Hitting the Western landscape from Minnesota....Need Help

Hello everyone! My three best friends and I are leaving Minnesota in late July and heading out west in a bit loop. it looks like this.... MN-SD-WY-UT-NV-AZ-CO-NB-IA-MN....We are all huge into photography, so any certain sites you can recommend are great. Also, we are in need of ideas of what to do while in those states. Specifically South Wyoming, anywhere near the interstate going down the heart of Utah, any place within decent radius of Flagstaff Arizona, and anywhere in Colorado(preferably within a 300 mile radius of Denver)....ANY ideas are welcome, thanks in advance and have a good day

[Mark Sedenquist]

Mike,
This year, the prospect or near-certainity of wildland fires will make travel and photography challenging anywhere in the west. However, the sunsets are gtoing to be extra awesome because of all of the soot and debris in the lower atmosphere.

Southern Wyo -- sounds like you are traveling on I-80? At Laramie I would take a detour if you have time over Snowy Range pass -- Hwy 130 -- great mountain shots. At Green River consider another detour into the Flaming Gorge area if you can.

Utah is hard to beat for flat-out gorgeous photo opps -- I assume you will be on I-15? Unless you elected to head south on US-191 from Flaming Gorge and then you could stop at Arches NP & Canyonlands NP -- cross over the Colorado at Page (dawn on the dam road is great) and then swing thru Bryce and Zion NP.

None of those areas will disappoint!

Mark

[Don Woodmancy]

If you do make it to Bryce Canyon on your way west, I recommend when you leave there, head west on Utah-12 until it deadends at US-89. Head south for about 20 miles to Utah-14 and head west toward Cedar City. You are in awesome scenery the entire 40 miles or so but especially so after you pass Utah-148 (if you have time, turn north in U-148 just a few miles to Cedar Breaks). Back on U-14, stop at every scenic overlook between there and Cedar City. Some of the views, on a clear day, go for at least 100 miles across some really wonderful wilderness. There is also an overlook at Navajo Lake that is spectacular. Have a great trip.