Border to Border

A photographic journey north on U.S. Route 89, the West’s most €˜Western’ highway.

By James Cowlin

	Copyright © James Cowlin

I was standing behind the tripod watching the last light fade from the canyon walls. One more exposure and I’d be done for the day. I was wrapping up a three-year-long project of landscape photographs of Arizona. I started thinking about where to go next instead of the exposure settings on my Hasselblad. I turned back to the scene in front of me – what an incredible sight! I knew that there was much more to explore, but I needed a thematic element, a narrative line, on which to hang my work.

I figured the answer was somewhere on a map. I love maps; they inspire me as well as guide me. Back at camp, looking at a map of the western United States, the idea for the U.S. Route 89 project first struck me. What I saw was a series of seven national parks in a more or less straight line from Mexico to Canada, strung along a single road like pearls on a necklace. The next step was to burrow down to more detailed maps.

Here’s are some other facts I discovered about U.S. Route 89:
€¢ The highway traverses all of the geographic provinces of the interior American West, from the Basin and Range to the Colorado Plateau, across the Rocky Mountains and into the Great Plains.
€¢ In addition to the national parks, there are 13 national monuments, one national recreation area, 14 national forests, 22 national wilderness areas, and 20 state parks and historic sites on or near the road.
€¢ Highway 89 passes through three major metropolitan areas: Tucson, Phoenix and Salt Lake City. It also passes through numerous small towns, where travelers can still get a taste of the Old West.

A Note on Historic U.S. Route 89 If you’re looking for U.S. Route 89 on a map, you’ll see that it seems to begin in Flagstaff, Ariz. The original route from Nogales to Flagstaff was decommissioned in 1992. To follow 89’s historic path, take I-19 north from Nogales to Tucson; State Route 77 to Oracle Junction; State Route 79 to Florence Junction; U.S. Route 60 to Wickenburg; State Route 89 to Ash Fork; and I-40 to Flagstaff. State Route 89A branches off just north of Prescott and rejoins Route 89 in Flagstaff.

Just driving along this road, you can learn much about the people and cultures that populated the West – from the Ancestral Puebloans and other native peoples on through the Spanish conquistadors, the westward expansion of the United States, the Mormon settlement and the growth of modern cities.

Route 89 provides access to some of the most iconic Western landscapes, but alert travelers can also find some lesser-known gems where landscape and travel photographers can practice their craft. Here are a few starting points for the southern portion of your explorations.

Destination #1:
Tumacácori Highlands

Starting from the Mexican border in southern Arizona, historic Route 89 – which, in this region, has been replaced by Interstate 19 (see map, above right) – follows the course of the Santa Cruz River north through the city of Tucson. The many natural areas and cultural attractions in the Santa Cruz Valley could keep a photographer busy for several weeks.

To the west of the highway, just north of the border town of Nogales, there are three mountain ranges that have been proposed for a new federal wilderness area called the Tumacácori Highlands. A well-traveled dirt road leads into the area. Exit at Ruby Road and follow the signs to Pena Blanca Lake, where there is a developed campground. Continuing down the road will take you to the Pajarita Wilderness and the hidden gem of Sycamore Canyon. A perennial stream keeps the riparian habitat lush and green year-round.

For panoramic views of the mountainous landscape of the southern Arizona desert, hike up the moderately difficult trail to the abandoned lookout tower on the summit of the Atascosa Mountains. Visiting the lookout is a sort of pilgrimage for fans of Edward Abbey – the iconoclastic author of “Desert Solitaire” and “The Monkey Wrench Gang” – who spent a summer in this region.

If camping is not your thing, you will find a wide range of accommodations nearby, including Rio Rico, a small resort just north of the exit for the highlands. There are also national motel chains in Green Valley, another 20 miles north toward Tucson.

