Jeff Goulden Flagstaff Pictures, Images and Stock Photos

The San Francisco Peaks are the remnants of an ancient volcano that erupted millions of years ago, shattering a large mountain and leaving a large crater and surrounding peaks. The tallest of these are Humphreys at 12,637 feet and Agassiz at 12,356 feet. This picture of the snow-capped peaks reflected in a pond was taken from Kachina Wetlands in Kachina Village, Arizona, USA.

Sixty million years ago the west side of Bright Angel Fault was lifted higher than the east side, creating the canyon that we now see. The exposed walls of Bright Angel Canyon allow us to see the geological history of the area. Tropical seas, coastal beaches, sand dunes, swamps, lagoons, and Sahara-like deserts are represented by the horizontal layers that are exposed. The upper five layers of stacked rock records 70 million years of rising and falling sea levels. The limestone layers represent shallow sea environments, sandstone layers mean sandy beaches or dunes, while shale layers translate to mud flats, swamps, or coastal plains. This picture of Bright Angel Canyon was taken at sunrise from Bright Angel Point on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, USA.

This young woman and her dog are hiking on Humphreys Peak in the Kachina Peaks Wilderness near Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

The Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) gets its name from the way the leaves quake in the wind. The aspens grow in large colonies, often starting from a single seedling and spreading underground only to sprout another tree nearby. For this reason, it is considered to be one of the largest single organisms in nature. During the spring and summer, the aspens use sunlight and chlorophyll to create food necessary for the tree’s growth. In the fall, as the days get shorter and colder, the naturally green chlorophyll breaks down and the leaves stop producing food. Other pigments are now visible, causing the leaves to take on beautiful orange and gold colors. These colors can vary from year to year depending on weather conditions. For instance, when autumn is warm and rainy, the leaves are less colorful. This fall scene of gold colored aspens was photographed by the Inner Basin Trail in Coconino National Forest near Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

A young woman hiker is standing on the canyon rim near O'Neil Butte in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, USA.

After the Summer Monsoon rains, wildflowers bloom in fields and forests all over Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

The Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) gets its name from the way the leaves quake in the wind. The aspens grow in large colonies, often starting from a single seedling and spreading underground only to sprout another tree nearby. For this reason, it is considered to be one of the largest single organisms in nature. During the spring and summer, the aspens use sunlight and chlorophyll to create food necessary for the tree’s growth. In the fall, as the days get shorter and colder, the naturally green chlorophyll breaks down and the leaves stop producing food. Other pigments are now visible, causing the leaves to take on beautiful orange and gold colors. These colors can vary from year to year depending on weather conditions. For instance, when autumn is warm and rainy, the leaves are less colorful. This woman hiker was walking through a fall scene of gold colored aspens on the Arizona Trail at Bismarck Lake in the Coconino National Forest near Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

The Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) gets its name from the way the leaves quake in the wind. The aspens grow in large colonies, often starting from a single seedling and spreading underground only to sprout another tree nearby. For this reason, it is considered to be one of the largest single organisms in nature. During the spring and summer, the aspens use sunlight and chlorophyll to create food necessary for the tree’s growth. In the fall, as the days get shorter and colder, the naturally green chlorophyll breaks down and the leaves stop producing food. Other pigments are now visible, causing the leaves to take on beautiful orange and gold colors. These colors can vary from year to year depending on weather conditions. For instance, when autumn is warm and rainy, the leaves are less colorful. This fall scene of gold colored aspens was photographed at Hart Prairie in the Coconino National Forest near Flagstaff, Arizona, USA. Kendrick Peak (10,423 feet) is in the background.

The San Francisco Peaks are the remnants of an ancient volcano that erupted millions of years ago, shattering a large mountain and leaving a large crater and surrounding peaks. The tallest of these are Humphreys at 12,637 feet and Agassiz at 12,356 feet. This picture of the snow-capped peaks reflected in a pond was taken from Kachina Wetlands in Kachina Village, Arizona, USA.

