Rainbow of the Desert: Zion National Park

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Zion Canyon National Park, bordering the great American southwest, yearly attracts thousands of motorists on vacation.

They are welcomed by government rangers at the two main entrances and begin the discovery of new beauty released from treacherous desert by modern highways.

Two tunnels have been blasted through solid rock to open for everyone the amazing beauty of Zion Canyon.

Let's thread our way through the mile -long tunnel that makes this Zion -Mount Carmel Highway an important feature of the park.

Six observation ports on the tunnel's outer side give us breathtaking glimpses of the glorious canyon below.

The exposed rock formations in Zion Canyon are mostly of Navajo sandstone.

White sandstone forms the familiar caps of the region, while heavier masses are a deep red in colour.

Sandstone, once loose shifting sand, was converted into stone through the ages by pressure and chemical action.

The canyon country viewed from an airplane high above shows us a scene of memorable beauty.

Zion National Park covers 148 square miles, traversed by the great canyon 2 ,500 feet or more in depth.

The region is not mountainous, but the great canyon was carved through countless ages as a giant gully in a high plateau, washed by the erosive action of streams and the elements.

If you look carefully at the spires rising high above the canyon floor, you will see that their tops are perfectly flat.

These mark the level of the original plateau.

Because these surface areas were harder, they resisted erosion and remained at their old level while the softer stone around them wore slowly down, a little at a time, through hundreds of centuries.

Music Chief agents in this age -long process are the streams of the area.

Beginning with a gentle flow of a hidden spring, these waters swell to the rushing surge of a stream called the Virgin River, carving fantastic patterns through the sandstone.

In rainy seasons, the river grills in size, showing less patience in the hungry assault against the stone ramparts that form its prisms.

Sweeping sand and rock particles with it, the swollen river takes on the consistency and colour of warm fudge, with sometimes as much as 80 % silt making up its volume.

It's tiring just to think of the gigantic task this little river sets out to accomplish, and the rest and relaxation at hand in the park lodge are more than ever welcome.

The lodge, reached by the Zion -Montcarmel Highway, offers food, rest and entertainment, with a dip in the pool to start the day and varied evening entertainment to complete it.

First to claim the canyon visitors' attention are giant monoliths towering toward the sky, and each dignified with a name such as the Three Patriarchs, the Sentinel, Angel's Landing, Rainbow Bridge, and many others.

Trail hikes are organised daily by park rangers.

At the base of the canyon, luxuriant foliage finds nourishment in the rich bottomlands, but disappears at higher levels.

Safe but not simple is the trail up Lady Mountain, rising 2 ,700 feet from the canyon floor.

Ladders with cable guards protect us, but each has to furnish his own leg power and it takes plenty.

Those of us who boast some skill or interest in horsemanship find the trails more easily traversed.

Prime gold of all is Observation Point, and from it the whole length and breadth of the canyon can be seen.

The magnificent view is worth all the energy it takes to reach this canyon vantage point.

Somebody liked this country long before we did.

You guessed it, the cliff dwellers, with their houses and villages perched snugly on rock ledges, removing the danger of unfriendly visitors.

And here's one modern version of cliff dwelling, auto trailers, snug and safe like the others, but when stairways are pulled up, they're ready to go places.

Well, now we don't have to go to Hollywood, because Hollywood comes to us.

A motion picture company with its cameras and sets makes a thrilling sequence for a feature of the Old West, as we modern pioneers watch in comfort and safety.

But like the old time pioneers, we must push on.

New scenes and new beauties beckon.

Our hosts and hostesses at the lodge give us a farewell song and a cordial invitation to come back as we leave with regret this hospitable canyon and its people.

Away we go on a magic carpet, confident that modern highways and modern transportation will open still more vistas of beauty and excitement as we push on to new scenes.

Identifier

F.2005-01-0181

Date Of Production

circa 1939

Abstract

Travelogue produced by Ford Motor Company promoting travel to Zion National Park in a “modern dependable car.” Footage of canyons, walking and horseback tours, tourists swimming and hiking, and Ford cars and buses.

Run Time

0:07:38

Format

16mm

Extent

275 feet

Color

B&W

Sound

Optical

Reel/Tape Number

1/1

Has Been Digitized?

Yes

Language Of Materials

English

Element

Print

Genre

Sponsored
Travelogue

Form

Short

Subject

National parks and reserves
Vehicles
Travel

Related Collections

Subseries II: Collected Professional Films

Related Places

North America ➜ United States ➜ Utah ➜ Springdale

Sponsor/client

Ford Motor Company

Main Credits

Ford Motor Company (is producer)

Industrial Pictures, Inc. (is production company)

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