If you love nature, hiking, heat and breathtaking scenery you will love The Waves. Located in the American West on the border between Arizona and Utah, this site is a work of art created by nature itself.
It is a set of cliffs and canyons of orange, pink and red colors that seem to be shaped by the wind in the form of waves. The undulations of the landscape and the superposition of geological layers of different colors give the site a unique image.
The Waves: A geological treasure
The formation of this extraoridinal site dates back to the Jurassic period, more than 200 million years ago. The site gets its color from the high calcium content of the soil and from several minerals such as iron oxide and hydroxide. They are therefore the pigments of this unique landscape. Moreover, the shape of the curves has been forged by the wind and rain, sculpting waves frozen in the rock.
All these conditions allowed to create the spectatucular show that the canyon forms. These spectacular colors coming from the composition of the earth form a unique picture. It is thanks to this almost unreal aspect that “the waves” has become a unique and recognized site.
A protected site
The site is part of the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, which has protected the site since the year 2000. Also, to preserve the beauty of the place and to limit the degradation, only 60 visitors per day are allowed on the site. This geological jewel is not close to disappear.
One can understand why it is important to protect such a breathtaking place. Indeed, many treasures of nature have been destroyed by human activity. Putting restrictions allows to respect these places while leaving them accessible to the public.
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Learn more about The Waves:
https://www.roadtrippin.fr/arizona/the-wave/the-wave.php
https://www.globe-trotting.com/post/vague-coyote-buttes-arizona
