Panoramas in the Parks

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National and State Parks and Monuments offer great opportunities for panoramic photography (QTVR and otherwise). I have assembled this collection from our travels around the USA.

I have organized them by alphabetically by state and park name.

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ARIZONA

Grand Canyon National Park

VR Panorama taken at the Desert View lookout below the Watchtower.
The Desert View lookout is on the far eastern end of Grand Canyon National Park's South Rim area. (Mar 08)
Click on the photo to view a 360 degree interactive virtual reality panorama.

VR Panorama taken from the lower roof of the Desert View Watchtower. (Mar 08)
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VR Panorama taken on the south side of the Desert View Watchtower. A short walking trail connects the
Watchtower to the parking area. Bookstores and concessions are located along the trail. These are the only
concessions until reaching the Mather Point parking area.
Click on the photo to view a 360 degree interactive virtual reality panorama.

A view to the east from the Navaho Point turnout on the South Rim road (Desert View Drive/AZ64).
If you look carefully, you can see the Watchtower at the Desert View (about a mile east). (Jan 08)

This view is from the Lipan Point turnout on the South Rim Road (Desert View Drive/AZ64).
There is lots of snow as we were there on Jan 1st. (Jan 08)

A view from the Moran Point turnout on the South Rim Road (Desert View Drive/AZ64).
The sun was getting low so the colors are somewhat subdued. (Jan 08)

A view from the Grandview Point turnout on the South Rim Road (Desert View Drive/AZ64). (Jan 08)

A view from an un-named turnout on the south rim road (Desert View Drive/AZ64). The wind from the north was being funneled up out of the canyon here and it was a challenge to even stand up. After this stop it got too dark for any more photography especially since the buffeting from the wind made it impossible to brace the camera for long exposures. (Jan 08)

VR Panorama taken along the Grand Canyon South Rim Trail west of Mather Point. There are many stops along the trail that allow you to leave the marked trail and walk right up to the edge of the canyon (no guard rails here!) This trail makes a 3 mile circuit along the south rim and back into the park's developed area back to the Park HQ building. (Mar 08)
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VR Panorama taken along the Grand Canyon South Rim Trail between Mather Point and the Park HQ. (Mar 08)
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VR Panorama taken along the Grand Canyon South Rim Trail between Mather Point and the Park HQ. (Mar 08)
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VR Panorama taken along the Grand Canyon South Rim Trail between Mather Point and the Park HQ. (Mar 08)
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VR Panorama taken along the Grand Canyon South Rim Trail between Mather Point and the Park HQ. (Mar 08)
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VR Panorama taken along the Grand Canyon South Rim Trail between Mather Point and the Park HQ. (Mar 08)
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VR Panorama taken halfway along the South Rim near the main Grand Canyon Park developed area. This spot is where the Mather Amphitheater Trail meets the South Rim Trail just north of the Park HQ building. (Mar 08)
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Petrified Forest National Park
North Unit (Painted Desert & Route 66)

