Jeff Goulden Mountain Pictures, Images and Stock Photos

Dallas Peak at 13,815' above sea level is a rock summit in the San Juan mountains of southern Colorado near the Continental Divide. The wide-open landscape is surrounded by many peaks approaching 14,000'. This photograph of a young woman hiker and her dog was taken from the high meadows above Blue Lake in the Mount Sneffels Wilderness near Ridgway, Colorado, USA.

Mount Rainier at 14,410' is the highest peak in the Cascade Range. This image was photographed from the beautiful Paradise Meadows at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State. The image shows the meadow in full bloom with aster, lupine, bistort and other wildflowers.

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.

Zion Canyon is a unique and different experience than the Grand Canyon. At Zion, you are standing at the bottom looking up where at the Grand Canyon you are at the top looking down. Zion Canyon is mostly made up of sedimentary rocks, bits and pieces of older rocks that have been deposited in layers after much weathering and erosion. These rock layers tell stories of an ancient ecosystem very different from what Zion looks like today. About 110 – 200 million years ago Zion and the Colorado Plateau were near sea level and were close to the equator. Since then they have been uplifted and eroded to form the scenery we see today. Zion Canyon has had a 10,000-year history of human habitation. Most of this history was not recorded and has been interpreted by archeologists and anthropologist from clues left behind. Archeologists have identified sites and artifacts from the Archaic, Anasazi, Fremont and Southern Paiute cultures. Mormon pioneers settled in the area and began farming in the 1850s. Today, the descendants of both the Paiute and Mormons still live in the area. On November 19, 1919 Zion Canyon was established as a national park. Like a lot of public land, the Zion area benefited from infrastructure work done during the Great Depression of the 1930’s by government sponsored organizations like the Civil Works Administration (CWA) and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). During their nine years at Zion the CWA and CCC built trails, parking areas, campgrounds, buildings, fought fires and reduced flooding of the Virgin River. This view of the red rocks of Zion Canyon was photographed from the Emerald Pools Trail in Zion National Park near Springdale, Utah, USA.

The Brothers, at 6842' above sea level, are a pair of prominent peaks in the Olympic Mountains of Washington State. This picture was taken at sunset from Annas Bay near the town of Union on Hood Canal.

This woman hiker is looking down on Lower Grinnell Lake while hiking the Grinnell Glacier Trail in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA.

The Grizzly Bear (Usus Arctos horribilis), also known as the North American Brown Bear, is a large population of brown bear inhabiting North America. They are a very large bear with the male weighing from 400 - 790 pounds and the females from 290 - 400 pounds. The Lewis and Clark expedition named the bear "grisley" but probably meant grisly which means fear-inspiring or gruesome. Although grizzly bears are classified as and have the digestive system of carnivores they eat both plants and animals. They will even eat carrion left behind by other animals. They are very opportunistic feeders eating whatever they can find. Grizzly bears normally hibernate for 5-7 months each year, especially in a colder climate. This grizzly bear was photographed while foraging in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA.

On May 18, 1980 Mount Saint Helens violently erupted, and lost much of its upper flanks, shown here covered in snow. This rare picture was taken in 1973. At the time, the mountain was part of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Washington State. It has since received recognition as a national monument.

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.

The Naches River flows from the Cascade Range near Chinook Pass and enters the Yakima River in the town of Yakima, Washington State, USA. In the fall, the banks of the river are lined with colorful trees.

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.

A young woman hiker and her companion dog look out over the San Juan Mountains from 12,000' Columbine Lake Pass in the San Juan National Forest near Silverton, Colorado, 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.

Grinnell Lake is a pretty alpine lake below the Continental Divide of the Rocky Mountains. Its opaque turquoise appearance comes from the silt which is transported to the lake from Grinnell Glacier. Grinnell Lake is accessible via the Grinnell Glacier Trail and is located 3.2 miles from the Many Glacier Hotel in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA.

Fall comes early to the high country of Montana. While the plains are still baking in the heat of summer, the Continental Divide is taking on the hues of autumn. This scene of the Rocky Mountain Front Range was photographed from the Pine Butte Guest Ranch near Choteau, Montana, USA.

The Saguaro Cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) is one of the iconic plants of the Sonoran Desert in Southern Arizona and Western Sonora, Mexico. These plants are large cacti that develop branches as they grow and mature. The branches generally bend upward but not always. The fluted trunks and branches of the saguaro are covered with protective spines. In the late spring the plant develops white flowers and red fruit forms in the summer. Saguaros are found only in the Sonoran Desert. To thrive they need water and the correct temperature. At higher elevations, the cold weather and frost can kill the saguaro. The Sonoran Desert experiences monsoon rains during July and August. This is when the saguaro obtains the moisture it needs to survive and thrive. These saguaro were found at McDowell Mountain Regional Park near Scottsdale, Arizona, USA.

