A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
015: Mount Carmel Highway
When we were driving through Zion National Park, we suddenly were driving on red asphalt. The road was reddish brown with bright yellow marks. This 45 km curvy highway, with some hairpins, went to an almost 2 km long tunnel – the Mt. Carmel Tunnel – that was constructed between 1927 and 1930. The Mount Carmel Highway was designed to connect the parks of Bryce Canyon and Grand Canyon through Zion Canyon. The tunnel has windows cut through the face of the cliffs, allowing natural light to enter. The red asphalt contains an upper layer of oil and red volcanic cinders. Along this scenic highway, there are several turnouts, where tourists can stop their cars for taking pictures or going for a short hike. In the background are the peaks of the Altar of Sacrifice and the Sentinel, if I remember correctly.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 1999, 2017