The Great Chamber

Utah’s Great Chamber, a sandstone alcove over 200 feet wide, is the awe-inspiring result of millions of years of wind and sand shaping rock.

The Chamber was created when erosion ate into the side of a Navajo sandstone cliff formed from dunes 180 million years ago in the Jurassic period. The key geologic factor here is "differential erosion," in which softer rock erodes quicker than the surrounding harder rock, enabling wind and floods to scoop out a massive hollow in the cliff face. The wind also blew sand into the alcove's floor, creating a huge dune that fills much of the interior. Visitors who have returned to the Chamber years later say that the sand-scape continues to slowly change, shifting and reshaping. 

The smooth, pale sandstone of this cathedral-like structure changes color with the sun's angle, almost glowing in off-whites, soft pinks and yellows when the sun is brightest. Visitors have compared it to the feeling of being in a house of worship with its soaring archways and meditative aura. Photographers suggest that sunrise and sunset provide the most dramatic shadows and views over the Grand Staircase-Escalante region. 

Getting to the secluded Great Chamber takes a little planning. Several local guides and tour companies offer ATV and Jeep tours that make it easy to reach the Great Chamber. To go on your own, you’ll want a high-clearance, four-wheel drive vehicle to get to the Cutler Point access area. Some visitors even make it a day-trip from Zion National Park.

After that, you’ll make the final climb on foot, so consider high boots or hiking sandals and plenty of water; the deep sand and incline can make the hike somewhat strenuous. (It’s at a 6,700-foot elevation, after all.)