Through My Lens - Page 2 of 18 - Exploring the World Through Photography

The Columbia River Gorge is a fantastic area to explore in Oregon with a countless amount of adventures. Everything from waterfalls to dams to breweries can be experienced along this…

The Columbia River Gorge is a fantastic area to explore in Oregon with a countless amount of adventures. Everything from waterfalls to dams to breweries can be experienced along this stretch of road. Here are my nine favorite stops along the Columbia River Gorge, let me know what yours are in the comments.

Vista House

This building is over 100 years old, and it is a fantastic first stop on your way into the gorge. The views are unprecedented, and you can see why they chose this location to build the famous house. You can get a great view of it from many viewpoints around the area, or you can walk up to the second story deck and look down on the gorge. Read more about it here

Multnomah Falls

I am sure you have probably heard of the famous Multnomah Falls before, and it is worth the acclaim it receives. This two-tier waterfall is incredibly impressive in person and the old bridge that was built to give you a closer view adds to the majesty. Be sure to go on a weekday if you can because it can be packed on the weekends.

Horsetail Falls

Located only little ways up from Multnomah, Horsetail Falls is another trendy waterfall because you don’t have to do any hiking to see it. The waterfall is about 50 feet from the parking lot, but it is still impressive and worth a quick visit.

Elowah Falls / Upper Mccord

Elowah Falls is the second tallest waterfall in the Columbia Gorge area, so it is a great stop along the drive. The waterfall is accessed by a 1 mile each way hike, which stops many people from visiting it. I have been at the waterfall by myself before, and you can’t do that at many of the other popular spots. You can extend this hike by another mile and go up to the Upper Mccloud Falls as well, which are not that tall but are still impressive.

Wahclella Falls

This waterfall is one of my personal favorites. It is accessed by a 2-mile hike as well, but the waterfall has a lot of unique viewpoints to look down on it from. It has been getting a lot more popular recently from Instagram, but on the weekdays you can still have some solitude on the hike.

Bonneville Dam

While you may not think that a dam sounds like a fun stop, this historic dam is well worth it. Seeing the powerhouse and the massive spillway is not something you see often and add to that the visitors center which has underwater windows for looking at the fish and the area becomes a unique and worthwhile stop. Hopefully, you will see the creepy lamprey fish when you are there as well, but be warned, they may give you nightmares.

Bridge of the Gods

In the Cascade Locks area of the gorge, the Bridge of the Gods is an impressive man-made attraction. You can drive across it into Washington for $2 or just park below it and look up at the imposing old bridge.

Hood River Breweries

When you get to Hood River, be sure to stop by one of its three breweries to try some craft beer. The biggest is Full Sail, but I like Double Mountain Brewery since they have good beer and great pizza. If beer is not your thing, then check out one of the many coffee shops. My favorite is Stoked.

Hood River Bridge

This is another impressive bridge on the drive. It is at least four times as long as Bridge of the Gods, and you can drive it over to Washington as well. There are a few trails down by the water that let you see the bridge from below while stretching your legs.

Rowena Crest

For my last recommendation on this drive, be sure to head over and see the famous curved road at Rowena Crest. This is another spot that has become popular because of Instagram but is still fun to see in person. There is a viewpoint that you can park at and look down on the road. I was there for a while and watched deer cross the street as well which was pretty cool. There are hikes you can take in the park, and it is a popular biking spot, but most people just look at the view.

So there you have it, ten recommendations for exploring in the Columbia River Gorge. What did I leave off this list? Let me know in the comments.

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Utah

Canyon Overlook Trail at Sunrise: Zion National Park

JoshMc

January 11, 2018 11:43 am January 11, 2018

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Over the winter I got the opportunity to spend a few days in Zion National Park, you can read all about the parks best attractions here. During that time I…

Over the winter I got the opportunity to spend a few days in Zion National Park, you can read all about the parks best attractions here. During that time I was determined to find the best spot for sunrise and after a few attempts I finally went to Canyon Overlook Trail, which is clearly my favorite spot for sunrise in the park. Here is all the details so you can see / photograph it yourself.

Overlook Trail Sunrise-9

Details

1 mile round trip
200 feet elevation gain

Getting There

Overlook Trail Sunrise-1

From Springdale I would recommend leaving about an hour before sunrise. It takes 20 minutes to drive to the spot and another 20 to hike to the viewpoint, plus you want to make sure you are there early enough set up. After driving up and out of the East entrance to Zion National Park you will pass a long tunnel, immediately after the tunnel there is a small parking lot on the right where you will park for the hike.

The Hike

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From the parking lot you will cross the street and then immediately head up a series of steps. Be sure to bring traction devices if you do this in the snow or ice.

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The trail flattens out and the hugs a cliff side for the next .15 miles. This area has a decent drop but there is a guard rail beside you for most of the way.

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The trail then heads across a platform that was built into the rock wall itself and that allows you to pass what would normally have been a sketchy area.

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It then heads under the rock before continuing up some more stairs.

