The Watchman towers above autumn cottonwoods along the Virgin River in this photograph along Zion Canyon in Zion National Park. Of all the rivers which flow across the dissected and convoluted surface of the Colorado Plateau in southern Utah, the Virgin runs the most spectacular course. This small river has quickly cut its way down through the 2300-foot thick layer of easily-eroded Navajo Sandstone which forms the famous cliffs of Zion. Thanks to the perennial supply of water provided by this desert stream, a profusion of cottonwood trees line the river along its course through Zion Canyon. This horizontal photograph was captured with a 6x7 format camera. All photos in these fine art photo galleries may be ordered as fine art framed prints or for stock photography usage.