Fisher Point is a large and beautifully colored formation of Coconino Sandstone at the western end of Walnut Canyon and the northern end of Sandy’s Canyon. Fisher Point is named for Ed Fisher, an early forest ranger. Fisher Point is located next to the Arizona Trail in the Coconino National Forest near Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

Grand Falls is on the Little Colorado River near Leupp, Arizona, USA. The falls typically flow when there is heavy snowmelt in the spring and during the monsoon rains of late summer. Due to its dark brown color, Grand Falls is often called Chocolate Falls. The headwaters of the Little Colorado River are far to the south in the White Mountains of Southeast Arizona. The Little Colorado is a tributary of the Colorado River which starts in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The confluence of the two rivers is in nearby Grand Canyon National Park.

This mountain bike was photographed in a meadow on Observatory Mesa. The San Francisco Peaks are in the background. Observatory Mesa is in the Coconino National Forest near Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

In July of 2019 the Museum Fire of Northern Arizona burned 1,961 acres of Ponderosa pine and mixed conifer forest. This was caused by a forest-thinning project which was originally undertaken to help prevent devastating wildfires. The fire was started from a piece of heavy equipment striking a rock and sparking the blaze. Nearby neighborhoods were forced to evacuate. According to the National Forest Service, the fire cost $9 million before it was brought under control. This section of burned trees was photographed from the Sunset Trail in the Coconino National Forest near Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

Flagstaff, Arizona, USA - August 13, 2017: An older couple is hiking in the Ponderosa Pine forest near Flagstaff.

The Arizona Meteor Crater (Barringer Meteorite Crater) formed 50,000 years ago when an asteroid plunged through the Earth’s atmosphere and crashed into what is now central Arizona. This area was not populated by humans at the time. Because of Arizona’s dry climate and the crater’s relatively young age, Meteor Crater is the best preserved impact crater on Earth. The small asteroid was just 150 feet across. Traveling at around 8 miles per second the force of the impact was tremendous. In just a few seconds the crater was formed when millions of tons of rock were thrown out. Today Meteor Crater is a famous tourist attraction with a museum featuring displays about the history of the crater. Scientist from all over the world come to Meteor Crater to study it. Meteor Crater is near Winslow, Arizona, USA.

Between 1100AD and 1200AD native people inhabited the plains between the Painted Desert and the San Francisco Peaks of Arizona. In an area so dry it would seem impossible to live, they built pueblos, harvested rainwater, grew crops and raised families. Their way of life was the key to survival in this harsh landscape. These people survived here, farming one of the warmest and driest places on the Colorado Plateau. They developed the skills to farm the land and endure hardship in an area where many would not. Today the remnants of their villages dot the landscape. Wupatki Pueblo is in Wupatki National Monument, established in 1924 to preserve this rich heritage. Wupatki National Monument is near Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

Anderson Mesa is a rolling 5 mile long mesa in the Coconino National Forest. The elevations are between 6200 and 7200 feet above sea level. It is characterized by wide open grasslands interspersed with pine and juniper forest. There are views of Lake Mary, Mormon Lake and the San Francisco Peaks. Seasonal wetlands and tanks populate the top of the mesa. Anderson Mesa is about 20 miles southeast of Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

The Rocky Mountain Elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni) is a Western North America subspecies of elk found in the Rocky Mountains and adjacent ranges. In the winter, elk are mostly found in lower elevation open forests and floodplain marshes. In the summer the elk migrates to the alpine meadows and subalpine forests. Elk can reside in a diverse range of habitats but are most often found in forests and forest edges. In mountainous regions they often stay at lower elevations in the winter and migrate to higher elevations during the warmer months. This herd of elk was photographed while grazing in a meadow on Campbell Mesa near Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