The San Juans in southern Colorado are a high altitude range of mountains that straddle the Continental Divide. This wide-open landscape, at 12,300, is well above timberline. The young woman was photographed while hiking on the Colorado Trail near Molas Pass, Colorado, USA.

The Franklin Mountains of Texas are a 23-mile-long range of mountains that extend from El Paso north into New Mexico. The mountains are a tilted-block formation mostly composed of sedimentary rock with some igneous intrusions. This view of the mountain range was photographed from Franklin Mountains State Park near El Paso, Texas, USA.

The Saguaro Cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) is one of the iconic plants of the Sonoran Desert in Southern Arizona and Western Sonora, Mexico. These plants are large cacti that develop branches as they grow and mature. The branches generally bend upward but not always. The fluted trunks and branches of the saguaro are covered with protective spines. In the late spring the plant develops white flowers and red fruit forms in the summer. Saguaros are found only in the Sonoran Desert. To thrive they need water and the correct temperature. At higher elevations, the cold weather and frost can kill the saguaro. The Sonoran Desert experiences monsoon rains during July and August. This is when the saguaro obtains the moisture it needs to survive and thrive. These saguaro were found at McDowell Mountain Regional Park near Scottsdale, Arizona, USA.

The Continental Divide is the principal hydrological divide of the Americas. The Continental Divide extends along the Rocky Mountains and Andes, and separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from those that drain into the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Mounts Cannon and Oberlin are two high peaks along the Continental Divide. This view was photographed from Big Bend on the Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA.

Many people identify the typical desert as a vast area covered by sand dunes. That may be true in some parts of the world but in the Mojave, less than one percent of the desert is covered with sand dunes. In order for sand dunes to exist there has to be a source of sand. Also there needs to be winds to move the sands and a place for the sand to collect. The eroded canyons and washes of Death Valley National Park in California provide plenty of sand. The wind seems to blow frequently here, especially in the springtime, and there are a few areas where the sand is trapped by geographic features such as mountains. Mesquite Flats near Stovepipe Wells is one such place. This sunset picture of the sand dunes and the Grapevine Mountains was taken after a winter storm had passed.

At 14,410' above sea level, Mount Rainier dominates the landscape of the Puget Sound region. Mount Rainier is the highest point in Washington State, and is also the most glaciated mountain in the continental United States. This picture of a housing development near the base of Mount Rainier was taken from Edgewood, Washington State, USA.

About 50,000 years ago, during several months of lava flows, Mount Elden was formed. The mountain is technically a 'lava dome' formed of igneous volcanic rock known as Dacite. The mountain didn’t explode, it poured out lava flows along lateral vents. Mount Elden takes its shape of multiple lobes as a result of these overlapping flows. Another characteristic of the mountain are the many uncommonly large boulders around the base and even higher on the mountain. These massive boulders were photographed near the Arizona Trail at the base of Mount Elden in the Coconino National Forest near Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

The Mexican Jay (Aphelocoma wollweberi) is a New World jay native to the Sierra Madre Oriental, Sierra Madre Occidental, and Central Plateau of Mexico. It reaches north to eastern Arizona, western New Mexico and western Texas in the United States. Its preferred habitat is montane pine-oak forest. This jay was photographed perched on a rock near the Organ Pipe Formation at Chiricahua National Monument, Arizona, USA.

The historic Lubec barn was originally built in 1926 at the Lubec Ranger Station about 7 miles south of East Glacier. In the summer of 1977, the barn was taken apart and moved as part of an historical restoration project. The disassembled barn was transported to and reassembled piece-by-piece at the Saint Mary Ranger Station in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA.

The Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis) is a North American sheep named for its large curled horns. An adult ram can weigh up to 300 lb and the horns alone can weigh up to 30 lb. This big old ram with its broken-off horns was photographed on the Grinnell Glacier Trail in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA.

The Pacific Crest Trail, officially known as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, stretches 2,653 miles from the Mexican border to the Canadian Border. It follows the Cascade Range of mountains in Washington, Oregon and Northern California. In Southern California it follows the Sierra Nevada range. The mountains, lakes, meadows and forests along the Pacific Crest Trail are a visual delight in any season. This green forested scene with Dewey Lake was photographed near Chinook Pass, in the William O. Douglas Wilderness, Washington State, USA.

