Blue Mesa in Painted Layers
A sweeping panorama captures the colorful badlands of Blue Mesa in Arizona’s Petrified Forest National Park. Bands of lavender, gray, cream, and warm brown trace the contours of deeply eroded hills while the winding road below reveals the immense scale of the landscape. Beneath a brilliant blue sky, millions of years of sediment and erosion create one of the Painted Desert’s most striking geological scenes.
#BlueMesa #PaintedDesert #PetrifiedForestNationalPark #Arizona #Badlands #DesertLandscape #Geology #Erosion #Panorama #ScenicVista #AmericanSouthwest #NationalPark #LandscapePhotography #NaturePhotography #EngelPhotography
#BlueMesa #PaintedDesert #PetrifiedForestNationalPark #Arizona #Badlands #DesertLandscape #Geology #Erosion #Panorama #ScenicVista #AmericanSouthwest #NationalPark #LandscapePhotography #NaturePhotography #EngelPhotography
Photographer
James Engel
Date & Time
Sunday, March 29th, 2026 at 10:38 AM America/Phoenix
Focal Length
24mm
Shutter Speed
1/160 sec
Aperture
ƒ/11
ISO
64
Location
North America, The United States of America, Arizona, Woodruff, Petrified Forest National Park
Keywords
Badlands, Desert Landscape, Landscapes & Nature, National Park, Painted Desert, Panorama, Photography Techniques, Rock, Scenic Drive, Scenic Vista, Texture
Camera
Nikon D850
Approximate Map Location
Latitude: 34.936333
Longitude: -109.758904
Altitude: 1,708.0 meters / 5,603.7 feet
Longitude: -109.758904
Altitude: 1,708.0 meters / 5,603.7 feet