Temple of the Sun, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, United States Dec 18, 2025

Temple of the Sun, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, United States

Rock layers formed over millions of years and a massive bend in the Earth"s crust give this desert a rare window into geologic history. This is Capitol Reef National Park in Utah, where sandstone cliffs and canyons preserve a striking record of the planet"s past. It was designated as a national park in 1971. Today"s featured image highlights the sandstone monoliths of Cathedral Valley, including the Temple of the Sun, part of this extraordinary, protected landscape.

© Austin Cronnelly/TANDEM Stills + Motion

palette

Today in History

Dec 18, 2023Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, USA
Dec 18, 2024Jim Corbett National Park, India

More Desktop Wallpapers:

May 13, 2026Arch and Milky Way, Alabama Hills, Sierra Nevada, California, USA
Feb 25, 2025Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, United States
Jul 15, 2024Tateishi Park, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Oct 2, 2025Oxbow Bend on the Snake River, Wyoming, United States
Dec 30, 2023Daiichi Tadami River Bridge, Fukushima, Japan
June 23, 2026Mount Fuji on Honshu Island, Japan
May 10, 2024Misool, Raja Ampat Islands
Dec 1, 2025Natural arch carved in an iceberg, Antarctica
Jan 27, 2025Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, United States
Nov 11, 2025Externsteine, Teutoburg Forest, Germany
Jan 12, 2024Bukhansan National Park, South Korea
Jan 23, 2025Deer Valley at dusk, Park City, Utah, United States
Sep 21, 2023Inside the Nobel Peace Centre, Oslo, Norway
Dec 27, 2023Kirkjufell, Iceland
May 2, 2026Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada
Feb 21, 2024Horsetail Fall, Yosemite National Park, California, USA
Apr 27, 2024Leucistic Annas hummingbird
Jul 29, 2025Bengal tiger, India
Jul 7, 2025Northern gannets, Shetland Islands, Scotland
June 10, 2026Hnausapollur crater lake, Fjallabak Nature Reserve, Iceland
Nov 12, 2024Arches National Park, Utah, United States
Jan 5, 2025Plum-headed parakeet
Nov 11, 2024Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
Aug 8, 2026Ah Shi Sle Pah Wilderness, New Mexico, USA
June 1, 2026Palermo, Sicily, Italy
Mar 14, 2025Dolmen of Sorginetxe, Spain
Feb 19, 2026Dragons Eye, Uttakleiv Beach, Norway
Sep 27, 2024Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, Italy
May 13, 2025Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia, Chile
June 19, 2026La Rocchetta Lighthouse, Piombino, Italy