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From here the trail is mostly over and it just heads straight over a flat path until it drops you at the observation point.

Canyon Overlook

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The payoff for how easy this hike is immense. The views of the canyon itself and the road you took to get up are stunning.

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When you see the first light come over the hill behind you and hit the mountains in front of you it will take your breath away. Here is what it looks like about 45 minutes after first light too.

Overlook Trail Sunrise-10

It was incredibly windy and cold when I went so it wasn’t great for waiting around but I had a lot of fun and saw only 4-5 other people the entire time.

Overlook Trail Sunrise-11

If you are looking for a great spot for sunrise or just a fun hike in general then check out the Overlook Trail.

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California

Panoramic Point in Kings Canyon National Park at Sunrise

JoshMc

January 11, 2018 11:41 am January 11, 2018

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At a quick 5-10 minute drive from Grant Grove, this viewpoint is one of the best places to stare down into Kings Canyon from above and one of the best places…

At a quick 5-10 minute drive from Grant Grove, this viewpoint is one of the best places to stare down into Kings Canyon from above and one of the best places to see and photograph the sunrise. I got the opportunity to spend some time here recently and here is everything you need to know about sunrise at Panoramic Point.

Details

Two mile drive uphill and a less than .5 mile hike to the lookout point
Arrive around 30 minutes before the sunrise is scheduled so that you can hike and set up

Panoramic Point-10

The drive itself is one and a half lanes most of the way, but at sunrise there is never much traffic so you shouldn’t have much issue getting to the top. Do watch out for deer and bears though, we saw a lot of deer and one small bear while driving up.

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From the parking lot you will take the short paved road and follow the signs for Panoramic Point. The path is a gradual uphill but it is not very difficult, when you reach the first plaque you can set up here or proceed uphill.

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Personally, I would recommend proceeding uphill to the area near the second plaque as this area has a better view of Hume Lake below so it adds some contrast to the sea of trees.

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After setting up you will just be waiting for the sun to start doing its thing. I like to take pictures before, during and after so that you can see the progression of the light.

Panoramic Point-1

Here are a few photos from my time up there, I mostly shot with a 24-105 lens and loved being able to have the zoom range that it provided to craft my shots. I had a wide angle with me as well but it took away from the view.

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Panoramic Point-5

Panoramic Point-4

As you can see this is a fantastic place for sunrise, it is one of the better ones I have seen on my travels in California and I can easily say that it is worth the effort to set your alarm and get out of bed. Heck, you might even make a new friend while heading down the path.

Panoramic Point-11

If you have another spot you like for sunrise be sure let me know and read more about my time in this National Park at my other blog CaliforniaThroughMyLens.com.

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Utah

Delicate Arch at Sunrise: Arches National Park

JoshMc

January 11, 2018 11:40 am January 11, 2018

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Delicate Arch is probably one of the most well-known attractions in any park in the United States. I would put it up there near Half Dome and Devils Tower as…

Delicate Arch is probably one of the most well-known attractions in any park in the United States. I would put it up there near Half Dome and Devils Tower as one of those spots everyone has seen, even if they don’t know where they saw it at. I got a chance to check it out myself and I have to say it should be on everyone’s bucket list as it is even more amazing in person. That being said it can be busy and I would recommend visiting at sunrise to miss the rush. I sat at the arch with 15 other people on a busy 4th of July weekend and on the way down after sunrise I passed 150 people coming up the trail. Here is all the info if you want to do what I did.

delicate arch sunrise-1

Details

Need to get to the trailhead about 45 minutes before sunrise as it is a 1.5 mile hike with 500 feet of elevation
Small parking lot so early is better to get parking
Bring a headlamp

Sunset is the popular time at this attraction and it is easy to see why, the colors dance all over the arch. Sunrise is not as majestic, but you have fewer people so it can be more relaxing to experience, especially if you are not a professional photographer.

Delicate Arch-1

I was staying at the Motel 6 in Moab so I checked Google Maps the night before and realized it would take about 45 minutes to get to the arch parking lot in the morning. Knowing that it was a 1.5 mile uphill climb I left about an hour and a half before sunrise. I was in the parking lot walking towards the arch in the pre dawn light. It was a full moon so I didn’t need a headlamp but you should bring one just in case.

Delicate Arch-2

The hike to the arch this early in the morning is not too memorable as you are just trying to get to the destination. It does head over single track most of the way, then you are just walking up a large sandstone slab towards the end, be sure to follow the cairns in this section.

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Once at the top of this hill you will proceed through small trees and brush till you reach a small slab of trail that hugs the side of a mountain.

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From here do not forget to make it up to frame arch, which is a perfect spot to view Delicate from as it is framed within the arch. It requires a small scramble but you can see it from the trail.

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After this you will proceed around the last bend and see the first view of Delicate Arch. This view will probably take your breath away as it is awe-inspiring.

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In the predawn light the arch is beautiful as it is still fully shaded. As the sun goes up it will slowly light the arch up from the top down. I stayed for the entire lighting process and just sat at its feet taking it all in.