The Common Sunflower (Helianthus annus), a wild native of the American Southwest, is a member of the Asteraceae family. It has a well-known characteristic, called heliotropism, of pivoting its leaves and buds to track the path of the sun from sunrise to sunset. Once the flowers open, they are oriented to the east to greet the rising sun. The common sunflower thrives in the dry, brown disturbed soils of the southwest, turning the arid landscape into a shimmering yellow carpet that attracts wildlife, insects and human visitors alike. In Northern Arizona, the Navajo ancestors extracted a dark red dye from the outer seed coats and the Hopi cultivated a purple sunflower to make a special dye. The sunflower seed was an important food source for most North American tribes. The sunflower, with its large yellow flowers, is also an iconic art symbol and the state flower of Kansas. After the Summer Monsoon rains bring moisture to the region, sunflowers bloom in fields all over Northern Arizona. This field of sunflowers and the San Francisco Peaks was photographed at Buffalo Park in Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

The Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) is a species of artiodactyl (even-toed, hoofed) mammal native to interior western and central North America. Although it is commonly thought of and called an antelope it is not a true antelope. The pronghorn is the only surviving member of the Antilocapridae family and has been in North America for over a million years. The pronghorn has a similar body shape to a deer but stockier and shorter legged. Both males and females grow horns but the male horns are larger. The horns are shed each year as the new horns grow from underneath. The pronghorn weighs between 90 and 120 pounds and stands about 3 1/2 feet tall at the shoulder. It has a tan to reddish brown body with white markings throughout. The pronghorn is the fastest land mammal in the Western Hemisphere. Its great speed enables the pronghorn to outrun most predators. Pronghorns are migratory herd animals. Their migration routes have been threatened by fencing and fragmentation of their habitat. Pronghorns cannot jump over traditional barb wire fences like deer and elk can. They try to pass underneath and sometimes get caught in the fencing. Newer types of fencing have plastic pipe under the bottom strands which allows the animals to pass through. Pronghorns are quite numerous and in some areas like Wyoming and northern Colorado the pronghorn population at times has exceeded the human population. This herd of pronghorn was photographed at Bonito Park next to Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument in the Coconino National Forest near Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

Arizona doesn't have many natural ponds and lakes. Several communities in Northern Arizona have developed artificial lakes using reclaimed waste water. In addition to providing an area with aesthetic beauty, these lakes provide ideal habitat for wildlife. Photographed here is one of the Walnut Canyon Lakes in Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

This senior woman is snowshoeing across a snow covered meadow in Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

The Common Sunflower (Helianthus annus), a wild native of the American Southwest, is a member of the Asteraceae family. It has a well-known characteristic, called heliotropism, of pivoting its leaves and buds to track the path of the sun from sunrise to sunset. Once the flowers open, they are oriented to the east to greet the rising sun. The common sunflower thrives in the dry, brown disturbed soils of the southwest, turning the arid landscape into a shimmering yellow carpet that attracts wildlife, insects and human visitors alike. In Northern Arizona, the Navajo ancestors extracted a dark red dye from the outer seed coats and the Hopi cultivated a purple sunflower to make a special dye. The sunflower seed was an important food source for most North American tribes. The sunflower, with its large yellow flowers, is also an iconic art symbol and the state flower of Kansas. After the Summer Monsoon rains bring moisture to the region, sunflowers bloom in fields all over Northern Arizona. This field of sunflowers with Mount Elden in the background was photographed at Campbell Meadows in Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

Canyon Diablo (Navajo: Kin Łigaaí) is an 80-mile-long canyon in Northern Arizona. It is part of the 767,000-acre Canyon Diablo Watershed and is made up primarily of private, state trust, federal land and part of the Navajo Nation. In December 1853, U.S. Army Lieutenant Amiel Weeks Whipple was surveying in the area when he found the steep canyon. He named it Canyon Diablo, Spanish for Devil’s Canyon. This view of Canyon Diablo was photographed from the historic Route 66 bridge in Two Guns near Winslow, Arizona, USA.

