Southern Utah in Fall

My husband and I love traveling in the fall, when leaves are turning colors, the light is fantastic, days are cooler, and crowds are fewer. This month I am reporting on a fall trip we made to Zion and Bryce National Parks in Southern Utah. Here climate, botany, and geology compete for attention!




Cedar Breaks National Monument, near Brian Head just north of Zion.
Minerals seep into the sandstone, to create the palette of colors;
water, wind, and time work together to weather the sandstone.

Southern Utah is in Sunset climate zone 2B, which has a balance of long, warm summers and chilly winters (great for orchards). The growing season can be 115 days in higher elevations, and more than 160 days in lower elevations. The lows for winter temperatures run 12 to 22 degrees Fahrenheit in October. When we visited in October, we encountered 60 to 70 degrees F. during the day, with high-30s and mid-40s at night. To learn more about the climate zone: http://www.sunset.com/garden/climate-zones/sunset-climate-zones-nevada-wyoming-utah-colorado-00418000067318/

The geology of Southern Utah is especially intriguing, as the Colorado and Mohave Desert Plateaus converge in this area. Zion National Park is located near the western margin of the Colorado Plateau; its waters drain into the Mojave Desert through the Virgin River. The Great Basin is in the northwest.

Virgin River, near the entrance to Zion. The river has been
at work over time to weather the sandstone.

Plants from all three locations—Colorado Plateau, Mojave Desert, and the Great Basin—can be found in this area. I found this intriguing – to see plants with which I am familiar from my travels in the deserts of Southern California, but in a different setting.

Landscape off I15, traveling south from Salt Lake City to Cedar City,
on the way to Zion. The dry terrain and foliage resembles
places in Southern California.