Visiting & Photographing Kodachrome State Park
- markhoude
- Oct 21
- 2 min read
Just 30 minutes southeast of Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, is where you'll discover Kodachrome Basin SP, and you'll be missing out if you don't make the stop. As a bonus, the drive there is gorgeous, and there are no crowds.
Fun Fact: Kodachrome Basin State Park got its name from the aptly named Kodak film. Learn more here >
When we Northeast folks think of a State Park, I can reassure you, it's nothing close to what Utah deems a State Park, and Kodachrome Basin will WOW YOU with its raw beauty and geology. With some 67 monolithic spires, often called sedimentary pipes, sandpipes, or sandstone chimneys, you'll be pointing your lens in awe of this rocky landscape. Can you imagine what you'd capture with a drone? Too bad they're banned in State Parks, or are they?
Turns out, Utah is drone-friendly, even in a State Park! Would you like me to repeat that to all you drone pilots? Yep, when you arrive, head into the office and purchase a drone permit; it's clear skies from there. If only this were true in CT, where I live. Of course, if it were, we Nutmeggers would be paying upwards of $30, $40, or even more for a permit to fly legally in the more beautiful areas of the state. We paid $15 for a permit, and that covered all three of us for legal flight. Thanks, Utah, you're fantastic!
Just to be clear, that doesn't extend to Utah's National Parks. From a federal perspective, they are still off limits for any personal drone flights. No drones, at anytime, at any National Park are allowed. Plain and simpe, it's illegal to launch a drone from all of our National Parks.
Even if you don't own a drone, the photography opportunities from the ground are breathtaking, exciting, and there's plenty to photograph here; from lovely Juniper Trees to the redist rocks I've ever seen, and they have plenty of character as you can see in my Kodachrome Gallery.
You'll want to pack a full arsenal of lenses to cover ultra-wide to telephoto. The beauty here if you're short on time, is you can still cover much ground and create plenty of photographs. Simply drive through the park, find a pullout or lot, and begin shooting. Then, it's rinse and repeat. If you read my blog about Zion, and how my best shots were all "roadside" photographs along Mt Carmel Road, then this is very similar.
- The Houdsta
This stop is definitely worth your effort and time. You'll enjoy the space without the crowds and see rocks that are unique all their own. It's a little different from the hoodoos at Bryce, and that's what makes it special. It's close enough to Bryce, yet distinctive enough to add variety to your portfolio. But more than anything, it's worth seeing it with your own eyes. ...
Comments