At Tumacácori National Historic Park, visitors can find the remains of a preserved 200-year-old Spanish mission. Just up the road is the Tubac Presidio State Historic Park, another remnant of the Spanish occupation of southern Arizona in the 18th century. Here, you will be able to photograph the oldest examples of the Spanish architectural style that still influences the building design and ornamentation of the Southwest today. After you make your photographs of the mission and its environment, switch to a telephoto lens. Isolate details of line and form and capture the play of light across the adobe surfaces.

	Sunset at the Atascosa Mountains in the proposed Tumacácori Highlands Wilderness Copyright © James Cowlin

Shooting tips: A good time for photographing the highlands is September, following the summer rainy season. When I was last there, I found fields of delicate yellow and purple wildflowers and a sky filled with clouds. I camped on a side road with a view of the Atascosa Mountains for the evocative sunset and twilight shooting. I prefer to shoot these landscapes with a medium-format camera and Fuji Velvia film. The richness of color and deep saturation that I get on film makes up for the extra expense. I also like to mount my camera on a tripod, although I admit that its use is a mixed blessing. A tripod does help with my composition as I study the scene and make adjustments to obtain just the right positioning of important elements. However, some people may find it hard to shoot fast enough with a tripod when the light is changing rapidly.  

Destination #2:
Saguaro National Park

This is what I consider to be the crown jewel of the Santa Cruz Valley. Although I’ve lived in Arizona for 35 years, I had only visited Saguaro National Park once before last spring. I don’t know what kept me away, but now that I’ve seen it up close, I plan to be back frequently.

The park is divided into two sections: the Rincon Mountain District, on the east side of Tucson, and the Tucson Mountain District, to the west. Adjacent to the latter is Tucson Mountain County Park, where Old Tucson Movie Studios and the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum are located, both of which are worth a visit. The county park, by the way, is the home of the only drive-in campground in the area. For the fit and adventurous backpacking photographer, the Rincon Mountains offer several wilderness campgrounds.

Shooting tips: Plan to spend at least a couple of days divided between the two Saguaro National Park districts; you’ll want to be able to capture the morning and evening light from each. If you are in the Rincons at sunset, you’ll get the added bonus of photographing Tucson as it lights up at night.

Try to schedule your visit to the park to coincide with the blooming of the saguaro cactus. Living to be hundreds of years old, these magnificent giants are found only in the Sonoran Desert and will sprout clusters of waxy white flowers at the tips of each arm. It’s easy to remember when to see them at their best; the peak of the blooming season is right around Mother’s Day each year.

	The Superstition Mountains, just east of Phoenix, provide the perfect crimson backdrop to this saguaro cactus at sunset. Copyright © James Cowlin.

Destination #3:
The Salt River Valley

Central Arizona is dominated by the city of Phoenix on the banks of the now-dry Salt River. Historically, Route 89 is the “Main Street” of the cities of the Salt River Valley.

Driving the old road through the downtowns of Mesa, Tempe, Phoenix, Glendale and Peoria is a reminder of what travel was like for families in the 1950s. Once the bastion of locally owned motor courts, the skylines are now dominated by skyscrapers, convention centers and sports arenas. Still, the parched valley offers the landscape photographer many outstanding locations within an hour or so of the city.

On the eastern edge of the valley is the collapsed volcanic caldera that forms the rugged Superstition Mountains. The easiest approach is at Lost Dutchman State Park, on the Apache Trail north of Apache Junction. Early spring is often the best time for photographing here. Daytime temperatures are usually mild and, if the rainfall has been just right, the ground will be covered with colorful wildflowers.

Phoenix is blessed with the largest municipal park system in the world. The mountains to the north and south of downtown have easy access and well-maintained trails that lead to hidden valleys and rocky peaks where the nature photographer can escape the artificial canyons of the city for some real ones. One destination not to be missed is Papago Park and the Desert Botanical Garden. Here, you can learn about and photograph a wide variety of plants unique to the Sonoran Desert.