The Rocky Mountain Iris (Iris missouriensis) is easily identified because it is the only iris species growing east of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges. It blooms May to July in streambanks, meadows, woodland margins generally in moist locations, from near sea level to 11,000 feet elevation. Most of the plants have a pale lavender colored flower but this flower was white. This iris was found by the Arizona Trail on Hart Prairie in the Coconino National Forest near Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

The San Francisco Peaks are the remnants of an ancient volcano that erupted millions of years ago, shattering a large mountain and leaving a large crater and surrounding peaks. The tallest of these are Humphreys at 12,637 feet and Agassiz at 12,356 feet. This winter scene of the snow-capped peaks was photographed from Kachina Wetlands in Kachina Village, Arizona, USA.

Campbell Mesa is one of many wooded mesas in the Coconino National Forest of Northern Arizona. On the west side of the mesa are stands of Ponderosa Pine interspersed with oak groves, grassy meadows and wildflowers. On the east side the pine forest gives way to junipers and other scrub vegetation. Campbell Mesa was named after Hugh E. Campbell, a prosperous local sheep rancher from Nova Scotia, Canada. He was born on June 10, 1862 and came to Arizona in the early 1890's. As a strong Democrat, he took a serious interest in civic affairs and was elected to the Arizona Senate and supported the prosperity and welfare of his community. Campbell Mesa is now a popular destination for mountain biking, equestrian use and hiking. This view of a snow covered rock formation was photographed on Campbell Mesa in the Coconino National Forest near Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

Fisher Point is a large and beautifully colored formation of Coconino Sandstone at the western end of Walnut Canyon and the northern end of Sandy’s Canyon. Fisher Point is named for Ed Fisher, an early forest ranger. Fisher Point is located next to the Arizona Trail in the Coconino National Forest near Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

Flagstaff is surrounded by the 1.8 million-acre Coconino National Forest, one of the largest national forests in the country. This national forest has a diversity of habitat ranging from desert to mountain peaks. It is also home to the largest contiguous Ponderosa Pine forest in North America. Interspersed among the pines are vast meadows of grasses and seasonal wildflowers. This grassy meadow ringed by Ponderosa Pines was photographed from the Sunset Trail located in the Mount Elden Dry Lake Hills north of Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

The San Francisco Peaks are actually the remnants of an ancient volcano. Millions of years ago a large mountain was shattered by a powerful explosion which left a large crater and surrounding peaks. Inside the now quiet caldera, known as the Inner Basin, a lush alpine environment has blurred evidence of that cataclysmic event. Here, extensive stands of aspens cover the steep slopes of the old caldera, coloring them solid gold in early fall. The Inner Basin is in Coconino National Forest near Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

The Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) gets its name from the way the leaves quake in the wind. The aspens grow in large colonies, often starting from a single seedling and spreading underground only to sprout another tree nearby. For this reason, it is considered to be one of the largest single organisms in nature. During the spring and summer, the aspens use sunlight and chlorophyll to create food necessary for the tree’s growth. In the fall, as the days get shorter and colder, the naturally green chlorophyll breaks down and the leaves stop producing food. Other pigments are now visible, causing the leaves to take on beautiful orange and gold colors. These colors can vary from year to year depending on weather conditions. For instance, when autumn is warm and rainy, the leaves are less colorful. This fall scene of gold colored aspens was photographed by the Inner Basin Trail in Coconino National Forest near Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

The Common Sunflower (Helianthus annus), a wild native of the American Southwest, is a member of the Asteraceae family. It has a well-known characteristic, called heliotropism, of pivoting its leaves and buds to track the path of the sun from sunrise to sunset. Once the flowers open, they are oriented to the east to greet the rising sun. The common sunflower thrives in the dry, brown disturbed soils of the southwest, turning the arid landscape into a shimmering yellow carpet that attracts wildlife, insects and human visitors alike. In Northern Arizona, the Navajo ancestors extracted a dark red dye from the outer seed coats and the Hopi cultivated a purple sunflower to make a special dye. The sunflower seed was an important food source for most North American tribes. The sunflower, with its large yellow flowers, is also an iconic art symbol and the state flower of Kansas. After the Summer Monsoon rains bring moisture to the region, sunflowers bloom in fields all over Northern Arizona. This field of sunflowers was photographed at Campbell Meadows in Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

