Straddling the boarders of Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico lies a magnificent wilderness known as the Colorado Plateau. Encompassing over 130,000 square miles, it is a high, eroded tableland of rock, canyon, and desert, and within its boundaries are the greatest concentration of National Parks, National Monuments, State Parks, Wilderness areas, BLM holdings, and Native American tribal lands in America.

This mini edition of the oversized, deluxe Canyon Wilderness of the Southwest is an awe-inspiring visual odyssey through this incredible landscape. Beautifully photographed by Jon Ortner, this little book showcases more than two hundred images, including seventy-five panoramas. Shot in more than fifty locations across a 130,000-square-mile area of Utah and Arizona, there are thirteen geographical areas included in the book: Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness, Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument, Capitol Reef National Park, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Grand Gulch, Petrified Forest National Park, Hopi Tribal Lands, Grand Canyon National Park, Navajo Tribal Lands.

From the vast, majestic canyons, to the brilliant, swirling colors of the Grand Staircase and Vermillion Cliffs, Ortner shares his unique vision of a wilderness of rock, at once familiar yet astounding, one of America's greatest natural treasures. This remarkable aassemblage of geological diversity and spectacular beauty attracts millions of American and foreign tourists every year.

With extensive captions about the locations by the photographer and an introduction by the writer Greer K. Chesher.

About The Author

JON ORTNER's books Where Every Breath Is a Prayer (STC), Angkor (Abbeville), and Buddha (Welcome Books) are the culmination of numerous journeys to the far corners of the Himalayas and Southeast Asia. A compilation of his New York City photographs was published as Manhattan Dawn & Dusk (STC). His award-winning images and stories have appeared in numerous magazines, including GEO, Communication Arts, Travel + Leisure, and Architectural Digest. In recent years, Jon has turned his focus and passion to the canyons and deserts of the Southwest.

GREER K. CHESHER's book Heart of the Desert Wild: Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument won the Utah Book Ward for nonfiction in 2001. Having rangered for the National Park Service for twenty years everywhere from Bandelier National Monument to Grand Canyon National Parks, she has written several books about her experiences, including The Desert's Hoodoo Heart and Bryce Canyon Impressions. Her latest book is Zion: A Storied Land. She currently lives in Rockville, Utah.