Shooting tips: Visitors to the Botanical Garden are restricted to the walking paths, so a short telephoto lens is perfect for capturing close-ups of cactus flowers in the spring. If you use a tripod, please be courteous and leave a clear space around you for other visitors. Overall, the peak season to view blooming flowers in the Salt River area is usually around the middle of March. Bring your macro lens for close-ups, then switch to the wide-angle for panoramic views, especially of the western face of the Superstition Mountains as they glow in the light of the setting sun.

Destination #4:
Red Rock Country

As you head northwest of Phoenix and reach the town of Prescott, you have two choices: Head north on State Route 89, join up with I-40 and make a quick trip east toward Flagstaff; or take the slower, more scenic trip up Route 89A, through the Sedona area.

Route 89A first ascends Mingus Mountain, then swoops down into the Verde Valley through the picturesque old mining town of Jerome. There are expansive views along the way and even glimpses of the snow-covered San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff. After photographing the red-rock buttes around Sedona, proceed toward Flagstaff up through Oak Creek Canyon.

	On Alt. Route 89, the two mirror-image Navajo Bridges (the original 1929 bridge on the left, the newer one on the right) jut out over Marble Canyon. Copyright © James Cowlin

As you drive up the switchbacks at the head of Oak Creek Canyon, you are climbing onto the Colorado Plateau, a vast uplifted block of the Earth’s crust. It is, perhaps, the most photographed region in the United States, and rightly so. Here, you will find a collection of geological formations unequaled anywhere on the planet.

Shooting tips: If you plan to stop and leave your car to photograph along Oak Creek, you’ll need to obtain a Red Rock Pass. The proceeds are used for conservation and recreation enhancement programs. A daily pass is $5; weekly, $15; annual, $20.

Destination #5:
The Painted Desert

Route 89 is the perfect road for sampling the wonders of the vast Colorado Plateau. Just north of Flagstaff, your first stop will be at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. There are several viewpoints from which to photograph this 1,000-year-old cinder cone. Walk out into the Bonita lava flow for an eerie, otherworldly landscape of black cinders and hardened lava. Continue on the Loop Road to Wupatki National Monument to see the dwellings built by the now-vanished Sinagua people, who, centuries ago, farmed in the fertile volcanic soil.

Heading north again, you will cross the Painted Desert, aptly named because of the soft, multicolored strata of the Chinle formation. The Painted Desert is the place that turned me on to landscape photography 30 years ago. An artist friend had asked me to travel with him around Arizona, and our first stop was in the Painted Desert. We arrived there at sunset, just as the moon was rising. It was an unbelievably beautiful scene, and I was hooked.  

You can stop almost anywhere along 89 in the Painted Desert and wander a short distance into the formations to photograph. One of my favorite spots is just off 89 on U.S. Route 160, the road to Tuba City. The formations there are particularly colorful, and access is fairly easy.

Shooting tips: Try a polarizing filter during the day to deepen the blue sky and intensify the colors. Be aware that much of the Painted Desert is on the Navajo Indian Reservation. Also, be respectful of people’s homes and livestock. The traditional six-sided hogan, which you will see on the reservation, is often a ceremonial space. As tempting as it is to include them in your photographs, it could be offensive to traditional Navajos. Always ask before you shoot.

The ideal condition for this sort of shooting is when there are some clouds in the sky, particularly near the western horizon. The clouds will reflect the last long red rays of the sun deep into the shadows, making the scene almost shimmer with vibrant color. This might not be apparent to your eyes, but a contrasty film such as Fuji Velvia will saturate the colors and make them sing. With slow films, exposures can be as long as 30 seconds or a minute. Keep shooting until well past when you think there is no more light. You’ll be surprised at what your film has recorded. I have not tried this kind of shooting with digital, but I’m told it works equally well.

	This saguaro cactus in Saguaro National Park is about to burst with white flowers, which bloom every May before the summer heat sets in. Copyright © James Cowlin

Destination #6:
Vermilion Cliffs / Marble Canyon

At Bitter Springs, you have another tough choice to make. Route 89 will take you north to Page and Lake Powell. It then turns west through the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah. There are many opportunities for photography along this segment, including the narrow canyon of the Paria River and the towering Vermilion Cliffs.