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Many people came and went during this time but there was never more the 15 people at the arch with us, it was fantastic.

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After that we proceeded down the hill and like I said, passed over 150 people, including two tour buses full of tourists. I cannot stress more how amazing it is to be here for sunrise and even though the light is not as good as sunset fantastic, the experience of fewer people at this famous spot is not to be missed.

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Utah

Mesa Arch at Sunrise: Canyonlands National Park

JoshMc

January 11, 2018 11:39 am January 11, 2018

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If you are reading this, then you probably know how insanely popular Mesa Arch is as a sunrise spot. This is for good reason, as it is one of the…

If you are reading this, then you probably know how insanely popular Mesa Arch is as a sunrise spot. This is for good reason, as it is one of the most amazing sunrises I have ever seen and it was overcast when I was there. But make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into, Mesa Arch is remote, popular and requires planning. Here is all the info:

Main Details

You need to get there pre-dawn in order to get a chance to get a good spot. I have seen as many as 2 dozen photographers here at first light and the arch is tiny
It is about a 10 minute walk so make sure to have a headlamp if you will be there in the dark.
Bring a tripod
Wide angle lens is a must to capture the full arch

I was staying at the Motel 6 in Moab and planned on a 50 minute drive to get to the trail head. Add to this a 10 minute walk and wanting to get there early to claim a spot and I ended up leaving an hour and a half before sunrise.

The drive to the trailhead was anticlimactic in the dark, but make sure to watch out for deer and cows on the road as they are windy so you can’t see very far ahead of you. When we got to the trailhead there were a few other cars in the lot. We set out on the trail and while it is relatively easy to follow be sure to look for the worn sections so you do not get off of at the wrong area. Here is a photo of the light levels when I got set up

Ten minutes later we were at the arch and there were only two other photographers. I claimed a spot with my tripod and waited for the light to start. 20 minutes later the entire area was full of photographers and there were no spots to set up your tripod. Here is a photo:

I sat next to my 20 new friends for the next 45 minutes as the light started to come up. Like I said, I had claimed a spot and with so many people there was not a lot of opportunity to move around and get other shots. Towards the end of sunrise though people started to leave so I left my spot and wandered around getting a few different angles.

I would say that you want to use the app Photographer Ephemeris and plan where the sun will be coming up so that you can grab a spot with the sun slightly off-center like the above photo.

All in all I was happy with the spot and got a few photos I am proud of. Even with the mayhem that is photographing sunrise at this spot I still highly recommend it if you are a budding photographer. It has earned its title of best sunrise in the South West and it is probably the most beautiful I have ever seen as well.

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Arizona

Horseshoe Bend at Sunrise: Grand Canyon’s Famous Bend

JoshMc

January 11, 2018 11:36 am January 11, 2018

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Let me just say that Horseshoe Bend is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. I have been blessed to the opportunity to visit Taj Mahal, the pyramids…

Let me just say that Horseshoe Bend is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. I have been blessed to the opportunity to visit Taj Mahal, the pyramids of Egypt and many of the great wonders of the world but Horseshoe Bend can compare with the best of them. It is one of those spots that you just see and cannot believe it is real. You should have it on your bucket list. I would also recommend seeing it at sunrise as well for two reasons. 1. You will be pretty much by yourself. 2. The light is not shadowing any of the canyon so you can take amazing photos with a tripod. Here is all of the info so you can do it yourself.

Main Details

.75 mile hike that takes about 15 minutes
10 minute drive from Page, AZ
Bring a wide-angle lens

Horseshoe Bend-10

I decided to leave about an hour before sunrise from Page, AZ. It was a ten minute drive to the trailhead and there were only 2 other cars, both of which looked like they had people sleeping in them. We set out on the trail which is all in sand and is up and over one hill then down to the viewpoint. It took about 15 minutes because the sand makes it slower going.

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When we arrived at Horseshoe Bend we were the only people there. I set up right in the middle with my tripod and just sat there in awe as I fired away pictures with every change of light. Here is the first photo I took.

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The bend itself was perfect at this time as there were no shadows in the early morning light, so everything lit up well. About 10 minutes later we were joined by a few other people but it was never more than 10 viewing the sunrise with us.

Horseshoe Bend-2

We even got to watch a young man propose to his girlfriend in the beautiful sunrise light, and I got the chance to photograph them after it was over. We sat at the bend for around an hour and a half until the sun was fully up. Once the sun is up the bend becomes much harder to shoot as the light can make hard contrasts.

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I also saw a small boat and a tent down on the water / beach below. I guess you can boat into the bend and stay, which sounds like it would fantastic and a unique adventure for sure. Be sure to bring a wide-angle lens so you can get fun photos like this.

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After photographing for an hour and a half I packed up my stuff and headed back to the car to get a nap in before visiting Antelope Canyon. All I can say is that you really need to go to Horseshoe Bend for sunrise, the lighting is perfect and you will be able to see this amazing place all by yourself. It is worth losing a few hours of sleep over.

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