canyons
Rivers carved these
Canyons is the plural of canyon—a deep, narrow valley with steep sides, typically carved by a river over geological time.
The Grand Canyon is the most famous example.
The word extends to similar formations: urban canyons describes city streets flanked by tall buildings.
We hiked through slot canyons in Utah.
Steep-walled river valleys
- ravinesSteep-sided narrow valleys
- valleysLow areas between hills
- cliffsSteep natural rock walls
- erosionGradual wearing away
sedimentary · formations · strata · limestone · sandstone · bedrock · escarpments · plateaus
Western rectangular state
- carvingShaping by cutting away
- rapidsTurbulent river section
- tributariesStreams joining larger rivers
- confluenceMeeting point of streams
whitewater · meander · watershed · downstream · riverbed · current · flow · flash floods
Recreational trail walking
- raftingTraveling on buoyant platform
- backpackingSelf-supported wilderness travel
- rappellingRope-controlled descent technique
- overlooksMisses or surveys
trails · camping · photography · scenic · viewpoints · permits · trailhead · switchbacks
To leave behind completely
- wildlifeUndomesticated natural organisms
- condorsGiant American vultures
- bighorn sheepWild North American ram
- cactiSpiny water-storing plants
juniper · pinyon · cottonwood · lizards · ravens · springs · oases · microhabitats
Extremely tall urban buildings
- streetsPublic urban ways
- ManhattanNYC's densest borough
- downtownCentral business district
- wind tunnelsEnclosed passages with forced airflow
towering · concrete · glass · shadows · corridors · urban planning · steel · high-rises
gorges
Steep-walled river valleys
erosion · sedimentary · formations · strata · limestone · sandstone · bedrock · escarpments · plateaus · mesas
Colorado
Western rectangular state
- carvingShaping by cutting away
- rapidsTurbulent river section
- tributariesStreams joining larger rivers
confluence · whitewater · meander · watershed · downstream · riverbed · current · flow · flash floods · drainage
hiking
Recreational trail walking
- raftingTraveling on buoyant platform
- backpackingSelf-supported wilderness travel
- rappellingRope-controlled descent technique
overlooks · trails · camping · photography · scenic · viewpoints · permits · trailhead · switchbacks · descent
desert
To leave behind completely
- wildlifeUndomesticated natural organisms
- condorsGiant American vultures
- bighorn sheepWild North American ram
cacti · juniper · pinyon · cottonwood · lizards · ravens · springs · oases · microhabitats · biodiversity
skyscrapers
Extremely tall urban buildings
wind tunnels · towering · concrete · glass · shadows · corridors · urban planning · steel · high-rises · metropolitan
Bryce
Utah national park
- ZionBiblical promised homeland
- CanyonlandsProtected Utah desert terrain
- US geographystates, capitals, state boundaries, state lines, regions
- natural areasnature reserve, nature reserves, wilderness areas, wetland, wildlife refuge
- off-roadingoff-road, 4x4s, ATVs, 4WD, four-wheel drive
- American geologyYellowstone, Rocky Mountains, Appalachians, Sierra Nevada, Cascade Range
- Canyon Geologybuttes, mesas, cliffs, arches, spires
- Ecuador GeographyAndes, Quito, Galapagos Islands, volcanoes, crater lakes
- Grand CanyonMassive Arizona gorge
- box canyonDead-end ravine with steep walls
- canyon bottom
- canyon wallsSteep sides of gorges
- slot canyonNarrow erosion-carved ravine
- desert canyon