Terra Galleria Photography

Posts Tagged ‘off-pavement’

Undeveloped in California: Castle Mountains National Monument

If I was to sum up my impressions of Castle Mountains National Monument in one word, it would be “primitive”. See what I managed to discover and photograph in one day of exploring this beautiful desert area that manages to make the Mojave National Preserve appear civilized, without the benefit of any detailed information nor […]

Mojave Trails National Monument Highlights

Protecting a huge 2,500 square miles (1.6 million acres), Mojave Trails National Monument is the largest of the three California desert national monuments established by President Barack Obama in February 2016, and also the second largest national monument in the contiguous U.S. or the largest if you count the reduction in size of Grand Staircase […]

Accessible Wildness: Glacier National Park’s North Fork

Glacier National Park is renowned for its wildness, and the wildest part of Glacier is the North Fork. The most isolated section of the park that can be reached by vehicle, the region offers the adventurous photographer a chance to enjoy an experience away from the crowds. The NPS management plan for Glacier National Park […]

A Most Tricky Scenic Drive: the Medano Pass Road

If you are wondering what you’ll find in the mountains behind the Great Sand Dunes, and don’t care for hiking on trails, you may consider driving the primitive Medano Pass road. Not your vanilla scenic drive, traversing its tricky terrain requires the proper vehicle and a bit of planning. The reward is the opportunity to […]

Sand Creek Valley, the remote corner of Great Sand Dunes NP&P

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is known for the tallest dunes in North America. However, they are just the centerpiece of a diverse environment which includes the entire natural geologic and hydrologic system of the dunes. If you interested in little-photographed and beautiful mountain terrain in Colorado, read about my foray in Sand […]

Maze Canyonlands 2013 Photo Tour Diary

Despite being sold out in a week – group size is strictly limited by the NPS -, the Maze Canyonlands photo tour almost did not happen. It was initially scheduled from October 8 to October 12, shortly after the new moon. When the federal government shut down on October 1, all the National Parks closed. […]

Theodore Roosevelt’s Elkhorn Ranch

Theodore Roosevelt National Park is unique amongst the 59 National Parks in that it protects not only an exceptional landscape, but also the memory of an exceptional man, the president who did far more for the National Parks and environmental conservation in the US than any other. This summer, I finally visited the place most […]

Freezing in paradise: Mauna Kea Summit

After the Green Sand Beach and Waipio Valley, the Mauna Kea Summit was my third destination on the Big Island that required 4WD, because of a steep, unpaved road. When I arrived at the visitor center, at 9,000 feet, I was still trying to dry up my clothes, drenched while working in the rainforest of […]

Green Sand Beach, Hawaii – ND filters

For a change from working in the rain in Hawaii Volcanoes NP, I drove to South Point, the southern tip of the island of Hawaii. The access to Papakolea Beach consisted of a maze of badly rutted vehicle tracks, along the coast, alternatively sandy and rocky. A four wheel drive was definitively necessary. Hiking would […]

Photo spot 9: Grand Canyon National Park – Toroweap

The Grand Canyon defines immensity. It is so vast that the Colorado River, which has carved it, is a distant sight from most overlooks. The only place in Grand Canyon National Park where you can look straight down to the Colorado River from the rim is Toroweap. You will stand at the edge of a […]