There are few sights more inspiring than the ghostly white Towers of Silence emerging from the shadows at sunrise. This ‘grove’ of elegant and regal snow-white hoodoos are magnificent and eerily alien in appearance. An icon for landscape photographers, it is hidden away in a remote alcove in southern Utah.

Also known by the less imaginative name of the “Wahweap Hoodoos,” this dramatic location first came to the attention of the world of photography thanks to Michael Fatali when he released his “Stone Temples” image in the early 1990s.

Back then, you could spend a full day at this remote spot in southern Utah and not see another soul.

Then and Now

Fast forward thirty years and a lot has changed. Other iconic locations in the southwest ‘discovered’ around the same time are now packed with elbow-to-elbow photographers (like Mesa Arch) or require a difficult-to-obtain permit (aka the Wave) or can only seen on a short and expensive tour (been to Antelope Canyon lately?)

But I recently spent a day photographing the Towers of Silence and didn’t pay a penny, didn’t need a permit and didn’t spot another person the entire time.

Why?

Simple: It’s just not easy to get there. The most popular way is a 10+ mile (16km) round-trip hike down a shadeless wash (riverbed) that can be impossible to hike when wet and often brutally hot when dry. At least this is why it took me over a dozen years before I could check it off my bucket-list.

The fact is that there are a bunch of amazing locations in the southwest that are far easier to get to. No matter how photogenic the Towers of Silence are, there just aren’t many folks able or willing to make the commitment required of that 10 mile hike. And that’s totally fine with me. It’s good that there are still world-classic locations that you can visit and photograph in total silence and solitude.

In this blog, I’ll relate some of the highlights and share the photos from my trip. Then I’ll provide some tips and learnings that will come in handy if you plan to visit yourself.

Background Facts and Information Tidbits

Historical Drama

The Towers of Silence were part of the massive Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument established by President Clinton in 1996. Comprising 1.87 million acres (the size of Delaware), the Monument was designed to protect the unique and irreplaceable landscape that includes some of the world’s best landscape photography locations (including Zebra Slot Canyon, Toadstool Hoodoos, Devil’s Garden, Sunset Arch, Neon Canyon, Reflection Canyon, etc.)

But the Towers of Silence lost that protection when President Trump slashed the Monument in half in 2017. Fortunately, President Biden restored the Monument’s original size so the Towers and surrounding area are again protected from development. Politics aside, I’m relieved that the Towers of Silence will be preserved for future generations.

Unique

Hoodoos aren’t exactly rare in the southwest. Even so, the Towers of Silence are possibly the most elegant and visually striking examples on the planet.

Consisting of a beautifully tapered stark-white spire topped by a reddish capstone, it captivates the viewer in a way that puts any sculptor to shame. The caps are red Dakota Sandstone that was originally part of a beach that simmered next to an ocean here 100 million years ago. The post or stalk is nearly pure white soft Entrada Sandstone. 160 million years of weathering has produced a ‘melted’ or semi-liquid appearance. It looks almost like it had been ‘poured’ from a huge bucket.

Visual Drama

To make the scene even more dramatic, the cliff behind the stark-white hoodoo remains in a dark shadow when first illuminated by morning sunlight. This visual contrast is what Fatali took advantage of in his groundbreaking photograph.

My Visit

Obviously, I wanted to be there by sunrise to get that Fatali shot. But being who I am, I decided to push it a bit. There aren’t many published night shots of this spot and I wanted to be one of the first to try Milky Way photography here.

Doing the Math

That meant I needed to get a crazy early start. I was there the last week of May and my PhotoPills app told me the Milky Way core would be visible by 2 am, so calculating a 2-hour hike, an hour drive from my hotel in Kanab, and an hour to get ready, that meant I had to start my ‘day’ at 10 pm.

Doing the Hike

I got to the trailhead with no problems by midnight. Luckily it hadn’t rained recently. This entire hike is in the Walheap Creek streambed (wash) and rain can turn it into a sticky, wet mess. As it was, the footing was dry and firm, especially along the edges of the wash. Soon I got pretty good at being able to spot the difference between the softer sand and the areas with solid footing. After that, the miles seemed to pass by quickly.

The riverbed is wide, about 1/3 mile across but my All Trails Pro app kept me on the right path even though it was pitch black.

I’ve done a lot of hiking at night (see this article for night hiking tips) but just the same, this was a long hike for me. Fortunately, the way was flat with few challenges…I found it surprisingly easy. A bunch of invasive Tamarisk trees blocked my path and cost me ten minutes near the end of the hike but by 2:30 am my headlamp revealed faint white ghostly spires. Even in the darkness, the view was impressive especially since the ‘main’ hoodoo was taller than I had imaged (about 35′ tall!)

Silent Towers and the Milky Way 

I had to restrain my first impulse to immediately set up my tripod and start ripping off shots. Instead, I forced myself to walk around and examine possible perspectives.

