Navajo Loop Trail right underneath. However, to be fair, the trailhead has a warning displaying that this section has the highest rockfalls anywhere in Bryce Canyon and could lead to "injury or death" (more likely death).

Natural Bridge is one of the many popular viewpoints within Bryce Canyon National Park, located at an altitude of 8,627 feet above mean sea level. Natural Bridge, geologically speaking, is an arch - formed by the erosive nature of freezing and thawing moisture; as opposed to a bridge, which is formed by the flowing current of a stream.

The arch began as a small recess in an old rock fin that allowed moisture to seep in during rainfall and then freeze in place at nightfall. Repeated cycles of freezing and thawing combined with gravity and some chemical weathering eroded the rock away creating hollows on both sides of the fin - meeting to create the arch that we see today. At some point in the future, the roof of the arch will collapse leaving behind the spires on either side to form hoodoos.

Erosion has carved out these Claron Sandstone layers into thin fins, which then erode to form holes called "windows". The tops of the windows then collapse over time leaving behind hoodoo's common throughout Bryce Canyon National Park.

***This photo is on sale via Getty Images***

A view of the rock fins, hoodoos and cliffs around Thor's Hammer - Navajo Loop Trail, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah.

Hoodoos are formed by repeated freezing and melting cycle of water on these ancient sandstone formations. The red sandstone here was laid when the whole region was covered by the ancient Lake Claron ~50 million years ago between the youthful Rocky Mountains to the east and the mighty Sevier Mountains to the west. Today, this sandstone is called the Claron Formation.

Thor's Hammer is arguably the most famous Hoodoo within Bryce Canyon National Park.

Wind and water erosion along the shore of James Bay on Santiago Island, Galapagos Archipelago - Ecuador.

Inspiration Point provides a complete view of the Bryce Amphitheater, an immense field of eroded sandstone formations known as hoodoo's.

Over millennia, rain and snow flow through cracks in the rock surface, churning away the rock into it's original component - sand. This leaves huge holes in the cliffside called windows, which over time collapse and form hoodoos.

Bryce Canyon National Park is best known for the spectacular hoodoos - spire like sandstone formations created by eroded sandstone found in the area.

Red Canyon is a forested area with sixty-million year old dark red rock castles protruding up from crimson sand.

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©2008 GCheatle

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A lonely hiker gazes up at the spires and hoodoos all around from the bottom of Bryce Canyon.

The Navajo Loop Trail descends right into the hoodoos - like entering a city full of skyscrapers.

The Navajo Loop descends from Sunset Point down into Bryce Canyon through a series of switchbacks amidst the towering sandstone spires.

Red Canyon is a forested area with sixty-million year old dark red rock castles protruding up from crimson sand.

locater: _CYN2718

©2008 GCheatle

all rights reserved

Cedar Breaks National Monument, in Iron County, Utah presents a west facing amphitheater. The rim sits over 10,000 feet above sea level with the deepest canyons over 2,000 feet below the canyon rim.

The monument is usually inaccessible during the winter due to a large snowpack.

Sunset over the natural amphitheater at Cedar Breaks National Monument, Iron County, Utah. Cedar Breaks higher and is more eroded than the nearby, & more widely known, Bryce Canyon National Park. The west facing amphitheater and the relative obscurity it enjoys during the 6 months or so its open provides ample opportunity to enjoy a good sunset in solitude.

The haze over the horizon is pollution and dust from Las Vegas.

Descending the Navajo Loop Trail into Bryce Amphitheater.

Red Canyon is a forested area with sixty-million year old dark red rock castles protruding up from crimson sand.

locater: _CYN2748

©2008 GCheatle

all rights reserved

Red Canyon is a forested area with sixty-million year old dark red rock castles protruding up from crimson sand.

locater: _CYN2737

©2008 GCheatle

all rights reserved

Red Canyon is a forested area with sixty-million year old dark red rock castles protruding up from crimson sand.

locater: _CYN2720

©2008 GCheatle

all rights reserved

Red Canyon is a forested area with sixty-million year old dark red rock castles protruding up from crimson sand.

locater: _CYN2747 txt

©2008 GCheatle

all rights reserved

Red Canyon is a forested area with sixty-million year old dark red rock castles protruding up from crimson sand.

locater: _CYN2722 txt

©2008 GCheatle

all rights reserved

Red Canyon is a forested area with sixty-million year old dark red rock castles protruding up from crimson sand.

locater: _CYN2731

©2008 GCheatle

all rights reserved

Red Canyon is a forested area with sixty-million year old dark red rock castles protruding up from crimson sand.

locater: _CYN2732

©2008 GCheatle

all rights reserved

Eroded rocks.

Interesting eroded rock formations on the way to Ledar.