Discoveries…America National Parks: Arches, Canyonlands & Natural Bridges

This entry from Jim and Kelly Watt's acclaimed high-definition-filmed Discoveries…America National Parks series takes viewers to the wild and rocky lands of southern Utah. Beginning in Arches National Park, home of the iconic Delicate Arch, the travelogue offers an introduction to the 76,000 acres of sandstone arches, buttes, and other geologic wonders, capturing 17th-century Native American art painted on desert rocks, while a park ranger offers explanatory comments. In nearby Canyonlands, the wear and tear wrought by two rivers over millennia has left a magnificent canyon and a visual feast of varied shapes. Here, trails lead intrepid visitors deep into the back country, while the raging Colorado River offers a perfect (if also dangerous) venue for whitewater rafting. The filmmakers also stop at the Natural Bridges National Monument (established by Theodore Roosevelt and boasting fantastic stone formations), as well as ancestral Pueblo sites. Footage of recreational drivers steering souped-up jeeps through chasms and up and down rock walls might sound environmentally perilous, but it sure looks like fun. Highly recommended. Aud: P. (T. Keogh)