Zion National Park, Utah,
1972
Photograph by Sam Abell
A rainstorm batters the sculptured cliffs and canyons of Zion National Park. Often called "Red Yosemite" for its richly-hued 2,000-foot (609-meter) cliff walls that surround a lush river, the intricate sandstone towers and canyons were actually carved millions of years before the glaciers entered Yosemite Valley.
(Text adapted from "Wild in the Parks," May 2002, National Geographic Adventure magazine)