The majestic Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is the national symbol of the United States. It is mostly found in the lowland areas near bodies of water. It feeds mostly on fish including spawned out salmon in rivers as well as water birds, geese, carrion and other prey. This eagle was photographed while perched in a dead tree on Campbell Mesa near Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

The Desert Cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii) is a rabbit native to the American southwest from western Texas north to eastern Montana, and in northern and central Mexico. The cottontail gets its name from the grayish-brown tufted tail. The desert cottontail’s diet consists mainly of forbs and grasses. It can also eat many other plants including cacti. They can be seen foraging for their food in the early morning and evening. Since they get most of their water from plants or dew, they rarely need to drink. On windy days they remain in their burrows because the wind interferes with their ability to hear predators. Cottontails use burrows created by other mammals to give birth to their young. This desert cottontail was photographed near Walnut Canyon Lakes in Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

The Desert View Watchtower is a 70-foot high stone building located on the South Rim within Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, USA. The four-story historic structure, completed in 1932, was designed by American architect Mary Colter who also created and designed many other buildings in the Grand Canyon vicinity including Hermit's Rest and the Lookout Studio.

Flagstaff is surrounded by the 1.8 million-acre Coconino National Forest, one of the largest national forests in the country. This national forest has a diversity of habitat ranging from desert to mountain peaks. It is also home to the largest contiguous Ponderosa Pine forest in North America. Interspersed among the pines are vast meadows of grasses and seasonal wildflowers. This grassy meadow ringed by Ponderosa Pines is located south of Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

The San Francisco Peaks are actually the remnants of an ancient volcano. Millions of years ago a large mountain was shattered by a powerful explosion which left a large crater and surrounding peaks. Inside the now quiet caldera, known as the Inner Basin, a lush alpine environment has blurred evidence of that cataclysmic event. Here, extensive stands of aspens cover the steep slopes of the old caldera, coloring them solid gold in early fall. The Inner Basin is in Coconino National Forest near Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

The San Francisco Volcanic Field spreads out over 1,800 square miles of Northern Arizona. This is an area of young volcanic activity along the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau. During its 6 million year history, this field has produced more than 600 volcanoes. The varied landscape includes grasslands, forests and rugged mountains. One well known cinder cone in this area is Red Mountain. It measures 1000 feet high and is over a million years old. Red Mountain is unusual in that the crater at the top is U-shaped and open toward the base, forming an amphitheater lined with corrugated cliffs filled with pinnacles, ridges and gullies. Although geologists disagree as to the origins of Red Mountain, the probability is that the crater was originally formed by a small steam explosion and has continually eroded over many years. Erosion still impacts the landscape to this day. This image was photographed from the base of Red Mountain in the Coconino National Forest near Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

The San Francisco Peaks are actually the remnants of an ancient volcano. Millions of years ago a large mountain was shattered by a powerful explosion which left a large crater and surrounding peaks. Inside the now quiet caldera, known as the Inner Basin, a lush alpine environment has blurred evidence of that cataclysmic event. Here, extensive stands of aspens cover the steep slopes of the old caldera, coloring them solid gold in early fall. The Inner Basin is in Coconino National Forest near Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) is a large wading bird common near open water and wetlands in North America, Central America, the Caribbean and the Galápagos Islands. It is the largest of the heron family native to North America. Blue herons are distinguished by slate-blue colored flight feathers, long legs and a long neck which is curved in flight. The face and head are white with black stripes. The long-pointed bill is a dull yellow. The great blue heron is found throughout most of North America from Alaska through Florida, Mexico, the Caribbean and South America. East of the Rocky Mountains herons are migratory and winter in the coastal areas of the Southern United States, Central America, or northern South America. Great blue herons thrive in almost any wetland habitat and rarely venture far from the water. The blue heron spends most of its waking hours hunting for food. The primary food in their diet is small fish. It is also known to feed opportunistically on other small prey such as shrimp, crabs, aquatic insects, rodents, small mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and birds. Herons hunt for their food and locate it by sight. Their long legs allow them to feed in deeper waters than other waders are able to. The common hunting technique is to wade slowly through the water and spear their prey with their long, sharp bill. They usually swallow their catch whole. The great blue heron breeds in colonies called rookeries, located close to lakes and wetlands. They build their large nests high up in the trees. This heron was photographed while hunting by Walnut Canyon Lakes in Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