Arizona doesn't have many natural ponds and lakes. To provide water for their livestock, early ranchers dug stock tanks in the national forest open range. Now that the national forests are used for recreation these old tanks provide ideal habitat for wildlife as well as popular destinations for hiking. An osprey nest is in the upper part of the picture. This unnamed tank has overflowed from the monoon rainfalls. It is located at the base of Campbell Mesa in Coconino National Forest, Arizona, USA.

The Brothers, at 6842' above sea level, are a pair of prominent peaks in the Olympic Mountains of Washington State. This picture was taken at sunset from Annas Bay near the town of Union on Hood Canal.

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.

A young woman and her dog hike the Colorado Trail in the San Juan National Forest, Colorado, USA.

The San Juans in southern Colorado are a high altitude range of mountains that straddle the Continental Divide. This wide-open landscape, at 12,300, is well above timberline. The young woman and her dog were photographed on the way to Upper Ice Lake in the San Juan National Forest near Silverton, Colorado, USA.

Olympic National Park, located in the north-west corner of Washington State, is the most diverse national park in the USA. The central core of the park has high glaciated mountains and alpine meadows. Surrounding this central region are old growth and temperate rain forests. The park also protects over 70 miles of Pacific Coast wilderness. This view of the Olympic Range interior was taken from Hurricane Ridge.

Lake McDonald is 10 miles long and over a mile wide making it the largest lake in Glacier National Park. It fills a deep valley formed by erosion and glacial activity. Lake McDonald is on the west side of the Continental Divide. The Going-to-the-Sun Road parallels the lake along its southern shoreline. The lake was photographed from Lake McDonald Lodge in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA.

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

The landscapes and seascapes of Puget Sound are a constant source of inspiration for photographers. This picture of a tranquil Puget Sound reflecting the puffy clouds and blue sky was photographed from Penrose Point State Park, Washington State, USA.

The American Pika (Ochotona princeps) is an herbivorous, smaller relative of the rabbit. These cute rodents can be found in the mountains of western North America usually above the tree line in large boulder fields. The pika could become the first mammal in United States to be listed as endangered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as a result of global climate change. This pika was found near Mount Fremont, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington State, USA.

The Soldiers Chapel is a non-denominational memorial chapel dedicated in 1955 by the Nelson Story family. It was built in tribute to a fallen member of the 163rd Infantry Regiment which was part of the Montana National Guard during World War II. The Soldiers Chapel is located in Big Sky, Montana, USA.

Emerald Bay is a natural and scenic bay in the southwest corner of Lake Tahoe, California, USA. In 1969 Emerald Bay was recognized as a National Natural Landmark by the US Department of the Interior. Fannette Island in Emerald Bay is the only island in Lake Tahoe.

The Trinity Alps Wilderness is a 525,627-acre national wilderness in northern California. It is contained within and administered by Shasta-Trinity, Klamath, and Six Rivers National Forests. The wilderness is part of the Salmon and Scott Mountains which are subranges of the Klamath Mountains. The high, granite peaks of the eastern half of the wilderness are known as the Trinity Alps. This lush meadow was photographed below Granite Lake. Granite Lake is located in the Trinity Alps near Weaverville, California, USA.

At 14,410' above sea level, Mount Rainier dominates the landscape of the Puget Sound region. Mount Rainier is the highest point in Washington State, and is also the most glaciated mountain in the continental United States. This picture of Mount Rainier was taken at sunset from Edgewood, Washington State, USA.

The Santa Catalina Mountains formed about 20 million years ago when tremendous heat and pressure from volcanoes caused this flat land to buckle and arch. This photograph of Sutherland Wash and the Santa Catalina Mountains was taken at sunset in Catalina State Park near Oro Valley, 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 Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis) is a North American sheep named for its large curled horns. An adult ram can weigh up to 300 lb and the horns alone can weigh up to 30 lb. This bighorn ewe was photographed on the Grinnell Glacier Trail in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA.

Fay Canyon, in the Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness, is a one-and-a-half-mile box canyon containing many unusual red rock formations, a natural arch, a seasonal stream, and a variety of desert plants typical of the lower elevations around the Verde Valley. Fay Canyon is part of the Coconino National Forest near Sedona, Arizona, USA.

The Columbia Gorge is a canyon of the Columbia River which forms the border between the states of Oregon and Washington. The canyon is up to 4,000 feet deep in places and stretches for over 80 miles as the river winds westward through the Cascade Range. This scene of the Columbia River was taken from Cape Horn near Washougal, Washington State, USA.

