St. George, Utah Photography (Red Cliffs National Conservation Area, Snow Canyon State Park)

On the margins of the nascent metropolis of St. George, Utah, the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area protects some of the most threatened desert landscapes in the southwest. St. George is one of the fastest growing cities in the country, and urban sprawl abuts the NCA on nearly all sides. Proposals for new highways cutting through the NCA threaten this beautiful piece of land spanning the boundary between the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau, as well as endangered wildlife such as the desert tortoise. Nestled within the reserve is Snow Canyon State Park, which juxtaposes deep sandstone canyons with relatively recent basaltic lava flows, cinder cones, and lava tubes.