People don't normally think of Arizona as a place that gets much snow in the winter. This scene of Mount Elden was photographed from Buffalo Park on McMillan Mesa in Northern Arizona. At 7,000 feet elevation, snow falls often here in the winter, sometimes accumulating one to two feet at a time. Buffalo Park is in Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

Lomaki Pueblo, meaning the "Beautiful House", is located on Antelope Prairie in the plains between the Painted Desert and the San Francisco Peaks of Arizona. Nearly a thousand years ago natives inhabited this area which is so dry and windy it would seem impossible to live. It was here that they built pueblos, harvested rainwater, grew crops and raised families. Their way of life was the key to survival in this harsh landscape. These people survived here, farming one of the warmest and driest places on the Colorado Plateau. They developed the skills to farm the land and endure hardship in an area where many would not. Here, there is no evidence of nearby streams that could have been used for irrigation. All of the farming depended on rainfall. Today the remnants of their villages dot the landscape. Wupatki National Monument was established in 1924 to preserve this cultural heritage. The monument is located off US Highway 89 near Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

Cirrus clouds appear in a blue sky over Rogers Lake near Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River. It is 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide and attains a depth of over a mile. The canyon and adjacent north and south rims are contained within Grand Canyon National Park, the Kaibab National Forest, Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, the Hualapai Indian Reservation, the Havasupai Indian Reservation and the Navajo Nation. In the Grand Canyon the carving of the Colorado River has exposed nearly two billion years of the earth's geological history and created some stunning scenery. This scene was photographed from the South Kaibab Trail in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, USA.

The San Francisco Peaks are actually the remnants of an ancient volcano. Millions of years ago a large mountain was shattered by a powerful explosion which left a large crater and surrounding peaks. Inside the now quiet caldera, known as the Inner Basin, a lush alpine environment has blurred evidence of that cataclysmic event. Here, extensive stands of aspens cover the steep slopes of the old caldera, coloring them solid gold in early fall. The Inner Basin is in Coconino National Forest near Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

Sunset Crater is one of nearly 600 volcanoes in the San Francisco Volcanic Field. It is the youngest volcano in the area, forming around 1,000 years ago. This 1,000-foot-high cinder cone formed when basalt magma rose directly to the surface through a primary vent. Gas pressure in the volcano produced a fountain of lava about 850 feet high. The lava was blown into pieces, which cooled in flight and piled into a cone-shaped hill. Sunset Crater was a short-lived volcano, lasting only months or a couple of years at the most. When famed explorer John Wesley Powell explored the San Francisco Volcanic Field in 1885 he wrote, "The contrast in the colors is so great that on viewing the mountain from a distance the red cinders seem to be on fire." His "Sunset" mountain became known officially as Sunset Crater. This view of Sunset Crater was photographed from Bonito Park, next to Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, in the Coconino National Forest near Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

Before dams were built to form Lake Mary, Sandy's Canyon was the historic watercourse for Walnut Canyon. Fisher Point is a large and beautifully colored formation of Coconino Sandstone at the western end of Walnut Canyon and the northern end of Sandy’s Canyon. In the photograph, a cave is visible at the base of the rock formation. Fisher Point is named for Ed Fisher, an early forest ranger. Fisher Point is located next to the Arizona Trail in the Coconino National Forest near Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, USA - May 17, 2011: The National Park System is often on the leading edge of conservation and energy efficiency. This couple is walking by the solar panels at the Grand Canyon Visitor Center near Mather Point.

