Park Avenue in Shadows - Arches National Park, Moab, Utah

Park Avenue in Arches National Park is the very first stop after passing the Visitors Center and gives visitors a view that is a great preview of what this park has to offer. Right next to the parking lot is this great overlook, as well as the trailhead for one of my favorite hikes in the American Southwest. The trail is not overly difficult (mostly flat), nor is it overly long (1 mile one way), but the scenery along the way and in front of you is beautiful. It got its name due to the sandstone walls that tower over you, reminding one of walking on Park Avenue in NYC. The rock formations at the end of the trail and easily visible from the overlook is amazing. This view will look very different in the mornings and afternoon. In the mornings, the sandstone monoliths on the left are lit up while, in the mornings, the opposite is true. I captured this photo in the late afternoon from the overlook, zooming in toward the end of the trail to get the interplay between the dark shadows and the golden color of the sandstone.