The walls of this canyon passage glow with the intensity of molten lava. This luminescence is the result of reflected sunlight, bouncing down the canyon surfaces in a series of reflections between the walls. This enchanting effect occurs only when the sun is at the precise location in the sky for beams to funnel down the fissure. The result is this extraordinary display, capturing the intimate dance of light and shadow.

Such are the hidden secrets of this narrow slot canyon known as “Spooky Gulch” located in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. It is a serpentine fissure carved deep through layers of of Navajo Sandstone over thousands of years by thunderstorms and subsequent floods. The vast majority of its daunting one-mile length is dim, owing to its depth and slender width of a claustrophobic twelve inches. However, if you happen to be traveling through this passage at the proper time, you may find the magical glow witnessed in this photo.