The Western Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) is also known as sea hawk, river hawk and fish hawk. It is a large diurnal (as opposed to nocturnal) raptor whose diet consists mainly of fish that it dives for and catches. The adult osprey is brown on the upperparts and grayish white on the head and underparts. Their eyes are bright yellow. The juveniles are distinguished by having white on the tips of their wing feathers giving a barred appearance and orange colored eyes. The osprey lives in a wide variety of habitats as long as water is nearby to supply adequate fish for their diet. It may be found on all continents except Antarctica. The osprey has specialized physical characteristics and behavior to assist in hunting and catching prey. Among these are reversible outer toes with sharp spicules on the underside, closable nostrils to keep out water, barbed talons to help hold fish and dense oily plumage to prevent the feathers from getting waterlogged. They may be seen diving headfirst into the water to catch a fish. The osprey builds a large nest of twigs and small branches. They are usually located atop dead trees. American and Canadian osprey winter in South America, although some may stay in Florida and California. This adult osprey was photographed while while perched in a dead tree on Campbell Mesa in the Coconino National Forest near Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, USA - May 17, 2011: The American flag flies in front of the Grand Canyon Visitor Center at Mather Point.

The Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) may be the most familiar North American butterfly. They range from southern Canada to South America. Adults make massive migrations from August to October, flying thousands of miles south to hibernate along the California coast and Central Mexico. Their favorite nectar sources include the Asters, Coneflowers and Milkweeds. This butterfly was photographed while perched on a Purple Coneflower in the Flagstaff, Arizona, USA arboretum.

The Double-Crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus), with its distinctive orange throat and blue eyes, is a seabird whose habitat includes rivers and lakes as well as in coastal areas. It is widely distributed across North America, from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska down to Florida and Mexico. This male cormorant was photographed standing with his wings spread on the bank of Walnut Canyon Lakes in Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) is a large wading bird common near open water and wetlands in North America, Central America, the Caribbean and the Galápagos Islands. It is the largest of the heron family native to North America. Blue herons are distinguished by slate-blue colored flight feathers, long legs and a long neck which is curved in flight. The face and head are white with black stripes. The long-pointed bill is a dull yellow. The great blue heron is found throughout most of North America from Alaska through Florida, Mexico, the Caribbean and South America. East of the Rocky Mountains herons are migratory and winter in the coastal areas of the Southern United States, Central America, or northern South America. Great blue herons thrive in almost any wetland habitat and rarely venture far from the water. The blue heron spends most of its waking hours hunting for food. The primary food in their diet is small fish. It is also known to feed opportunistically on other small prey such as shrimp, crabs, aquatic insects, rodents, small mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and birds. Herons hunt for their food and locate it by sight. Their long legs allow them to feed in deeper waters than other waders are able to. The common hunting technique is to wade slowly through the water and spear their prey with their long, sharp bill. They usually swallow their catch whole. The great blue heron breeds in colonies called rookeries, located close to lakes and wetlands. They build their large nests high up in the trees. This heron was photographed while hunting by Walnut Canyon Lakes in Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

The Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) is a large diving duck that lives in rivers, lakes and saltwater in the forested areas of Europe, northern and central Asia, and North America. It has a serrated bill that helps it grip its prey which are mostly fish. In addition, it eats mollusks, crustaceans, worms and larvae. The common merganser builds its nest in tree cavities. The species is a permanent resident where the waters remain open in winter and migrates away from areas where the water freezes. This female common merganser in non-breeding plumage was photographed while standing on the bank of Walnut Canyon Lakes in Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

The Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) gets its name from the way the leaves quake in the wind. The aspens grow in large colonies, often starting from a single seedling and spreading underground only to sprout another tree nearby. For this reason, it is considered to be one of the largest single organisms in nature. During the spring and summer, the aspens use sunlight and chlorophyll to create food necessary for the tree’s growth. In the fall, as the days get shorter and colder, the naturally green chlorophyll breaks down and the leaves stop producing food. Other pigments are now visible, causing the leaves to take on beautiful orange and gold colors. These colors can vary from year to year depending on weather conditions. For instance, when autumn is warm and rainy, the leaves are less colorful. This fall scene of gold colored aspens was photographed on the Kachina Trail in the Kachina Peaks Wilderness near Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

