Located near the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument in Utah, these beautiful and delicate structures have become famous among the photographic constituents. Many photographers have endured the nine mile round trip hike to photograph these very unusual structures. Our trip took us on a very early morning hike to arrive at these wonderful creations at sunrise. It was November and the sun does not actually hit the towers themselves for most of the day in the winter. However the sun does hit the tall cliff to the North and reflects the light onto the towers. I felt that is was very nice lighting for photographing these silent towers.

You can spend all morning and past noon photographing these structures with the muted reflected light if you wish. I suggest taking some time to photograph some of the other structures at sunrise and come back to these towers about 9:30 or 10:00 in the winter time. In the Summer the sun will hit these towers directly at sunrise. Although this shot was taken at 7:35 A.M. It is my favorite of the group. Some people prefer a simpler composition but I like the lighting for this shot. Earlier shots did not light the tower. Once the sun hit the opposite ridge then the tower began to light up. So watch your lighting carefully. It changes very subtly

These famous towers have been called by various names. Wahweap Towers includes the whole range of structures that line the Wahweap Gulch or Wahweap Wash. The white towers are the most well known because they are the most photogenic of the group.

They are sometimes called "The Silent Towers" or "The Towers of Silence." When you round the ridge that hides these towers from sight and you suddenly gaze upon them you might have the feeling that you have been stunned to silence. It seems as if a beautiful snow glacier has been frozen in time in the middle of the desert.

Sadly enough some of the delicate structures had been recently damaged by unthoughtful and ungrateful people just prior to my visit there in 2006. So if you take the time and the effort to visit these fascinating structures, please respect them so others may enjoy them for generations to come. They are certainly irreplaceable. I’m sure time and weather will cause natural changes over the years but please respect them as they are.

Click the picture to visit more photos of this area. All pictures in this gallery are for sale. If you would like a print or want to use a photo for commercial use please contact me at alvance@charter.net