I settled on a spot and started setting up my lighting. I used two Lume Cubes mounted on small tripods to cross-light the foreground and a third light to pick out some detail on the cliff face in the background. (See this article for details on how to photograph Milky Way images).

Over the next 90 minutes, I shot from a number of different positions. But quickly became apparent that there weren’t a lot of compositions that included both the Towers and the Milky Way (as is painfully obvious in these not-all-that-different images shown here).

So with 30 minutes of Milky Way ‘shooting time’ remaining before the skies start to lighten, I looked around for other targets. On a lark, I rambled over to something in the distance that had caught my eye.

Serendipitous Surprise

It was a misshapen and, frankly, unattractive hoodoo that was missing its ‘cap.’ But as I walked behind it, the perspective dramatically changed. Like the proverbial ugly duckling that transforms into an elegant swan, the malformed hoodoo morphed into a wonderfully symmetrical spear point profile. Positioned above it was the full arc of the Milky Way. It was a simply stunning composition.

I’d never seen a night shot of this hoodoo before and I’m always excited to find something new. So far as I knew, it didn’t have a name so I just started calling it “The Tower of Terror.” Although completely unplanned, this was my favorite image of the day. If you would like to read more about this specific hoodoo and the image above, check out this article.

It was absolutely quiet…well, at least until I noticed the soft sound of fluttering wings. A dozen bats were darting around feeding on the insects attracted to my lights! It was fascinating watching them zip this way and that.

The skies started to lighten so I grabbed some blue-hour shots before my Lume Cubes were overpowered by the approaching dawn.

Finally, Sunrise

Sunrise was at 6:09 but the eastern ridge on the other side of the wash prevented direct light from hitting the hoodoos for another 30 minutes.

Then sunlight hit the capstone and within a minute, the entire hoodoo was awash in light. I rushed to get shots from the four or five vantage points I had previously scouted.

As I reviewed my images, I had to admit that they looked pretty similar to the other images I had seen on the internet. With that in mind, I set out to capture some unique perspectives.

Surprisingly, within 15 minutes the soft light was gone. The subtle ‘furry’ texture of the white sandstone became more difficult to capture and the wall behind the hoodoos crept out of the shadows eliminating the wonderful contrast.

After the Rush

With the frenzy of the sunrise shots behind me, I worked the entire area looking for bits and details that gave a fuller appreciation of the site.

I walked over to the wall which was still in shadows and photographed a number of the capless hoodoos I found there. I’ve heard these called the “White Ghosts” and the name hit me as being very appropriate (see below).

Although the sunrise was less than an hour old, it was time to leave. I had covered the site thoroughly and the light was getting too harsh.

On the hike back, I stopped at two other groups of hoodoos on the west side of the wash. I had read that they weren’t particularly impressive but they were worth a few minutes to explore.

I also explored a couple of little slot canyons along the way but they were colorless and unphotogenic. However, I did run across one subject worth a photo…

I was back at the (still) empty parking lot by 9:30 am. I was glad to wrap it up long before the temperature had risen to its projected high of 90º F (32º C).

Photographer’s Guide for the Wahweap Hoodoos

Here are some tips and learnings to assist future photographers who make this trip.

Where the heck is this place?

The Towers of Silence are located in remote, south-central Utah. The trailhead is in the small town of Big Water, population 443. This is about a 5 1/2 hour drive from Vegas or 6 hours from Salt Lake City. The nearest large city is Page Arizona (home of Antelope Canyon) which is about 20 minutes southeast along highway 98.

As far as where to stay, there is a Rodeway Inn in Big Water and a larger selection of hotels in Page and Kanab

How do I get to the Trailhead?

There are two ways to reach the hoodoos. The shortest is less than a one mile hike from the southern end of Cottonwood Canyon Road but this route has been closed for years. However, as of early 2024, I have been told that it has been reopened. I’ve never had the chance to try this route, but here is a link with more info. Confirm with the BLM that the route is indeed open before you give this a try.

The ‘tried-and-true’ route is much better known (and much longer). If you are in Kanab, head east on Highway 89 for 55 miles, until you get to Big Water. If you are starting in Page, drive west on 89 for 16 miles.

When you get to Big Water, turn north on Ethan Allen Road (between mile markers 6 & 7). Continue on Ethan Allen for .6 miles until it merges with Fish Hatchery road and bears left. The road transitions to gravel and continues 2.5 miles where it crosses a wash that is usually dry. (Some maps show the name of the road changing from Fish Hatchery Road to Nipple Creek Road). If you are in a rental or a 2WD, park here on the right BEFORE before crossing the creekbed. There can be deep sand past this area even if the stream is dry. However, if you have a high clearance 4WD, continue across the creek for .3 miles. You will see a sign for the ‘official’ Wahweap parking lot/ trailhead (this is the location you will find in Waze/Google Maps, etc).