This original solid-red sandstone freight depot was built by the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad in 1886. It is part of the Railroad Addition Historic District. The freight depot building is located on historic Route 66 in Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

The Common Sunflower (Helianthus annus), a wild native of the American Southwest, is a member of the Asteraceae family. It has a well-known characteristic, called heliotropism, of pivoting its leaves and buds to track the path of the sun from sunrise to sunset. Once the flowers open, they are oriented to the east to greet the rising sun. The common sunflower thrives in the dry, brown disturbed soils of the southwest, turning the arid landscape into a shimmering yellow carpet that attracts wildlife, insects and human visitors alike. In Northern Arizona, the Navajo ancestors extracted a dark red dye from the outer seed coats and the Hopi cultivated a purple sunflower to make a special dye. The sunflower seed was an important food source for most North American tribes. The sunflower, with its large yellow flowers, is also an iconic art symbol and the state flower of Kansas. After the Summer Monsoon rains bring moisture to the region, sunflowers bloom in fields all over Northern Arizona. This pond, surrounded by sunflowers, was photographed at Campbell Meadows in Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) is a large wading bird common near open water and wetlands in North America, Central America, the Caribbean and the Galápagos Islands. It is the largest of the heron family native to North America. Blue herons are distinguished by slate-blue colored flight feathers, long legs and a long neck which is curved in flight. The face and head are white with black stripes. The long-pointed bill is a dull yellow. The great blue heron is found throughout most of North America from Alaska through Florida, Mexico, the Caribbean and South America. East of the Rocky Mountains herons are migratory and winter in the coastal areas of the Southern United States, Central America, or northern South America. Great blue herons thrive in almost any wetland habitat and rarely venture far from the water. The blue heron spends most of its waking hours hunting for food. The primary food in their diet is small fish. It is also known to feed opportunistically on other small prey such as shrimp, crabs, aquatic insects, rodents, small mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and birds. Herons hunt for their food and locate it by sight. Their long legs allow them to feed in deeper waters than other waders are able to. The common hunting technique is to wade slowly through the water and spear their prey with their long, sharp bill. They usually swallow their catch whole. The great blue heron breeds in colonies called rookeries, located close to lakes and wetlands. They build their large nests high up in the trees. This heron was photographed while hunting in the grass by Walnut Canyon Lakes in Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

Sixty million years ago the west side of Bright Angel Fault was lifted higher than the east side, creating the canyon that we now see. The exposed walls of Bright Angel Canyon allow us to see the geological history of the area. Tropical seas, coastal beaches, sand dunes, swamps, lagoons, and Sahara-like deserts are represented by the horizontal layers that are exposed. The upper five layers of stacked rock records 70 million years of rising and falling sea levels. The limestone layers represent shallow sea environments, sandstone layers mean sandy beaches or dunes, while shale layers translate to mud flats, swamps, or coastal plains. This picture of Bright Angel Canyon was taken at sunrise from Bright Angel Point on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, USA.

The Common Sunflower (Helianthus annus), a wild native of the American Southwest, is a member of the Asteraceae family. It has a well-known characteristic, called heliotropism, of pivoting its leaves and buds to track the path of the sun from sunrise to sunset. Once the flowers open, they are oriented to the east to greet the rising sun. The common sunflower thrives in the dry, brown disturbed soils of the southwest, turning the arid landscape into a shimmering yellow carpet that attracts wildlife, insects and human visitors alike. In Northern Arizona, the Navajo ancestors extracted a dark red dye from the outer seed coats and the Hopi cultivated a purple sunflower to make a special dye. The sunflower seed was an important food source for most North American tribes. The sunflower, with its large yellow flowers, is also an iconic art symbol and the state flower of Kansas. After the Summer Monsoon rains bring moisture to the region, sunflowers bloom in fields all over Northern Arizona. This field of sunflowers was photographed at Campbell Meadows in Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.