Coal Mine Canyon
Tuba City, AZ
Coal Mine Canyon is a lesser-known erosional canyon featuring hoodoos, spires, and banded layers of coal, sandstone, and clay in muted pastel colors. The formations resemble a miniature Bryce Canyon and are visible from the canyon rim. The site sits on Navajo and Hopi land and sees very few visitors.
Photography Guide
- Best Time
- golden hour
- Crowds
- Quiet
- Shot Types
- widelandscapedetail
- Best Seasons
- springfall
Gallery
You might also like
Nearby Places
Tuba City, AZ
Dinosaur Tracks at Moenave
Preserved theropod dinosaur tracks from the Early Jurassic period are exposed on a sandstone slab near Tuba City along U.S. Route 160. Local Navajo guides point out three-toed tracks attributed to Dilophosaurus and other species. The site offers an unusual intersection of paleontology and desert landscape photography.
Tuba City, AZ
Painted Desert Views at Ward Terrace
Ward Terrace along U.S. Route 89 south of Tuba City offers expansive views of the Painted Desert's striped badlands in shades of red, purple, gray, and white. The Chinle Formation sediments create a vividly colored moonscape stretching to the horizon. The area is particularly photogenic after rain when the colors become saturated.
Grand Canyon Village, AZ
Desert View Watchtower
The Desert View Watchtower is a 70-foot stone structure designed by architect Mary Colter in 1932, modeled after Ancestral Puebloan towers. It stands at the eastern end of the South Rim and provides 360-degree views including the Colorado River, the Painted Desert, and the Navajo Nation. The interior features murals by Hopi artist Fred Kabotie.