James Marvin Phelps

Wolf Moonrise
Monument Valley
Navajo Tribal Park
Arizona
January 2018

Watching the full moon rise next to the iconic West Mitten is a reminder that nature is the ultimate artist. Truly a wonderful moment in the heart of the Navajo Nation.

#monumentvalley #moon #landscape #photography

Perched in Death Valley’s Cottonwood Mountains, the Lost Burro Mine is a haunting 1906 gold rush relic. Found after a prospector’s burro wandered off, it features an intact stamp mill and cabins. It’s silent, remote, and feels like history just stopped. 🌵⚒️

#deathvalley #ghosttown #goldmining #video

Watching the full moon rise perfectly between the iconic East and West Mittens is a reminder that nature is the ultimate artist. Truly a "stop and stare" moment in the heart of the Navajo Nation.

#landscape #moonrise #desert #monumentvalley #themittens #navajonation #photography #fullmoon

Sunday Memories
Tackling the 26-mile trek to the Racetrack Playa. Incredible desert vistas, ancient geology, and more than a few 'character-building' bumps along the way!

#deathvalley #nationalpark #theracetrack #road #adventure #4x4 #jeep #fun

Monument Valley (Tsé Biiʼ Ndzisgaii, meaning “Valley of the Rocks”) lies within Diné ancestral lands. The towering buttes are considered part of a holy geography tied to Navajo origin stories and spiritual teachings. The land itself is alive and imbued with power.

#landscape #sunrise #photography

Barrier Canyon Style (BCS) rock art in Sego Canyon, Utah, is generally estimated to be between 1,500 and 4,000 years old and was created by nomadic Archaic hunter-gatherers. It is most often associated with the Late Archaic period.
#utah #nativeamerican #pictograph #history

A lone coyote, perfectly at home in the harsh beauty of the Death Valley National Park.

#wildlife #deathvalley #nationalpark #nature #desert #coyote

The Fremont style is a distinctive form of ancient rock art found across the interior Southwest—especially in what’s now Utah, along with parts of Colorado, Nevada, and Idaho. It’s associated with the Fremont culture, which flourished roughly A.D. 300–1300.
#utah #petroglyphs #nativeamerican

Barrier Canyon Style (BCS) rock art in Sego Canyon, Utah, is generally estimated to be between 1,500 and 4,000 years old and was created by nomadic Archaic hunter-gatherers. It is most often associated with the Late Archaic period.

#utah #pictograph #petroglyph #history #nativeamerican #photography

Barrier Canyon Style (BCS) rock art in Sego Canyon, Utah, is generally estimated to be between 1,500 and 4,000 years old and was created by nomadic Archaic hunter-gatherers. It is most often associated with the Late Archaic period.

#utah #pictograph #petroglyph #history #nativeamerican #photography

Barrier Canyon Style (BCS) rock art in Sego Canyon, Utah, is generally estimated to be between 1,500 and 4,000 years old and was created by nomadic Archaic hunter-gatherers. It is most often associated with the Late Archaic period.

#utah #pictograph #petroglyph #history #nativeamerican #photography

The Bentonite Hills near Hanksville, Utah look like the surface of Mars. Bands of rust, cream, and ash ripple across smooth domes formed from ancient volcanic ash and clay. Shaped by wind and rain over millions of years, this landscape glows with unmistakable Red Planet vibes.

#utah #photography

Tucked away in remote southern Utah, Little Egypt is a hidden gem of towering hoodoos and sculpted sandstone. Shaped by wind and time, it echoes ancient temples. Wander crimson spires in near silence.

#utah #deseet #landscape #hoodoos #goblins #sandstone #photography

Tucked away in remote southern Utah, Little Egypt is a hidden gem of towering hoodoos and sculpted sandstone. Shaped by wind and time, it echoes ancient temples. Wander crimson spires in near silence as shifting light sets the stone ablaze in surreal color.

#utah #landscape #desert #photography

Yes, I've been there a few times. Great spot!

Thank you!

Tucked away in remote southern Utah, Little Egypt is a hidden gem of towering hoodoos and sculpted sandstone. Shaped by wind and time, it echoes ancient temples. Wander crimson spires in near silence as shifting light sets the stone ablaze in surreal color.

#utah #landscape #desert #photography

Mancos Shale Formations
Highway 24
Hanksville, Utah
January 2026

The Mancos Shale is a major Late Cretaceous (approximately 95–80 Ma) geologic formation in the western United States.

#utah #landscape #desert #photography

Sunset Light
Kathline Rock
Hanksville, Utah

Stopping at Kathline Rock gives you views not just of the rock itself but of the sweeping Utah desert landscape, including mesas, distant buttes like Factory Butte, and other landmarks across the horizon.

#utah #desert #landscape #sunset #photography

A solitary outlier of Factory Butte rises beside Highway 24 west of Hanksville, photogenic, stark, and timeless against the Utah horizon.

#utah #desert #landscape #photography

Mixer in the Moonscape
Abandoned Cement Truck
Hanksville, Utah
January 2026

#utah #hanksville #oldtruck #abandoned #photography

End of the Road
Abandoned Winnebago
Hanksville, Utah

Local accounts suggest the RV has been sitting in the desert for over 35 years. One family-related account claims it was used for camping by the landowner's family until the 1990s, when it was vandalized following a dispute over water rights.

The Mancos Shale near Hanksville, Utah, forms dramatic 90-million-year-old gray badlands, canyons, and landmarks like Factory Butte. This Cretaceous marine deposit of shale, siltstone, and sandstone erodes into steep, otherworldly landscapes.

#utah #desert #landscape #canyon #photography

Big Sky
Long Dong Silver Spire Trail
Hanksville, Utah
April 2025

#utah #desert #landscape #sky #clouds #photography

I was there in January, still standing tall!

Otherworldly
Long Dong Silver Spire
Moonscape Valley
Hanksville, Utah
April 2025
#utah #landscape #desert #badlands #photography

Angel of Death Spire II
Moonscape Valley
Hanksville, Utah
January 2026

#utah #landscape #desert #blackandwhite #photography

Angel of Death Spire
Moonscape Valley
Hanksville, Utah
January 2026

#utah #landscape #desert #blackandwhite #photography

It has other names, but this is the name that seems to have stuck with most.

Desert Monolith
Long Dong Silver Spire
Moonscape Valley
Hanksville, Utah
January 2026

#utah #desert #landscape #longdongsilver #nature #outdoors #photography