VR Panorama of where dirt '66 intersects the Painted Desert National Park road. ('07)
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VR Panorama of the Painted Desert from the overlook at Tiponi Point. Route 66 follows along the south edge of the canyon. ('08)
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VR Panorama of the Painted Desert from 'No-Name Point' (north of Tiponi Point). There is a clearer view of the south rim as it is at a higher elevation than Tiponi Point. ('08)
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VR Panorama taken just below the start of the trail head that starts behind the Painted Desert Inn down to the lower wilderness area. ('08)
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VR Panorama taken at a switchback on the trail down the cliff. ('08)
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VR Panorama further down the trail. ('08)
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VR Panorama where the trail starts to level off into a wash. ('08)
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VR Panorama further down the trail where the colors of the desert start to get bright. ('08)
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VR Panorama further down the wash. There is still a trail but it is starting to fade out. ('08)
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VR Panorama at a division in the wash. The trail has pretty much disappeared. ('08)
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VR Panorama from below the initial cliffs where the terrain starts to open up some. ('08)
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VR Panorama heading north along a wash parallelling the cliffs. ('08)
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VR Panorama approaching the secondary cliffs into the lower desert. ('08)
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VR Panorama ffrom the bottom of a wash through the secondary cliff line. ('08)
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VR Panorama from further down the wash. No longer any signs of trails. ('08)
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VR Panorama further down the wash. The terrain begins to open up into the lower flats. ('08)
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VR Panorama out in the lower flats proceeding east. ('08)
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VR Panorama continueing eastward across the flats. ('08)
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VR Panorama getting closer to the east side cliffs. the surface here is crusted powder. ('08)
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VR Panorama continueing eastward across the flats. ('08)
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VR Panorama nearing the rising terrain on the east side. ('08)
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VR Panorama from the bottom of a wash at the base of a small hill. ('08)
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VR Panorama heading to the south along the east side cliffline. ('08)
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VR Panorama continueing south. The terrain becomes more compact and has more small rocks. ('08)
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VR Panorama further south. Some of the park road viewing overlooks could be seen on the cliffs. ('08)
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VR Panorama taken after heading to the west side secondary cliffs. ('08)
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VR Panorama heading back to the north along the west side secondary cliffline. There are lots of petrified wood pieces
spread around that have eroded out of the terrain. ('08)
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VR Panorama continueing north. THe terrain once again becomes powdered and difficult to walk on out of the washes. ('08)
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VR Panorama continueing north in a wash. ('08)
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VR Panorama approaching the wash through the seconday cliffline. ('08)
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VR Panorama outside the entrance to the route back up through the secondary cliffline. ('08)
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VR Panorama from the top of the secondary ridgeline. ('08)
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VR Panorama heading up the wash back towards the trail to the Painted Desert Inn. ('08)
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VR Panorama heading back to the trailhead wash from the south. Total trek for this trip I am guessing about 3 miles. ('08)
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VR Panorama of the north end of the Petrified Forest Route 66 kiosk along the western side of the park road. ('08)
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VR Panorama from the south end of the Petrified Forest Route 66 kiosk along the western park road. ('07)
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South Unit (Petrified Forest & Petroglyphs)

VR Panorama from Tepees area of Petrified Forest National Park. These formations are located on the south side of I-40 on the park road. ('08)
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VR Panorama from the Crystal Forest in Petrified Forest National Park. The are numerous whole petrified logs and in some places the ground is literally covered with broken shards of petrified wood. ('08)
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Another VR Panorama from inside the Crystal Forest area of Petrified Forest National Park. The path here takes you past some massive petrified logs. ('08)
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A VR Panorama taken from at the south end of the Crystal Forest hiking path. This area doesn't have as many petrified logs and is more similar to the Tepees area with colored erosion layers being exposed. ('08)
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Four Corners Monument
AZ - UT - CO - NM

VR Panorama taken from the center of the monument. ('09)
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VR Panorama taken from the elevated viewing platform next to the monument. ('09)
Click on the photo to view a 360 degree interactive virtual reality panorama).

Another VR Panorama taken from above the survey marker at the center of the monument. ('09)
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Walnut Canyon National Monument
Flagstaff, AZ

Pano taken on the path into the canyon at the first info station below the visitor center. ('09)
Click on the photo to view a 360 degree interactive virtual reality panorama.

A view heading down the stairs into the canyon. Easy going down, but save your energy for trip back up! ('09)
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Another view heading down the stairs into the canyon. The 'island' can be seen ahead. ('09)
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Continuing deeper into the canyon. ('09)
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Looping around to the west side of the island. The trail back up to the visitor center can be seen to the north. ('09)
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Panorama taken from inside one of the cliff dwellings on the west side of the 'island'.
Other cliff dwellings can be seen across the canyon. ('09)

Click on the photo to view a 360 degree interactive virtual reality panorama.

Another view from inside the west-side cliff dwellings. ('09)
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Another view from further south along the west side 'island' trail. The various cliff dwellings are in varying
states of restoration (done years before the current 'leave in-situ' management policy. ('08)

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Nearing the southwest corner the trees open up for a better view of the canyon.
Cliff dwellings can be seen all along the other side of the canyon. ('09)

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Further south along the 'island' trail's west side. ('09)
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Working around the island trail to the southwest side, more partially restored cliff-dwelling ruins are found. ('09)
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Another view from inside the south island trail ruins. ('09)
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Working our way to the east, a view from inside one of the cliff dwellings. ('09)
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Stepping out away from the south face of the island trail a better view of the dwellings and the canyon is found. ('09)
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The island trail starts working its way up to a higher elevation as it curves around the southeast side. ('09)
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