Your other choice is Alternate Route 89, which tracks farther south along the base of the Echo Cliffs leading to Marble Canyon. Here you will cross over the Colorado River on the new Navajo Bridge. The new bridge is adjacent to the original bridge, which was built between 1927 and 1929. To preserve the historic nature of the site, the new bridge looks similar, although it is 44 feet wide to accommodate modern traffic flow. The original bridge has been designated a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

Your journey on Alt. Route 89 continues across the House Rock Valley under the Vermilion Cliffs and climbs onto the Kaibab Plateau. At Jacob Lake, you can turn south on State Route 67 to visit the North Rim of the Grand Canyon (see sidebar, above). Alt. 89 later rejoins Highway 89 at Kanab, Utah.

Shooting tips: Travelers on Alt. 89 can stop at the Navajo Bridge Interpretive Center and then walk out on the original bridge for spectacular views of Marble Canyon and the surrounding country.

Destination #7:
Southern Utah

Southern Utah is justifiably famous for its five national parks, including Zion and Bryce Canyon, which are short side trips from Route 89. Both are must-see destinations, but I would like to suggest a couple of other stops that are off the beaten path.

Utah has one of the best state park systems in the country. The campgrounds are always neat and clean, and many feature such amenities as hot showers (solar powered, of course) and ice for sale. In the summer, when the national park campgrounds are packed to overflowing, Utah’s state parks offer an uncrowded and quiet alternative. They are also close enough to be base camps for visits to the parks and other attractions.

Coral Pink Sand Dunes is about a 30-minute drive from Kanab; just look for Hancock Road and head west. Because of unusual geographic conditions in the region, the prevailing winds are funneled through a narrow area, picking up pink sand and depositing it in beautiful dune formations. Over the years, however, the dunes have attracted the all-terrain-vehicle and dune-buggy crowd. Recently, riders have been restricted to one area of the park, with the rest left untouched for all to enjoy. If you want a quiet campground, stop at Ponderosa Grove on Hancock Road. You can hike into the park just across the road.

	Bryce Canyon’s most distinctive features are the brightly colored, otherworldly pinnacle formations known as hoodoos. Copyright © James Cowlin

The last stop on the southern portion of Route 89 is another of Utah’s state parks. By all means, head east for a side trip to Bryce Canyon National Park on State Route 12, but also keep on going past the park to the town of Cannonville. Turn south on Cottonwood Canyon Road to visit Kodachrome Basin State Park. The landscape here is studded with towering sandstone chimneys. The origin of these formations is not entirely clear, but they are beautiful objects to photograph in their white, gray and red magnificence.

Shooting tips: If you’re looking for vivid colors to photograph, Coral Pink Sand Dunes is a paradise. The dunes are a shocking pink, surrounded by red-rock cliffs set against a deep blue sky and studded with emerald green groves of Ponderosa pines. You won’t need to push the saturation in Photoshop to get vibrant prints of photos made here. At Kodachrome Basin, be sure to get up early enough to photograph the park’s chimneys as they are silhouetted against the predawn sky and also as they emerge from the shadows.

Northward bound

There are many more places to photograph along U.S. Route 89. The northern portion includes three more national parks: Grand Teton, Yellowstone and Glacier. I’m sure you’ll find your favorite spot somewhere along the road.

If you do decide to make this journey, here’s how you can share it with the world. I’ve started a web site to celebrate the wonders of Highway 89. You, too, can help make it an even richer resource for fellow photographers and other travelers. Visit http://www.us89society.org, click “Share Your Story,” and register with your name and e-mail address. Then pick the appropriate section of the site’s Road Trip Guides and upload your story and photographs. So what are you waiting for? Pack up your gear and have a photographic adventure on the West’s most “Western” highway.

James Cowlin is a nature photographer and storyteller living in Ajo, Ariz.