You enter the trail on the north side of the parking area. There is a gate in the barbed wire fence that runs along the edge of the road. Once you cross the barbwire, you walk down into the wash and begin your hike heading north.

What time of Day to Go?

Photographers need to be there at sunrise to catch the good light. So either you hike in the afternoon before and wait for dawn or you do like I did and hit the trail before sunrise.

Give yourself extra time, especially if hiking in the dark. It took me about 2 hours. Plus you will want to be on-site at least 30 minutes hour before sunrise to give yourself a chance to scout the area and get set up. Once the sun appears, you have less than an hour of prime light so you want to be ready as soon as the light hits.

You might think that sunset would also have good light. Unfortunately the western ridge blocks the sun in late afternoon and the hoodoos are in shadow.

If you are visiting in the summer, you do NOT want to be on the trail after mid-morning because of the extreme heat and lack of shade or water. Try to be heading back to the trailhead no later than 7:30 am.

Don’t try this hike if it has rained recently or if rainfall is in the forecast. When wet, the clay in the riverbed can turn into a slippery mess. Plus, rain will fill up the riverbed resulting in numerous wet crossings, sometimes thigh high.

What season?

Fall is probably the best season to photograph here. The Towers stay in the shade at sunrise during the winter. During the spring and early summer, the wall behind the hoodoos isn’t completely in shadow. As the summer progresses and the sunrise shifts eastward, the wall has less illumination resulting in better contrast.

The photos in this article were taken in late-May and the wall behind the Towers was not completely shaded (but a bit of photoshop editing took care of that).

What Lenses?

I’d suggest a wide-angle lens plus a short telephoto. I only brought a 14-24mm with me (on a full-frame camera) to reduce weight on the long hike. The wide angle lens was perfect for most shots but in retrospect, I wish I had brought my 24-70mm as well. It turns out that the Fatali shot is taken from a distance of about 200 feet away from the hoodoo. A short telephoto would allow you to frame the shot perfectly. I had to crop about 50% of my frame with the wide angle lens to accomplish the same goal.

Shooting the hoodoos from a distance also better emphasizes their long elegant appearance.

Bracketing

Your images will have a huge dynamic range due to the bright white hoodoos and the shaded wall in the background. Bracket your shots (at least 5 stops) and be prepared to do some HDR work when you get home.

GPS

There is no visible trail or signs once you leave the trailhead. You need some form of GPS. Many folks who do this hike without GPS never find the Tower of Silence.

I used my AllTrails phone app and it did a great job keeping me on track. Trying to do this hike at night without some type of GPS would be insane.

Hiking Tips

The trail gets a bit confusing during the last half mile or so of the hike. You will want to stay in the wash but hike right up against that tall riverbank on the west (your left) side. There is a grove of trees that crowd the river here and they are nearly impassable. However, there is a narrow (approx 18″ wide) trail thru the trees right up against the riverbank but it can be hard to find in the dark. Your other option would be to swing wide right around the trees and then cut back due west once you are past them.

The riverbed curves widely across the flat landscape and your GPS ‘trail’ will follow the same winding path along its banks. Don’t be tempted to shorten your hike by ‘cutting across’ one of the riverbed’s loops. I tried it. Unfortunately, I found out that you run into the soft sand as you move away from the riverbed. That ‘shortcut’ took me far more effort and time than the longer route along the riverbed.

Backup Battery

If you are like most photographers, your visit will probably take 6-9 hours. You will use your phone/GPS a lot of that time and may drain your phone battery. Bring a portable battery pack so you can recharge your phone.

Last tips

There is no bathroom at the trailhead or anywhere on the trail. Big Water doesn’t have any 24 hour stores with bathrooms either, so plan accordingly if you are arriving early.

Bring lots of water, especially during the summer or if you are going to be hiking during daylight.

Don’t do this hike if it has recently rained or if rain is in the forecast. As I mentioned, this hike is in a streambed that becomes a nightmare of clay and mud when wet. Wait for dry weather.

Cell service on the hike is surprisingly good (at least is was for my AT&T iPhone)

Hike with a friend and/or carry a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) ….you will likely not see another person all day.

Final Thoughts

Ten miles sounds like a long hike to most folks. It did to me. I’m not a young man but even so this was a pretty easy hike. It just takes some time. There is no reason to be overly intimidated assuming you are reasonably fit, prepare as detailed above, and get out early enough to beat the heat.

This is an incredible location, unlike any other in the world. Few will ever see it in person and if you’re one of them, then enjoy the fruits of your efforts and soak in the solitude (and take some pictures!)

Cheers!
Jeff

PS: I do not accept compensation of any kind from any of the companies or products I mention in my blogs. I don’t blindly trust someone’s endorsement who is getting paid to sell a product. I doubt that you would either. You can trust that my opinions, flawed as they might be, are my own.

Photographer’s Guide for the Wahweap Hoodoos (aka: The Towers of Silence)

Related Images:

Views: 533