The Saguaro Cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) is one of the iconic plants of the Sonoran Desert in Southern Arizona and Western Sonora, Mexico. These plants are large cacti that develop branches as they grow and mature. The branches generally bend upward but not always. The fluted trunks and branches of the saguaro are covered with protective spines. In the late spring the plant develops white flowers and red fruit forms in the summer. Saguaros are found only in the Sonoran Desert. To thrive they need water and the correct temperature. At higher elevations, the cold weather and frost can kill the saguaro. The Sonoran Desert experiences monsoon rains during July and August. This is when the saguaro obtains the moisture it needs to survive and thrive. These saguaro cacti were found in Catalina State Park near Tucson, Arizona, USA.

The San Juans in southern Colorado are a high altitude range of mountains that straddle the Continental Divide. This wide-open landscape, at an elevation of 11,400 feet above sea level, is well above timberline. These hiker's legs and boots were photographed above Lower Ice Lake Basin in the San Juan National Forest near Silverton, Colorado, USA.

At 14,410' above sea level, Mount Rainier dominates the landscape of the Puget Sound region. Mount Rainier is the highest point in Washington State, and is also the most glaciated mountain in the continental United States. This picture of a cross country skier was taken from Reflection Lakes in Mount Rainier National Park, Washington State, USA.

The historic San Juan County Courthouse was built in 1908. The courthouse is located in Silverton, Colorado, USA.

Snowdon Peak in San Juan County is a 13,077-foot mountain located in the Weminuche Wilderness of the San Juan National Forest. It is part of the Rocky Mountains of North America and is located nine miles west of the Continental Divide. The mountain is named after Mount Snowdon, the highest point in Wales. Snowdon Peak is located in an alpine subarctic climate zone. It receives precipitation almost all year in the form of rain or snow. The rain and snowmelt drain into tributaries of the Animas River, which is part of the Colorado River System. This view of Snowdon Peak was photographed from Little Molas Lake by the 500-mile-long Colorado Trail near Silverton, Colorado, USA.

The North Cascades Highway traverses the Cascade Range of mountains in an east-west direction. Only open late spring through fall, this highway offers stunning views and access into the North Cascades National Park. This winding highway scene was taken from the Washington Pass Overlook in the Okanogan National Forest, Washington State, USA.

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.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park lies where the Great Plains meet the rugged Badlands near Medora, North Dakota, USA. The park's 3 units, linked by the Little Missouri River is a habitat for bison, elk and prairie dogs. The park's namesake, President Teddy Roosevelt once lived in the Maltese Cross Cabin which is now part of the park. This picture of a classic badland formation was taken from the Caprock Coulee Trail.

The Tortugas Mountain Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by New Mexico State University. It was built in 1963 to observe the planets. Regular use of the observatory ceased around 1999 but the equipment was never dismantled. In 2010 efforts were made to reestablish the observatory. As of 2011 the work was still on-going. The observatory is located on Tortugas Mountain near Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA.

The Saguaro Cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) is one of the iconic plants of the Sonoran Desert in Southern Arizona and Western Sonora, Mexico. These plants are large cacti that develop branches as they grow and mature. The branches generally bend upward but not always. The fluted trunks and branches of the saguaro are covered with protective spines. In the late spring the plant develops white flowers and red fruit forms in the summer. Saguaros are found only in the Sonoran Desert. To thrive they need water and the correct temperature. At higher elevations, the cold weather and frost can kill the saguaro. The Sonoran Desert experiences monsoon rains during July and August. This is when the saguaro obtains the moisture it needs to survive and thrive. These saguaro were found in Saguaro National Park near Tucson, Arizona, USA.

The Pacific Crest Trail, officially known as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, stretches 2,653 miles from the Mexican border to the Canadian Border. It follows the Cascade Range of mountains in Washington, Oregon and Northern California. In Southern California it follows the Sierra Nevada range. The mountains, lakes, meadows and forests along the Pacific Crest Trail are a visual delight in any season. This green forested summer scene was photographed near Sheep Lake, north of Chinook Pass, in the Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington State, USA.

Seven Warriors is a long ridge with seven prominent peaks. This view of Seven Warriors was photographed from the Turkey Creek Trail in the Coconino National Forest near the Village of Oak Creek, Arizona, USA.

The aptly named Crooked River winds its way through the gorge below the cliffs of Smith Rock. This scene was photographed at Smith Rock State Park near the town of Terrebonne, yyy, USA.

This woman is hiking along the trail to Bradley and Taggart Lakes in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA. The scenic Teton Range of mountains is in the distance.