Salt River Canyon

The state of Arizona is full of some of the most beautiful mountains, deserts and canyons in the country.  With the Grand Canyon being the star of them all, sometimes the smaller canyons are forgotten.  When I drove to New Mexico last month, I had forgotten that my route would take me right through Salt River Canyon.  The Grand Canyon is so vast that there is no way to cross it.  Route US 60 takes you right through the Salt River Canyon, descending to the bottom, crossing the river and climbing back up the other side.

When the road started twisting and turning into hairpin curves, it was a bit of a surprise until I remembered being here before.  Canyons offer an opportunity to see the rainbow layers of rock and sediment that make up the mountains.

At the bottom of the canyon is a rest area where I stopped to get a closer look at the steel arch bridge that spans the river (seen in the top photo) and to see the water below.

Trails run down to the water's edge and I saw that some people had ventured down there to get a closer look.  Being late in the year, the water was low.  During the spring, it runs much heavier forming rapids in this area.

After crossing the bridge and climbing up the other side, I stopped again at an overlook to get a better look at the canyon below.  This viewpoint looked a little like a mini-Grand Canyon.

Looking further to the north, I found a break in the canyon walls.  I liked the look of that notch in the mountain and thought it would be fun to hike in that area and explore it more.  I'm so glad I stopped to take in the scenery around me.  Places like this make me appreciate the beautiful state I live in.